This guy I know (OBNOXIOUS AS EVER!!) with his precious little srt-4 acts like any car on the road is trash compared to his ride. He thinks because he has a turbo charger and can basically outrun the majority of everyday cars on the road, that he's superior. He's even trashed the 8, because it's "a torque-less clunker, that's not designed to be like a real sports car...and doesn't compare to the SRT-4 as far as 'hardcore' driving/shifting."

Can I get comparisons that range from practical to technical; including: cost, comfort, features, performance, design...etc whatever else I've missed.

Let's use the Sports Package Manual 8 for the sake of fairness.

Thank you.

did ya search?? plenty on here about the SRT-4.

long story short: SRT is just a hopped up Neon. a yet questionable motor (is the block Mitsu derived, or is it a modified Mopar unit?). i cannot comment on the ride or gearbox. suspension is archaic next to the RX-8. awful weight distribution and generally inferior chassis. aesthetics designed by a blind ricer with a chainsaw (note the NON-FUNCTIONAL hood scoop: suxor). last but not least, it's wrong wheel drive.

edit: whoops, forgot brakes. RX-8 probably eats it for breakfast. the list, obviously, goes on and on...

i don't think it's even worth anyone's time to compare and contrast...how bout this...next time he speaks, just remind him that he's driving a Neon! yes, no matter how you dress it up, it's still, eh, a Neon...

The RX8 will lose in straight line acceleration and price.
The SRT-4 will lose in handling, creature comforts, cool factor...etc.

Sit down with him, and calmly and gently as possible, tell him that yes, his car is pretty fast in a straight line and yes, he will probably win a lot of stoplight races, but, at the end of the day, when he parks it in his garage, it's STILL just a Dodge Neon.

lol
c'mon guys, you dont want to make him feel that bad do you?

although he might deserve it after all his mouth-running...

Originally posted by wakeech
long story short: SRT is just a hopped up Neon. a yet questionable motor (is the block Mitsu derived, or is it a modified Mopar unit?). i cannot comment on the ride or gearbox. suspension is archaic next to the RX-8. awful weight distribution and generally inferior chassis. aesthetics designed by a blind ricer with a chainsaw (note the NON-FUNCTIONAL hood scoop: suxor). last but not least, it's wrong wheel drive.

edit: whoops, forgot brakes. RX-8 probably eats it for breakfast. the list, obviously, goes on and on...

Thanks, keech!

I always enjoy your posts, as they're so well articulated...not to mention very well-informed...in short, you're a smart one! But, anyway...I just wish I could see the two of you square off in a debate over which is the better car, because you know a lot. He's also a mod in some srt-4 and he seems to know a lot about his...awesome....neon :D

The past two months I've heard nothing but him ranting and raving about how awesome his car is, and how everything, including G35, 350Z, several BMWs, etc don't compare to his car. I guess he's just really ignorant/stupid and i should let him talk...but it's just really gotten to me lately, and felt I'd need some help from you all to point out some technical advantages our 8s got over his non-japanese ricemobile.

The only thing that Neon has is motor. It's claimed 215hp fell short of what was dynoed in Road and Track June 2003.

It was listed 222bhp with 246lb./ft., and that was running rich to keep temp in check.

Then they used a coast-down test and noted drivetrain loss at 16bhp, which had the SRT-4 noted at 238bhp at the crank.

Car is all engine.

Actually, I don't really have anything against neons. And as far as bang for the buck goes, you don't get too much better than the srt-4. People who say that it is getting LESS power are wrong. it is showing more at the wheels (actually, wheel, heh, no limited slip diff) than dodge is advertising at the crank. a peppy little thing.

it's not perfect (see above about differential). And I've heard that the transmission is pretty sloppy feeling. And the body lines look like somebody slapped together a baloney sandwich.

It's a screaming fast little car though. You are paying for a little torquey 4-banger. (the 250 ft lbs is pretty smoking too).

If you want performance at the cost of all else, you could do worse than look in the direction of the srt-4.

But that's exactly what it is. performance at the cost of all else.

