Why People Think 8s are Slow
 

So on my way home from work I wind it up in 2nd to be kind to my engine, then come to a red light and stop. The light turns green, so I take off, wind it up a bit in 1st and shift to 2nd.

Then I notice that someone in a Pontiac SUV is in the other lane, revving it for all it's worth and staying even with me.

Now, I didn't even have the throttle halfway in. But this asshat in a Pontiac SUV obviously thought he was racing me. I don't race, I don't do hard launches on the street, etc., but now some guy thinks his SUV is as fast as my 8.

So there you go. We all know that the 8 is a bit underpowered (for a sports car) and that it is at a disadvantage in straight line acceleration because of the lack of low-down torque. But the 8 isn't slow, and it has always mystified my why any teen in a fartcan Civic thinks their car is fast and an 8 is slow.

Now I know why. Anyone else have someone "race" you like this?

all they see is 1.3L and assume... HELL, my 4.0 V6 has gotta be like...umm....4 times faster!

people are stupid.

This happens to me all the time. I'll be cruising along doing my daily redline in 1st or 2nd only to have some dumbass in a Mustang fly around me like I'm racing him. WTF people!?

I have people who feel the need to keep up with me driving around town.

Until I start taking turns...

Then they are too busy trying to keep themselves off the wall than following me. Those HOV onramps have high walls and narrow driving spaces.

i feel you...mustangs try to challenge me all the time. i never play along though. no reason to...we ALL know they are the best. LOL

K I don't want to turn this into a race thread. But stock for stock... Can an rx8 beat a GTI in a straight line?
From a Dig.
Like the M5board style thing.
On a proper track of course :)

But you did. It's kinda supposed to be about *not* racing.

lol yea i have mustangs always trying to fuck with me ... but when you get to the exits that merge freeways etc they dont even try anymore

I have a nice smooth twisty road near my house. One time while "taking the long way home" a dumpy old Chevy work pick-up truck loaded down with ladders, etc decides he is going to stay right up my ass. This road is about 2 miles long and I am pushing it hard. Freakin hillbilly is hanging no more than a few car lengths back the whole way. I'm like WTF. I'm sure he's telling his boyz how his POS truck handles just as good as one of them there fancy sports cars lol. Stupid hillbillies...

We are in South Carolina....Hillbillies with trucks seems to be ALL there is around here. AND they all drive like they are Dale Jr. in the Daytona 500.... Sometimes I am actually embarrassed to claim SC as my home as a result.

There's about a 15 mile stretch of the I-17 north of Phoenix that, going downhill, is just a blast to drive! The best part is the DPS (sort of our state police) call it quits around 1:30am so the drive is pretty worry free.

What is scary are the pickup trucks that do some rather serious speeds through that part and honestly I cannot imagine anything less than these people pissing themselves the whole time. The drivers push these trucks and my god the body lean that I see. I would be freaking out thinking I was going to flip or fly off the mountain.

Thanks for the tip Flashwing, I'll have to try that spot out. Where does begin, up past Ben Avery? So is the DPS the same thing as our Highway Patrol?

*slaps face lol i completely understand what you are talking about!

plenty of people think the rx8 is really fast too, though :).

I find those people are almost always the ones that see it parked... and the womenfolk :lol:. To the South Carolinian's I feel your pain, not a day goes by that some Dale Jr. wanna-be doesn't try to draft me in the middle lane.

Most SUV will try to take off as fast as possible, in order to get a few vehicle places ahead on their way to whatever. They are not racing you or anyone and could care less whether you drive this or that or an rx8. It is a mistake that many rx8 drivers make. They are overly self-conscious, and full of themselves in believing that other drivers are "racing" them. Spend time in a normal, slow, rental vehicle and you will see the same behavior.

I've learned, it is important to stay in 1st gear as long as necessary until it is safe to shift. Sometimes, in the 10-25 mph range, you might have to shift from 2nd down to 1st for an instant burst of power. Just make sure to rev the tach totally, to ensure a successful downshift into 1st.

Sometimes, you even have to risk your life to block somebody who tries to exit! Or, maybe that is just those neon underbody yellow pickup/cattle box.

I get the same thing here.

Had a prius tailgating me earlier this evening on the way back from the girlfriends house, then I went onto an onramp, and, yea, i didn't see him for a good 10-15 seconds..

hahaha, marklar, i just put a quote from your post in my sig. stupid little hondas try to "race" me like this all the time. i just laugh.

I hear you there, on the last days of a 16day road trip I was leaving California through Tahoe. Ahead of me was a older (note I'm 39) guy and lady in a newer Porsche. I was having a little fun while trying to not get my passenger car sick (coming down a mountain at 35-40 on a rated 15mph road earlier in the week taught me better) and got next to him in the left of 3 lanes downward (he was in the far right). We were coming down the moutain at around 75, which was fun but not dangerous (yet well over recommended speeds)...when all of a sudden a few lifted 4x4's decided we were too slow and ripped between us doing at least 15mph faster than us. I can still remember the driver of the Porsche’s face as he looked at me. It was kinda like a "We're made for this and these idiots are trying to impress us?" look. I halfway expected to see a head on or broken guardrail ahead but I guess they were lucky (or skilled but betting more on luck).

Even in little town Iowa we get this mentality. I worked at the same place for 18 years and drove the same car with the same people around for 17 of those years. If I had that car and was doing 60mph in a 55 they would be going by me like Amish people in carts. However, as soon as I started driving the RX-8 they would fly by me at least 70 then slow down to 50. If I should pass they'd do it again. The next day I'd drive my Escort again and fly by them all at 60 once more...who knows what they're thinking or trying to prove.

i dont think they know its a 1.3l but everyone ask me if its a v6 or v8 lol and try to take off fast at the light

There not slow there just not "fast" either...in the corners and turns yes its pretty good...straight aways not so great

Keep the revs above 5k and the 8 is far from slow.

It'll chirp the wheels in 3rd gear on WOT at freeway speeds for that matter.

happens all the time...i try to get my daily redline in and the person next to me thinks it's on.

i just ignore it. whats the point in racing? :dunno:
whatever though.

da twisties...hahaha

rx8 are QUICK sports cars, not fast. hey i beat gti in racing events all the time, even 6 cyl. mustands , i like to race but not in the streets where im cruising and showing off the car. People wanna race me everywhere thats stupid