kwikrx7

I've away from cars lately but it is absolutely scary what the performance numbers of some production cars are turning today. The new Viper 11.77 at 124 mph on street tires - stock. Ford GT 0-60 in 3.3 secs 1/4 mile 11.6 at 128 mph on street tires - stock. The new Vette coming out - 500 hp and 3100 lbs - stock. This is scary - even my old car with 380 rwhp wouldn't run with these cars - and they are stock. Even the R32 VW has been tuned already for 550 and 600 hp - 0-60 in 3.2 secs 1/4 mile in 11.6 and topping out at 202 - a friggen Golf? The days when stock Neons can now pull higher trap speeds than a stock FD is scary. Is the FD starting to fade? A high 13/low 14 sec car just seems to be just mediocre as far as performance - and the Viper stops from 60 in 97 ft - I thought the FD would always own that. Even heavily modded FDs are going to have a struggle in the near future with these monsters coming out

HeX

Step it up a notch and get a 3-rotor 20b. Or custom make a 3-rotor Renesis. Yeah, I hate to admit the FD is fading... I'm starting to regret buying one now. It's gonna take too much money to make it keep up with the newer cars. The love affair was beautiful while it lasted. *Sigh*

r0t0r-rooter

I agree that more & more cars coming out these days are faster or as fast as an FD.... esp. with the fact that so many of our cars aren't running in tip-top shape

I wouldn't worry too much though, because eventually all these cars will become bigger, faster, & more expensive to the point that nobody buys them anymore. Then they get discontinued & the process starts all over again with the next model

spoolin93r1

look at it this way, we got a helluva lot less invested in our cars and we always know ours look better!

wingsfan

You shoudln't regret buying it. It is what it is, a 10 year old sports car that was dominant in it's day. Enjoy your car for what it is, not what it isn't. There's always going to be something bigger,better, faster, etc. Don't worry about that. If your goal is to have the fastest thing on the road you wouldn't have started with a ~$15K car. At least smart people wouldn't

mfigr1

There is always gonna be bigger, better faster newer but we must remember that the FD's design was way ahead of it's time. Mine turns head's all the time and people think it's newer than it really is. Anyone can cough up a bunch of dough and buy any of these new cars but it takes a real enthusiast to keep the 7's alive.

kung stew

I've driven quite a few newer high-performance cars, and nothing gives the thrill of the FD. Its more than the numbers...I just love how the FD suspension/steering and drivetrain feel (provided they aren't mechanically FUBAR). This car is still a rockstar.

Stew

rynberg

While the performance of current/upcoming factory cars is simply amazing, I don't base my enjoyment of my car on whether I can beat everything else on the road. It will always be a fantastic combination of good power, very light weight, and killer looks, no matter what other cars come out.

DCrosby

Yeah I went shopping for a new car, when I wrecked my FD, and I tried to find something that thrilled me as much as an FD does, and I couldn't so I bought another

ptrhahn

iTrader: (9)

The FD's motor is outdated... just like virtually every power plant from 1992. The horsepower wars have been on for a few years now.

On the bright side, the chassis is as good as most anything, and its still significantly lighter than anything comparable, and better looking... so if running with modern $60-125k automobiles is your goal, you'll have to spend significantly.

EdwardNorth

My question is, WHERE DOES THIS END?

10 years from now, will the new $20,000 mustang GT have 600 HP? Your low end civic stocking at 425?

How far can this horsepower war go? Is it like computers, where they can keep making engines faster and faster and faster, or is there a limit to what you can do with an engine?

I know decades ago, many of the now classic cars had engines that were in the 3-400 HP range, and like someone else said, it seems to have started over. But now, where will it end?

Mr rx-7 tt

iTrader: (5)

11.77 @ 124 can be done with a ported motor and bolt-ons. John D just ran a 10.9. One of the mags just tested a viper vs a gt-40 and they were dead even. Not worried about these (stock) but remember they also can be modded. Also they cost a lot so you won't be seeing them at every light. Speed still cost.
I bet the 2006 Z06 will be a high 10 low 11 second car off the showroom. The technology is advancing and the cars are getting faster and faster. All cars pretty much become dated which is happening with the FD. Keep moding and you'll be safe for a while.

InsaneGideon

Rynberg really hit the nail on the head.

Side notes:
As for worrying about these *stock* cars. Remember, they're going to be much more expensive to upgrade beyond their respective stock conditions. Look what Hennessy and Ligenfelter "upgrade packages" cost... about as much as a mint FD. Of course the Banzai costs an arm and a leg, so let's just forget about that for now

Yea, that Viper's going to stop like hitting a brick wall, those "street tires" are approaching 2 ft. wide. (maybe I'm exagerating here)

edit: speaking of which, did they finally put some ABS on the Viper?