I'd much prefer an rx-8, just for the sheer style, cool factor, and all around beautiful car.

Blah blah, my .02 is done

It has an open diff, who the hell builds a "sporty car" with an open diff.

Not Mazda

In the 1960's the Air Force, Navy and Marines began recieving the F4 Phantom II jet fighter. The Air Force pilots quickly characterized the aircraft such:

"The F4 proves that if you put a big enough engine on a brick it will fly"

To paraphase:

The SRT-4 proves that if you put a big enough turbo, stiff enough suspension and sticky enough tires on a car you can make a brick fast.

BUT, in the end it's still a brick!

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

Invite your friend out to an autocross and let's see who goes home laughing.

It sounds like your friend is taking some pretty big leaps with his generalizations. Yes, his car is faster. But speed alone doesn't put it into the RX-8's catagory.

Go to the race track sometime. I've seen rusted out station wagons stuffed with big blocks put a hurting on some majorly expensive cars...but that certainly doesn't make that junk wagon equal to them as an overall vehicle.

Personally, I think the RX-8 could be powered by a gerbil running in place on a wheel beneath the hood, and it would STILL outsell the neon.

For what it is, the SRT-4 is fast, but RomanoM explains that perfectly. As an overall vehicle, the RX-8 is clearly superior.

And if all this guy is concerned with is straghtline acceleration, the SRT-4 is not the best place to begin. The engine, similar to WRX engines, is probably all but tapped out from the factory.

Sounds like this guy's got a very small...er...uh...foot. Yeah, that's it! He has very small feet. :D

Originally posted by RomanoM
"The F4 proves that if you put a big enough engine on a brick it will fly"




yeah but the F-4 will go supersonic without the afterburners. the srt-4 would need a much bigger turbo to do that and it would still be a neon!!

and would he really keep his neon srt4 over a 3 or 5 series bmw? doubt it.

I would encourage him to race as many people as possible and even, if he wants... to up the boost on his Neon.

Then when he blows his POS motor you can just laugh at him.

But hey... that's just me :)

Originally posted by zoom44
and would he really keep his neon srt4 over a 3 or 5 series bmw? doubt it.

What's funny is, he's paying about 12% finance, and by the time he's done paying it off, he'll definitely be around the 30k range. So, he COULD have purchased something the likes of a 3 series, Z, 8 or whatever.

My guess is he knows he got screwed, but instead of keepin his mouth shut, he's taking the other extreme and being stupid about it.

Originally posted by Hercules
I would encourage him to race as many people as possible and even, if he wants... to up the boost on his Neon.

Then when he blows his POS motor you can just laugh at him.

Oh, yeah, he has raced everybody. The 1st day he got the ride he put 400 miles on it and pushed it over 120mph going after everything in sight. Another stupid thing IMO, but i guess that's what warranties are for. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts honking three times at bicyclists on the sidewalk (sigh).

I'm glad I don't have friends as stupid as that :(

What's funny is, he's paying about 12% finance, and by the time he's done paying it off, he'll definitely be around the 30k range. So, he COULD have purchased something the likes of a 3 series, Z, 8 or whatever.

Oh yeah, this makes a heap of sense. So on a bimmer he could have
gotten 1%? He would have paid 12% on a bimmer and ended up
paying $40,000.00 Geez.

As far as the motor lasting, I will let you know, as I have owned
SEVEN rotaries, and have never driven a car that blows engines
more easily than those. (well, my 1980 model actually went 230,000
but all the rest blew up dammit.)

~castrol

i dont understand why everyone has to hate on the SRT...is it jealousy? if your happy with your car, then be happy w/ it. yea, this guy sounds like he is a complete jackass and needs to be put in his place....but not all SRT owners are like that. i know a couple who are REALLY cool and respect other cars including the RX8. sure it looks like a neon. but if you only had $20K to spend on a car, would you not consider it too? and if you want to get technical...it's not a neon. nowhere on the vehicle does it say neon, supposedly no where in the manual does it say neon, and insurance companies recognize it as a SRT 4. and i've seen a lot of false information given on this thread.

