Fast 4 door sedans worthy of street racing

[aluminumonkey85]

I am right now thinking between 4 fast 4 door cars under $25,000 US. The four are - Mazdaspeed Protege, Nissan SE-R Spec V, Dodge SRT-4, Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan, and VW Jetta GLS in the order of favorite to least favorite. Which one should I get? What is the fastest? And are there any other fast 4 door sedans that are worthy of racing?

[Cbass]

My advice, wait until we get the 4Motion Jetta. Out of those you listed, I would lean towards the Subaru for the handling possibilities, they have good handling stock, with a 1 inch drop, it's a great daily driver. Also, it's the only non frontwheel drive car there, if you ever want to drive it fast...

Then again, the Mazdaspeed Protege is an MP3 with a turbocharger, and I have a whole new respect for the handling of the MP3.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/features...?articleID=220

[street_racer_00]

you are going to get a lot of different answers, but here are mine

1. Jetta GLI I believe it is called
2. Nissan SE-R spec-V
3.Mazdaspeed protege
4. WRX(I hate them, they are ugly as sin, that's why it's #4)
5.Dodge neon SRT-4(yeah I know it's supposed to be fast and whatnot, but it's still a NEON for cryin out loud).

[DSMJim]

I know guys with 1.8T jettas with triptronic (automatic) transmissions they have only a few mods. GIAC Chip, K&N FPIK, 3" down pipe, test pipe, 3" exhaust, blow off valve and run 12.9's at 109mph. Those other cars you listed suck and are slow (except the WRX it's turbo too).

Do yourself a favour and start with a car that is turbo. Going fast on a turbo car is easy. NA cars suck. I have had 3 turbo cars and would never go back to a regular normally aspirated car ever.

[Cbass]

Nice Talon Jim!

The SRT4 will be quite a fast car once tuners get ahold of it.

The 1.8T is miles ahead of anything else you list there, it is a masterpiece of technology. Say what you will about Honda B series motors, they are in the stone age compared to the 1.8

Audi originally started the production of high static compression turbo motors, and the 1.8T is a more developed version of those motors. It makes it's peak torque at 2000 rpm, and holds it until around 4000, where it starts to trail off.

The only problem, front wheel drive. That's why I recommend the WRX. If you can wait for the 4Motion Jetta, get one.

[Layla's Keeper]

Street Racer_00, I don't want to single you out, but you've completely forgotten about the 1st gen Neon ACR. We're talking about a street legal coupe or sedan (the sedan was actually 75lbs lighter than the coupe and more rigid) that had 175hp stock and came with Koni adjustable shocks at all corners for $14,000 new. Those things own D production. And if you don't want a buckboard ride, $12,995 would have taken you out the door with a new Neon Sport Coupe with the DOHC engine making 160hp stock. The ACR computer cost about $175, then tack on a Mopar header, K&N air filter, larger throttle body (also from Mopar) and you've got a 210hp 2.0 with a mean bark to it. I should know, it's what my Dad drives every day. All for less than a new Civic. Now, we both admit there's still problems with the Neon. First off, they've got a bad tendency to shed power-steering belts under severe cornering and they have bad understeer to boot, though some autocrossers figured out that a few degrees of toe in on the rear tires cures that in a heartbeat, but it costs tires too.

Chrysler has been in the pocket rocket game almost as long as Honda and certainly longer than Mazda or Subaru. In fact, it's only seniors are Nissan (the Datsun 510) and Volkwagen (GTI, even as the Rabbit it kicked ass). The first truly stellar Dodge pocket rocket, and Polygon can back me up on this, was the Dodge Omni (yes, it was a K-car) GLH (Goes Like Hell) as tuned by the Texas chicken farmer hisownself, Carroll Shelby. These little monstrosities were stripped down to 2100lbs, beefed up with Z-rated Goodyear Gatorbacks, 2 inch sway bars, front and back, heavy duty springs, five lug aluminum wheel with disc brakes all around, balanced chrome-moly halfshafts, and rack-and-pinion steering, and were powered up with hot cams, balanced cranks, fuel injection (this was back when base Omnis were carburetted), headers, and there were two turbo models; the GLH-Turbo with a Chrysler designed turbocharger making about 185hp, and the GLH-S. 500 of those were made, all black with silver trim, radio delete, acid dipped body panels, strut tower brace up front, and a Garrett Air Researches turbo with intercooler, giving this 1900lb Omni 220HP! Can you say "torque steer"? In 1985m Car & Driver tested one of these creations and recorded .94G on the skidpad. A record for a production FF car, and better than the Corvette that year. The cost, $15,000 in 1985 for the S, about $10,000 for the base GLH. A lot of money in 1985 for an Omni.

