Larz

The touring weighs a little bit more.

BANNOR

Dude, I think you did just cheat on on wife/gf/fiance.

dubulup

I've never been in a car that stops faster than mine. I'm talking brain sloshing fast.

DamonB

You can make braking distances and skidpad numbers just about anything you want by putting different tires on the car. I can't believe people will argue over hundreths of a g or a few feet of braking distance. You're splitting hairs. Any car that makes skidpad or braking distance numbers even close to another you may as well consider equal. "Handling" doesn't equal "faster than you" anyway.

Fact is the FD owner's ego tends to be so fragile they have to find a way to always insist their car is "better". There's an awful lot of really excellent cars out there that are a blast to drive. It's a shame the FD crowd is so afraid of them.

jimlab

Er, 276 horsepower FD.

280 ps = 276.16 horsepower. 21 more (276 vs. 255) horsepower isn't going to make a big difference in quarter mile performance.

It'd be naturally aspirated and underpowered to meet emissions regulations, just like the RX-8...

I can.

rynberg

What's funny is that 95% of the forum has never even been to an auto-x, let alone a track, and have no clue about extracting the maximum performance from their car anyway.

That's what you get when you combine a capable good looking car and a price that has descended enough for high schoolers and college kids to own them.

I'm not like that. If someone wanted to trade me my FD for a new Z06, an F430, or a GT3, it wouldn't be much of a decision....

Kento

Uh, an F430 or a GT3? It wouldn't be much of a decision, because you'd have been pushed aside so that person would trade me for my FD...

DamonB

Yep. Them freight trains stop awful quick!

DCrosby

Is this what they tought at your school ??

"Object Standing still wants to fly away, and object in motion stops instantly !"

Herblenny

iTrader: (13)

LOL! I would trade my FDs for new Z06, GT3, or 430... No brainer.. Maybe for once, I don't have to get my hands dirty.. wait, isn't that the fun of owning an FD?? Cheap imports that you could do what ever you want to do with it because its out of warrantee and parts are limitless?? ok. not quite limitless parts but there are quite of bit of choices to play around with.. I think which is the best part about owning these cars.. I feel like Im a kid again with room full of legos to play around with

Also, its fun to drive it after putting it together..

dubulup

Lego's...I hear that


just a'lil thou

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Not me. I'll take keeping my hands clean and spending more time on the road than in the garage any day. My problem is I don't want another car payment.

Herblenny

iTrader: (13)

I hear that.. Thats why I bought my 2nd FD when the 1st one went down.... and 1st one is still down (over 2 years later)

This is how it sit today:

Monkman33

iTrader: (28)

Oops.. maybe she is why I am now single. Had a certain someone tell me once: "If that car had a vagina I think it would get more action than me..."

I responded with "and if it also cooked and cleaned while I was at work, I'd never have proposed..."

Doesn't help that she was already mad at me for not going to her mom's house for dinner because I wanted to work on my car that I hadn't touched in months!


Good to know!

I am a bit of a purist. But at least there is this perspective that keeps me from crying when I see it happen: The Mazda chassis is being complimented as an excellent platform for quite possibly the most popular and supported domestic piston engine ever produced? That is my only consolation.

I agree that it is just a thing, would I commit suicide if it caught on fire? no. would i be upset due to hours of hurting myself and headaches of research while working on her? Yes. Would I ever let a car ACTUALLY come in between and family/personal life? No. But can you have a bonding experience with a driving machine? Yes! It is not the car. it is the feel, it is the action. Maybe I am just a pure driving enthusiast. but there is something about the perfect lines and being in a vehicle that feels confident taking them. It makes me calm. It makes me feel good.

who needs Dr. Phil. Give me an hour behind the wheel of an FD and I have more therapy than I need. I won't be confrontational for at least a fill-up at the gas station.

Missing my point:

If the FD was built TODAY with the EXACT goals in mind that Mazda had when they designed the FD in 1992, then it would be a COMPLETELY different story. and the gentleman's agreement... heh...

BUT it would also cost as much as or more than a vette.

jimlab

I didn't miss your point. Perhaps you should review the production history of the RX-8.

Monkman33

iTrader: (28)

Umm. Yes. You are. I respect your knowledge base, but I am going to disagree with you.

2 door vs 4 door
FI vs NA
lighter vs heavier
2+2 (that was mostly useless) vs a 4 seater that can actually fit people. (the 2+2 was only done for government reasons in Japan.

When the FD was designed, what were the cars it was supposed to compare to and compete with? The RX-8? I sincerely doubt that Mazda would go from the same playing field as cars like a corvette or a supra, or an NSX, etc.... and go into a class competing with a celica, RSX, and the like.

You tell me that had the EXACT same goals in mind. That's way they are slow. Their handling is great, but that is a Mazda habit. they only had half the goals in mind when building the RX8.

Monkman33

iTrader: (28)

Agreed. Heck, even those that have, what percentage is truly extracting 100%? I will put myself into the category that isn't. I still have an amazing amount to learn when it comes to driving to the limit of any vehicle for that matter. I would probably say i am at 1.5% of what there is to know. (shifting, braking, SKINNY PEDAL!!!)

New ZO6... agreed
F430... agreed
GT3... agreed

But I would still miss her.

1MZFE

iTrader: (9)

I have a 97 Avalon currently, and my absolute dream car is an FC3S, but I would definately be happy with an FD, I would probably trade it for a GT3 yes, but I would go right back and sell her, and buy another FD and use the excess money in modding her out a bit, I just love the rotary power, I love the looks, the feel, everything about it.

Power is important, but I just love the idea of the rotary engine, it's the engineering aspect that appeals to me as well as the power.

jimlab

OK, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you have a point I'm not seeing which stems from something other than a flimsy grasp on reality and a lot of wishful thinking...

Since when are the number of doors relevant in terms of handling or performance?

Again, do you know why the RX-8 is naturally aspirated?

The RX-8 is slightly heavier than the 3rd gen. RX-7... but still lighter than a Corvette. I fail to see the relevance of this point either.

Again, an irrelevant point when considering whether Mazda could bring to market a 4th generation RX-7 that could compete with the current crop of high-performance sports cars.

It really doesn't matter what Mazda would like to go after when they don't have a performance engine capable of doing it and passing current emissions regulations or a brand name that could command the price tag required, does it.

No, I'm telling you they had to make the RX-8 naturally aspirated to meet emissions and that's why it's slow and why there will be no 4th gen. RX-7 to compete with the Corvette. End of story.