SRT is just a hopped up Neon. a yet questionable motor (is the block Mitsu derived, or is it a modified Mopar unit?)

the motor is not a regular neon 2.0L motor, it's a 2.4L out of the PT cruiser modified by dodge's PVO team (performance vehicles operations, much like ford's SVT). the motor comes w/ forged rods and hypereutectic aluminum pistons. the team mopar SRT is running something like 900hp on the stock block, water pump, oil pump, and a few other components....i want to say the crank is stock, but im not positive.


i cannot comment on the ride or gearbox. suspension is archaic next to the RX-8.

the struts are actually revalved Tokicos, complimented by stiff springs. i know Eibach already has a set of springs out for it. as far as weight distribution, i'm not sure what the exact numbers are...but its not bad. but it's not a bad handling car. i've seen one at Kershaw, NC pulling better lap times than many "superior" cars....INCLUDING a stock RX7, an M3, a RSX type S, and a few others that surprised me.

aesthetics designed by a blind ricer with a chainsaw (note the NON-FUNCTIONAL hood scoop: suxor).

the hood scoop IS FUNCTIONAL....it directs air back over the turbo to keep it cool at speed. it also has a way to cut out a piece of the hood that goes over the air box. cut out a hole in the air box and you get a ram air effect.

And if all this guy is concerned with is straghtline acceleration, the SRT-4 is not the best place to begin. The engine, similar to WRX engines, is probably all but tapped out from the factory.

the WRX motor is tapped out from the factory????? what are you smoking? i have a friend w/ a WRX pushing 500 whp, and still have more to go. and i hope you know that a WRX motor is a horizontally opposed motor and the SRT is an inline, so how are they similar? and the SRT is far from "tapped out" too. mopar has already released it's Stage 1 upgrade that includes a reprogrammed ECU and bigger injectors for under $400 and adds about 20 more hp/tq to the wheels. mopar will also be releasing 3 more stages....a stage 2, stage 3 that comes w/ a bigger turbo, and a stage 3R, taking the SRT to the 300+whp range....and thats w/o any other bolt-ons. also, still remaining under factory warranty up to the stage 3 upgrade. there is a guy over on SRT forums that has a T4 turbo, stage 1 upgrade, custom intake manifold, and a 75 shot and is hitting 400whp and 400 ft/lbs. tapped out?? i think not.

It's claimed 215hp fell short of what was dynoed in Road and Track June 2003.

fell short my ass. Dodge claims 215bhp...but look at the dyno sheets many SRT owners are coming up w/. 215 whp is LOW on a stock SRT....most SRT's are bringing out 220-225 whp.

It has an open diff, who the hell builds a "sporty car" with an open diff.

it's coming w/ a LSD made by Quailfe standard in '04

so there are your facts...look it up before you start spitting jibberish. if you can't respect another car that has set the standard for sport compact performance...then you shouldnt be considered an enthusiast. many SRT owners are running consistent 14.0 all day long w/ a few stock SRT's hitting high 13's....and for $20K....how can you not respect that. and no i am not an SRT owner, i own a Honda Prelude....but i'm not ignorant enough to bash another car that can beat mine on the track. i just tend learn more about cars that spark an interest in me. thank you.

ohhhhhh, yall call the SRT motor a piece of shit?? i guess the Rotary motor is the best thing to happen in the automotive industry since the Model T huh? my uncle use to own a FD and i dont think i've ever heard of a car being in the shop as much as his. i think my friend who owns a '97 RX7 said it best..."owning a 3rd gen RX7 is like dating a supermodel w/ a cocaine problem....although she looks good, she's got some bad problems"

Originally posted by dirtylude
if you only had $20K to spend on a car, would you not consider it too?Sure, if that was my budget, I'd certainly consider it.i guess the Rotary motor is the best thing ever huh?Since you ask - yes. :)my uncle use to own a FD and i dont think i've ever heard of a car being in the shop as much as his.Do yourself a favour and do some research before shooting your mouth off - the Renesis 13B is an entirely different animal from the highly-stressed turbo 13B of the 3rd Gen RX-7.

