i like to annoy fanbois
but i get your point, still, they get what is available and what they feel should be in it. they even explained that they felt s2k represents that segment well... if you get mad every time the rx8 is not included in a mag comparison, you read way too much into it.

 

Thats ok, I know it's important to you to be Ike's top bitch.

 

whatever makes you feel better

 

WTF! Why does anyone give two pieces of crap what MT thinks? They're comparing a Civic Si with a 911 GT3. Thanks MT, that's pretty helpful -- now I know exactly what car to buy. Their writing is boring, biased, and not entertaining.

The RX-8 hasn't changed for years now. Most (if not all) of the cars on the list have had changes more recently. You didn't see the C5 Corvette in every comparison towards the end of its life cycle either because people were bored with it. They're trying to sell magazines not compile the most unbiased, perfect list of all time.

They obviously wanted to get a variety of cars in and the S2K and RX-8 were too similar in their standpoint. If the MS3 beat the S2K on THIS track it would most certainly have beaten the RX-8. That's not exactly going to look good now is it? You've got a cheaper Mazda beating a more expensive Mazda in what the more expensive one supposedly does best. I know it's more complicated than that, but it doesn't look good on paper to the average n00b.

 

Guys - WTF does 'skid pad rating' have to do with HANDLING? That's a test of GRIP of the tires, mostly. Handling - or "good handling" is largely SUBJECTIVE.

 

Agreed about the weighting most give to skidpad results is far too great.

But this MT test is actually a pretty good, maybe the best handling evaluation I've seen - I can't find much fault with their methodology of the actual test, just their car selection.

Otherwise, astute readers should always draw their own conclusions from these tests based on those handling aspects that resonate best with them. I still want a car as toss-able as a Miata without a punishing ride. Looks like the Cayman does that best in this test.

 

I use MotorTrend to wipe my bum. Given that this thread is now largely about what MT might have said, thought, implied, and not said, thought, or implied in a past bullshit comparison article in relation to how it creates the pool of cars for some other bullshit MT article that may have drawn upon different contributing drivers and writers, I'm going to print this thread and use it to also wipe my bum.

 

Sort of.....They may have come up (argueably) with the "best handling car" i.e. the GT3, but the roster of wannabees was picked from the dart board (over coffee) while staring at the freeway. They certainly knew that most of them had NO chance of handling anything more than a roundabout very well, but it's plain they enjoyed writing all the stupid copy saying how 'great' or 'crappy' this car or that car was in such and such a test. Plus all the pretty colorladen graphics, which I thought were very helpful and well done showing REAL parameters of how cars actually handle and why.

To the typical street driver, just having a car similar to their own attempting anything like this got them more readership than another boring Porsche, Lambo, Audi, MB, some lightweight Lotus or other mixup.

Come on guys this is an 'everymans' car rag. Whada you expect?

 

Did anyone possibly consider the idea that Mazda didn't give them an RX-8 to test with? Usually, the manufacturers provide the cars and the mags just review them.

 

Doesn't all this lead to a pain in the ***?

 

Now that you mention it, it does kind of burn a little.

 

If this was "The Best Handling Car in America With a Compliant Ride" you guys would have a legit gripe.

 

Face it, we all think that any test which doesn't include an RX-8 sucks ***. And we're right!

BTW-one lap tests are deceptive. How does a car handle on hot tires?

 

lol

 

That must be the most retarded comparo i've seen.

 

Actually it was a very good comparo and a very interesting read. Perhaps it was a little too in depth...

Here are the lap time results around Laguna Seca for those not wanting to buy the mag.

Civic SI: 1:54.990
Mini Copper S JCWGP: 1:51.733
Honda S2K: 1:50.738
MS3 GT: 1:50.375
BMW 335i: 1:49.038
Mitsubishi Evo IX MR: 1:47.926
Porsche Cayman S: 1:47.577
Lotus Exige S: 1:45.818
Corvette Z06: 1:40.919
Porsche 911 GT3: 1:39.517

 

geez get over it! at least the Crossfire wasn't included too!

 

STi or 350z included?

 

I am surprise the Mazdaspeed beat hte S2000

 

Hmm...those don't sit well with me. How come they are so close?

 

^ You think 10 seconds is close?

 

Well at least the MS3 beat the S2K.

 

Really...being down by 10 seconds is getting walked.

 

Why are people so upset? Don't forget the RX-8 won just about every comparo since it was introduced (althought not by numbers). It wasn't included in this one, so what? Neither did 35Z, M3, RS4, F430 or Lambo since they included the GT3.

yea, the MS3 has a faster lap time than S2k and would beat the RX-8 too, but at some point you gotta ask how much does straight line performance has to do with it with lap time. They're not comparing cornering speed now, are they? Even if they included the 8, some of us would still argue it's slower because it was designed softer to ride good, blah blah, and if it has the Mazdaspeed suspension it would be faster, blah blah blah...

Ah....why even border.

 

For that matter, 3 seconds is a big difference for one lap of a track.