911GT2

I agree totally. The fact that 10 years after the first one hit the road cars that cost 2 and 3 times as much as it did when new are beating it does not concern me, even a little bit.

If I were the guys buying the GT-40's and Vipers I'd be concerned that someone who spent ~$25k on his 1.3l import can hang with my $80k+ "supercar". They're much more frightened of us than we are of them.

rotary

what other car do you see in every import magazine? we are inthusists and we are what make the fd what it is so dont lose faith for a car that costs 4 times what an fd costs and dosent satisfy you half as much. be proud that you own a ledgend in the automobile industry and not just a trendy POS that costs too much.

Godzilla-T78

i have no problem keeping up with any of the forementioned cars. Ive raced a few ferraris, a 911 turbo and 911 gt2, alot of mustangs and vettes, and a viper gts. And even if I couldnt keep up.. it makes me feel good to walk into my garage, turn on the lights and just see that I have a fd sitting in my garage.. that just makes me all warm, fuzzy and gives me chills.. an fd.. say what you want to say but my car is going on 11 years old and I have yet to see a car that has such timeless looks as the fd. my .02

Flybye

It's called Keeping up with the times

Don't forget it's not just us, it's also the MKIVs from the same era, and the 300Zxs, and the 3000GTs.

Hell, look at a Grand National. Stock 1/4 for them was in the 13s, and that was fast as hell in the 80s. with just a few mods, the Grand National is back in the pack of performance. Can't say the same about styling though Hells, ALL of you know you would be worried of a red light start against a modded Grand National.

Sprockett

They can still corner

Wargasm

The total amount I've got in my car is around 25-26K and that's including BUYING it used. I put down over 400 rwhp on pump gas at 15 PSI... I am pretty satisfied with how it stacks up against the new cars

I do think that if Mazda wants to have a prayer of gaining any respect, they need a ~400 hp 3 rotor in a new RX-7.

Brian

vchacon

As they say... from your lips to God's ear.

DCrosby

You must be living in a different central florida, than I did, cause I had to go to Miami to see those cars, most cars I saw were pickups where the rust was held together with paint...

InsaneGideon

Since EFI was introduced, technological progress seems to have been pretty slight actually.

This apparent progress looks to be more or less dictated by marketing decisions. Part is due to mass-manufacturing technology (even though these aren't considered "mass-produced" by production numbers), but IMHO, the technology was waiting for the go-ahead from the guys with the $$$. The Viper helped to elevate the status of the Dodge moniker. Now Ford is attempting the same with the GT(40).

If you look at the specs of these cars, they're basically "pre-upgraded" factory hot rods, with roller rocker cams, bigass supercharged V8's, and aluminum suspension and such... They're expensive, and the marketing guys know the profit made from sales of these particular cars alone aren't something they can survive on, but the new "image" will lead to sales of the other "crap" they produce at a cheap price point. If Ferrari made a $20000 car with 200hp, people would probably buy it for the dancing horse logo alone.

X-Ped

I dont care if there are new cars that are faster. Knowing that I have a realy rare car makes me feel good. I turn hads every where i go, gas stations i get people coming up to me complimenting my car and asking what kind of car is it. Most people dont know about fd's, its funny how they look at the back of the car and see my efini emblem. They dont have a clue.

For all those who wants to be faster than the new sports car coming out I'm sure that rx-7 modifying companies like feed, re, and so on are working on new products to make the rx-7 faster with out a 3 rotor.

ZeroBanger

Rx-7's in stock form could brake from 60 in 110 feet, run .98 skid pad, pull 1.02 G's around a road course, run mid 13's 1/4 mile, etc. Keep in mind this was in 1992.

Also, when this car came out it was motor trend that said it could out perform every car under 60K and 2/3's of the cars over that amount. While its impressive to have a 120 MPH trap today or have 60-0 in 97 feet, there isn't one car reasonably priced that stands out. I consider a viper or Z06 to be "reasonably priced" but again, performance wise there are alot of cars that can compete with a Z06 or viper in alot of catagories. Technology moves forward and for Fiscal reasons Mazda cant afford a new RX-7, but I think it can be argued very well that there is not one car today that is as impressive in todays world as the rx-7 was during its time.

This car is fantastic and still looks amazing. I will never regret owning it.

salamander

There is always something slower and there is always something faster.