Only time will tell whether the SRT-4 motor or the Renesis will have fewer problems, but my money's on the rotary.

Dirtylude, next time finish reading what people post.

The only thing that Neon has is motor. It's claimed 215hp fell short of what was dynoed in Road and Track June 2003.

It was listed 222bhp with 246lb./ft., and that was running rich to keep temp in check.

Then they used a coast-down test and noted drivetrain loss at 16bhp, which had the SRT-4 noted at 238bhp at the crank.


Someone sounds defensive.

Instead of bashing the SRT-4, we need to praise Dam-Chrys for having the guts to make a small car fast.

Yes, its easy to dislike the Neon. It's a HS girl's car, bought by daddy and given to her for her 16th, or for graduating. It's "cute" and it's cheap and its FWD. Don't be that guy that disrespects an automobile simply because it appeals to a group he doesn't want to be associated with. It's kind of like that moped/fat girl joke ... :D


Call a fast car a fast car. The SRT-4 is a fast car. If I were in a race, I would choose it over a lot of much more expensive cars. The fact that this car is on the market is huge. GM could answer with a 250hp Cavalier and Ford could finally bring the cosworth Focus to our shore. The SRT-4 is, hopefully, the tip of the iceburg of small-displacement/small car domestic hotrods.

I pray for the day when a small car is no longer referred to as an "economy" model.

less > more

I'll take mine with a 1.3 wankel, please. :cool:

Originally posted by R32

Someone sounds defensive.

i'm not defensive, i've just read a lot of false information on this thread.

Originally posted by dirtylude
the motor is not a regular neon 2.0L motor, it's a 2.4L out of the PT cruiser modified by dodge's PVO team (performance vehicles operations, much like ford's SVT). the motor comes w/ forged rods and hypereutectic aluminum pistons.

well, other than that i now know the rods are forged and the pistons are aluminum, i still don't know much about the block. it's big, which is a good place to start when you need to make reliable power, but does it have vertical oil squirters under the pistons as the old GSR block did?? there are so many little things such as this which can't be gleaned from a sales brochure which really make the big difference in the engine. it's still a question in my mind running a small (from the pictures: what's the spec on that sucker?? yes, i mean all specs... or a name would do) turbo.

Originally posted by dirtylude the team mopar SRT is running something like 900hp on the stock block, water pump, oil pump, and a few other components....i want to say the crank is stock, but im not positive.

that doesn't mean a thing. the stock block is iron, but that doesn't mean they haven't modified the plank for more o-rings or a different gasket, dowled that sucker, what spec studs they're using, etc etc etc... oil pump and water pump, well, considering the motor only runs for minutes at a time, those aren't essentially vital, but yes, work well as marketing tools.


Originally posted by dirtylude the struts are actually revalved Tokicos, complimented by stiff springs. i know Eibach already has a set of springs out for it. as far as weight distribution, i'm not sure what the exact numbers are...but its not bad. but it's not a bad handling car. i've seen one at Kershaw, NC pulling better lap times than many "superior" cars....INCLUDING a stock RX7, an M3, a RSX type S, and a few others that surprised me.[/b]

alright, i can forgive you for being innocently naiive on this point, but the names on your shock absorbers and springs does not equal a good suspension. i will never EVER get over how companies can call a set of shocks and struts a "suspension".

McStrut setups, with live axle, or god forbid, and independant rear suspension will never hold a candle to a forged aluminum twin A-arm front setup, with a 6 point multilink in the back. never. i don't care how stiff you make it, or what brand names you put in your wheel wells, there are right and wrong ways to do things.

in any case, how about people in Miatas beating Vipers, Lambos, Corvettes and all manner of "faster" cars???
the man is quick, not the machine. "Some go quicker than others".