Why do I know so much about the GLH's? My father has owned 2 of the NA GLH Omnis, and a GLH Omni was the car my father picked my mother and I up from the hospital in the day after I was born. He'd just bought it that day and it was the first new car he'd ever bought. (four days later he rolled it street racing with my grandfather, oops. But no structural damage, the car was repaired and lasted another six months until it met a tree, in another race.)

Who says that the Pentastar never catered to the import crowd? Give the SRT-4 a chance. It's already on the SCCA ProRally tour as a factory backed effort in the 2WD class and there is already a factory backed Mopar effort for a pair of SRT-4's in NHRA Import drag racing. Name me one other German/American car company that is that willing to pursue the import scene?

[Layla's Keeper]

Oh yeah, I'd either choose the WRX or the Mazdaspeed Protege, myself. I like the look of the Protege (very clean) and admire its handling. The WRX is just plain mean. There's nothing else like it here, yet. The SE-R, from what I've heard, is not its ancestor. It's been described as notchy, unrefined, and skittish. Plus I've yet to find anyone with something nice to say about the shift action on the six-speed. A shame, too. The car posts great numbers and I love the "I wanna be an R34" front end. Meanwhile, the Jetta unnerves me. I've driven a couple of hot FF Volkswagens, and there is one characteristic that binds them: they nose drive on corner entry and pick up the outside rear wheel. Just look at old pics of the "Wascally Wabbits" (Rabbit/Golf GTI's in SCCA competition in the late 70's and 80's). You'll see them all being hustled into the corner with the air dam scraping and the outside rear in orbit. As for the SRT-4, I'm waiting to see what happens with it. It's not in production yet, but it will be.

[CAptynCrunch]

Ok, your best two choices like Octagon said are the Subaru and the Protege.

Both are turbo charged, but the subaru has more power. It also has the advantage of AWD, however it's not that much of an advantage because the Protege has THE best handling out of any FWD car on the market.

SE-R's are nice, but not the same as the old 200SX's.

The Neon i have absolutely no info on so I'm not gonna comment on it.

And as for the Jetta, well i know you said you want a 4-door sedan, but if your gonna buy a VW, then the only really good choice is the Golf GTI with the 1.8T and the 337 handling package.

[street_racer_00]

Originally posted by DSMJim
I know guys with 1.8T jettas with triptronic (automatic) transmissions they have only a few mods. GIAC Chip, K&N FPIK, 3" down pipe, test pipe, 3" exhaust, blow off valve and run 12.9's at 109mph.

My ass whoops did I say that out loud?

[Cbass]

They have probably upgraded to the Audi spec turbo as well, I think it's a K03...

[Yosh]

wait until the new evolution 8 comes here! welli think its fast = ) zooooooooooooooooooooooom!!!!!!!

[aluminumonkey85]

Well every car I listed is turbo-charged except the SE-R Spec V, which is also pretty goddamn fast. I will rice the car out a little probably. I never even heard of the Jetta 4Motion, but it sounds like it's a AWD Jetta, essentially a WRX wannabe. I don't think I'm getting a WRX, because my friend is getting one, and it would be stupid to, but I am leaning towards that Speed Protege cuz of the handling. By far, the car with the best handling I have ever driven was the Mazda MPV, a VAN! But boy does the steering wheel feel smooth. So if it's that good, I can just imagine how good "THE BEST" handling must feel like. (Protege) I'm thinking if I do not get that one, I will get the SE-R Spec V.

[fatninja19]

i'd say the upcoming mercedes e55... butt thats way outta your price range....

[Fliquer]

The WRX.

Its turbocharged
The aftermarket is huge, and a little $ goes a LONG way
It has awd (subaru rally-derived and proven awd, not some hybrid system by a manufacturer that normally doesnt produce awd sportscars)
You generally get more respect. (im not saying you wouldnt get respect in the other cars)
Comes with a SCCA member application.
Its beautiful IMO
Its freakin fast as balls.
Its one helluva deal at <$25k.

[DSMJim]

Originally posted by street_racer_00


My ass whoops did I say that out loud?

Hey stupid ass, http://www.18turbo.com/jonathan-2000jettagls.html

He ran mid 13's just turbo and 12.9 with all that at 50hp nitrous shot. That's automatic, now imagine how much faster it would be if it was 5 or 6 speed.

You obviously don't know what your talking about, but thanks for commnig out. You need to take your chicken wire grill maxima and dissappear. My condolances about driving a mom and dad car running 14's.. whoptie do!