Originally posted by dirtylude the hood scoop IS FUNCTIONAL....it directs air back over the turbo to keep it cool at speed. it also has a way to cut out a piece of the hood that goes over the air box. cut out a hole in the air box and you get a ram air effect.

s'yeah, it's that simple, isn't it. "directs air over the turbo/motor/whatever"... hahaha... the guys at the autoweek forum were naiive enough to believe that one too. it's a banal marketing statement to justify riciness right from the factory. form over function, always.


Originally posted by dirtylude
the WRX motor is tapped out from the factory????? what are you smoking?

i don't know what he was smoking, but i do know that some of those Scubies can have some boost creep problems, and have a nasty habit of farting the #3 cyclinder out the exhaust pipe if something does go awry. not a knock on WRX's at all, i'm just saying that they're not perfect either.

Originally posted by dirtylude mopar has already released it's Stage 1 upgrade that includes a reprogrammed ECU and bigger injectors for under $400 and adds about 20 more hp/tq to the wheels. mopar will also be releasing 3 more stages....

there is a guy over on SRT forums that has a T4 turbo, stage 1 upgrade, custom intake manifold, and a 75 shot and is hitting 400whp and 400 ft/lbs. tapped out?? i think not.

i'm anxious to see how this plays out. which T4 does he have?? there are huge differences between the models in that line.

it's coming w/ a LSD made by Quailfe standard in '04

Originally posted by dirtylude if you can't respect another car that has set the standard for sport compact performance...then you shouldnt be considered an enthusiast.[/b]

the problem is that alot of "sport compacts" are less sport than they think. why am i not an enthusiast for disliking a niche of cars which gives my generation of car lovers a bad name??

Originally posted by eccles
Since you ask - yes. :)

um, i'd have to disagree. the rotary has not had the best reliability in the past....and thats a fact, even RX7 owners will tell you its a bitch to take care of, unless you like changing your rear main seal every 60K


Only time will tell whether the SRT-4 motor or the Renesis will have fewer problems, but my money's on the rotary.

thats true, and i'll agree, Dodge hasn't had the best reliability in the past either, but it has gotten better in the past few years.

Originally posted by Keshav
Ford could finally bring the cosworth Focus to our shore.

I'll take mine with a 1.3 wankel, please. :cool:

the Focus RS is an entirely different beast from this pocket rocket... not to mention there's a little thing called the Golf R32 hidden away from us as well.

i'll echo that sentiment, wankel power.

Originally posted by dirtylude
um, i'd have to disagree. the rotary has not had the best reliability in the past....and thats a fact, even RX7 owners will tell you its a bitch to take care of, unless you like changing your rear main seal every 60KThen we'll have to agree to disagree. As you can see from my .sig, I've had my share of rotaries in the past, and on the whole, they've been extremely reliable - the only failures I've sustained were two race motors (one of which lost oil pressure due to a ruptured hose and lunched the rotor bearings before I could shut it down) and a road-going 12A with over 200,000km on the clock.

Originally posted by wakeech

but does it have vertical oil squirters under the pistons as the old GSR block did??

yes it does.

that doesn't mean a thing. the stock block is iron, but that doesn't mean they haven't modified the plank for more o-rings or a different gasket, dowled that sucker, what spec studs they're using, etc etc etc... oil pump and water pump, well, considering the motor only runs for minutes at a time, those aren't essentially vital, but yes, work well as marketing tools.

this is all true. from what i understand, the only thing modified....besides the rods and pistons, is the head gasket. all other gaskets are stock, the bearings remain stock. i'm sure a little bit has been modified, but for a street application, the block in totally stock form (maybe w/ forged pistons), can handle close to 500hp.


alright, i can forgive you for being innocently naiive on this point, but the names on your shock absorbers and springs does not equal a good suspension. i will never EVER get over how companies can call a set of shocks and struts a "suspension".

McStrut setups, with live axle, or god forbid, and independant rear suspension will never hold a candle to a forged aluminum twin A-arm front setup, with a 6 point multilink in the back. never. i don't care how stiff you make it, or what brand names you put in your wheel wells, there are right and wrong ways to do things.

in any case, how about people in Miatas beating Vipers, Lambos, Corvettes and all manner of "faster" cars???
the man is quick, not the machine. "Some go quicker than others".

so are you still trying to say it handles like a dog?? go out and drive one on the track. it prolly wont handle as good as a RX8, but for $20K, it will hold it's own agains others in it's price bracket.

s'yeah, it's that simple, isn't it. "directs air over the turbo/motor/whatever"... hahaha... the guys at the autoweek forum were naiive enough to believe that one too. it's a banal marketing statement to justify riciness right from the factory. form over function, always.

whats your point? is it still a "non-functioning" hood scoop? no...go pop the hood on one and see for your self. the scoop is functional.

i don't know what he was smoking, but i do know that some of those Scubies can have some boost creep problems, and have a nasty habit of farting the #3 cyclinder out the exhaust pipe if something does go awry. not a knock on WRX's at all, i'm just saying that they're not perfect either.

i've heard of this also, but that wasn't my point in my post. i was simply stating that the WRX is not "tapped out" from the factory, they have plenty of potential.


i'm anxious to see how this plays out. which T4 does he have?? there are huge differences between the models in that line.

to be honest w/ you i dont know.

Originally posted by wakeech
there's a little thing called the Golf R32 hidden away from us as well.

Ever wonder how the German car manufacturers can design a small car that weighs as much as a mid-size? I wonder if they even make the cup-holders out of sound-deadening insulation materials. ;)

Factoid: a MINI Cooper S weights in excess of 1000 lbs more than my first car, a 1979 Honda Civic. 2676 vs 1610

What were we talking about again? :D

Hey guys, I'm a fellow SRT4 owner. Just wanted to say that the RX8 is a nice car and so is the SRT4.

On another note, I been trying to see if I could spot any RX8 in the Bay area but have yet to see any :(

I have a dyno day setup for Aug 24th, any of you guys interested?
Check this link for more information

http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8322

-myfootsmells

Wow... I can't believe I'm going to defend an SRT-4, and Neons in general for that matter.


1.) The SRT-4 is no slouch in the handling department, and I've seen plenty of regular and ACR Neons beat RX-7s around a track, and their chasis is quite proven in SCCA events. Including a win in it's class at one lap last year (with a ringer driver)

2.) The dodge engine is certainly more proven than your Renesis, and you guys had better hope it's better than the previous generation Wankel.

3.) The WRX and the SRT-4 are far from maxed out, about $1000 in mods in a WRX and you're getting close to 300hp at the crank, and that's without upping the boost or NoS, this is with very safe mods. The SRT-4 doesn't get as big a gains due to it's better factory cat configuration, but there is plenty left to get out of that engine.

4.) RX-8 will get the nod in the aesthetics, but that's what Mazda usually puts out, pretty cars that handle really well and disappoint many people for being underpowered. The RX line usually has great power, but I'm starting to have my doubts about the RX-8, give it a couple years and it's not going to be impressive in the least engine wise.

5.) The RX-8 is not so earthshattering in the handling department from what I've heard, it's a good handler, but there
are plenty of cars out there that already handle better, and have the potentiel to handle better.

6.) Boost creep is pretty rare on the WRX and is ually caused by people using improper boost control devices. The cylinder problem is rather rare but has been know to happen.

7.) Wakeech, are you implying the R32 has a rotary? It's a 3.2 L 6...

8.) If a hood scoop is helping with cooling it's funtional... I've seen people post about how the WRX hood scoop isn't funtional which is just about the silliest thing I've ever heard about our cars.

There's plenty more but I'll stop here...


I've said my fair share of bads things about the SRT-4 and don't like much of the crowd that seems to buy them, but hell I think a lot of you guys are acting worse than I've ever seen some of the people act on the SRT-4 forums. At least on the SRT-4 forums they seem to know what the hell they are talking about before they open their mouths.


Ike

Damn, arent we all car enthusiasts here. I mean if some honda wants to put an underbody kit, or some guy buys an srt4, or someone buys an rx8 who cares. it's their car, their money, and their time.

just because there are a few rotten apples in the barrel doesnt mean that they all are.

I'd like to add that the fact that there is even an argument here is a great testament to the SRT-4. We're talking about a 10k difference here, and on the streets if both cars are properly driven the SRT-4 will hand the RX-8 it's ass. When you line up next to an SRT-4 I dount he nor you will be to concerned about how great your interior is...

I think the RX-8 is a beatiful car, but I'd rather have great sex with a mediocre looking girl than mediocre sex with a great looking girl. Take from that what you will.

I can't believe I just defended a freaking neon :p

Viva la WRX!

I don't think we're all car enthusiasts here, I think there's a lot of RX and rotary fanbois that don't know what the hell they speak of.

Just strictly on a technical basis, the 2.4 in the SRT-4 looks like a well designed engine. The block is a 2-piece bed plate design which means the bottom halves of the main bearings are incorporated in a separate piece of the block (I'm talking gibberish for the rotary heads, right? :) ). This provides superior bottom end strength and stability. Honda uses the same approach in the K-series (RSX, Accord, etc.) and the F-series (S2000) engines.

The block is also quite stout, although I believe the race team is actually using block filler to stabilize it at the race power levels.

The cylinder head is a decent design, although the exhaust ports are too small for anything but a quick spooling street car (ala 2nd gen DSM 4G63 heads). That's easy enough to change.

This is not to say that the Dodge 2.4 is a great motor, or will last a long time, or won't have problems. But on paper its a pretty solid effort and a great basis for a turbo motor. It would take a lot of work to make it into a high power NA engine (at least at 2.4 liters) and its a bit heavy, but these are not much of a detriment in turbo motors.

As for the SRT4, well, its cheap and kinda ugly, but you have to respect it for the performance/$$ equation it provides, even if it is FWD :)

SC

Originally posted by IkeWRX

I can't believe I just defended a freaking neon :p


me either dude...lol

Originally posted by dirtylude


now that was just immature. there are a lot of people that think the RX8 is uglier than dog shit too.

i don't know, you'd have to show the pile in question and it must be from a pretty special dog:D

evryone cut it out they are all great examples of what can be done in the automotive world with a little imagination. it's nice to see cars out there for the performance minded in every economic level. peace!

Originally posted by wakeech
did ya search?? plenty on here about the SRT-4.

long story short: SRT is just a hopped up Neon. a yet questionable motor (is the block Mitsu derived, or is it a modified Mopar unit?). i cannot comment on the ride or gearbox. suspension is archaic next to the RX-8. awful weight distribution and generally inferior chassis. aesthetics designed by a blind ricer with a chainsaw (note the NON-FUNCTIONAL hood scoop: suxor). last but not least, it's wrong wheel drive.

edit: whoops, forgot brakes. RX-8 probably eats it for breakfast. the list, obviously, goes on and on...

Hi, all... First post here.

I'd like to start off by saying that the SRT-4 owner in the first post sounds like nothing short of a ricer-dork and deserves to have his hat handed to him by the first RX-8 he meets.

Personally, I can't wait to see an RX-8 at the dealership... it looks like a gorgeous machine and being an auto enthusiast, I never miss the chance to appreciate innovations in our quest to go fast. I may be a bit brand-prejudiced in my purchases, but make no mistake, if a car can pull G's and get below 15 seconds in the quarter-mile, you can bet I wanna go for a ride on that roller coaster.

Agreed that the SRT-4 is probably no match for the RX-8.

As for the other claims you made, wakeech, I have to point out a couple of discrepancies in your post.

The SRT is a hopped up neon, for sure. The motor was completely designed by the PVO (Performance Vehicle Operations) team at Chrysler, but they do in fact use a Mitsubishi turbo unit.

Regarding the weight distribution/suspension set up: on the 200ft. skid pad (for testing handling) it rated at 0.85g and in the 700ft. slalom, ran at 69mph (magazine racing, I know, but I just thought I'd provide some numbers to back up the car) My point here is that the car isn't an Enzo Ferarri on the track, by any means, but it ain't exactly an AstroVan, either.

(the same mag. rated the RX-8 at .90g/70.6mph on the aforementioned tests, btw)

As for the claim of a non-functional hood scoop, it does in fact function, but not to the degree that most people anticipate- it acts as an inlet for cooling off the turbo/exhaust manifold area which, as you probably know, can get pretty damn toasty during a hard run. It doesn't serve as a forced induction scoop, although some have modded it to do so with fairly little effort.

The SRT also did pretty a good job proving itself in the Car & Driver One Lap of America race this Summer. Look on the C&D website and check it out. Kinda neat.

I also saw a lot of "It's just a neon" posts in this thread... but that's what really attracted me to the car in the first place. It's the total underdog... and it's fun to watch the expressions on people's faces when the thing takes off... noone expects it! It's really a blast to drive. If you have the opportunity, take a ride in one... MOST of us SRT owners are pretty friendly and wouldn't mind taking you for a spin. ;)

So, to wrap things up:
* previously mentioned SRT-4 owner is a dolt
* not all SRT-4 owners are dolts
* SRT-4's aren't horrible cars, just no match for an RX-8



Hope this clears things up.

Originally posted by strong bad

The past two months I've heard nothing but him ranting and raving about how awesome his car is, and how everything, including G35, 350Z, several BMWs, etc don't compare to his car. I guess he's just really ignorant/stupid and i should let him talk...but it's just really gotten to me lately, and felt I'd need some help from you all to point out some technical advantages our 8s got over his non-japanese ricemobile.


So whats your freind reaction after he read this? :D

http://cnn.heavyplasma.com/www/cnn/2003/NEWS/08/04/world/48987index.html

OH!!! That's BAD! Dodge is DOOMED! DOOMED I tells ya hehehe

I don't like using that as to strong an example since the driver was a national champion neon driver, and his co-pilot was a chrysler engineer. Almost all the rest of the guys were weekend warriors, dodge backed that car and put a total ringer driver in it. Still shows that in the right hands the neon does handle rather well.

Ike

Originally posted by REX8

So whats your freind reaction after he read this? :D
http://cnn.heavyplasma.com/www/cnn/2003/NEWS/08/04/world/48987index.html

Looks like a bad mock-up of a practical joke....

Originally posted by REX8



So whats your freind reaction after he read this? :D

http://cnn.heavyplasma.com/www/cnn/2003/NEWS/08/04/world/48987index.html

dude...heavyplasma is a joke site where you can put in whatever news article you want for shits and giggles and have it look like official CNN shit.

Originally posted by smolten
It shows in the right hands the srt-4 can hang with cars costing $40,000 on up :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

and "weekend warriors" don't just happen to have a Chevy Corvette Z06 or dodge viper sitting around to race.



You'd be surprised, many of those guys have a lot more money than racing experience. The WRX guys for the most part were total noobs but they did it because they had always wanted to and saved their pennies, and the stories they were posting from the road on the WRX sites were priceless. I know 2 weekend warriors that own M3s, it's not a far cry from a Z06.

The guy in the Z07 was an accomplshed driver and had won 1 lap in a Viper, he also averaged about 150mph from one event to the next according to a lot of the other participants that he was blowing by on the highways.


Ike

Can someone please ban the foul mouth kids that cannot seem to carry an argument without resorting to slinging insults at people? This thread should be locked by now, it has degenerated into a pile of crap.

i agree...

the last 2 or 3 pages are nothing but a cry fest, they dont contain one bit of useful information, just a bunch of "disses"

All,
I have a better idea, why don't you all grow up and get over yourselves. You pick a fight and what do you expect is gonna happen, now this sh*t will drag on for god knows how long... I wish there was a way to ignore an entire thread so it won't even show up... :D

You know that's fake right? Just check the domain name.

Originally posted by Quick_lude
This thread should be locked by now, it has degenerated into a pile of crap. I couldn't have said it better myself.

I am closing this, and then I'm going to clean out the crap for the sake of the level-headed comments.

---jps

*agreed... TM*