GTO vs. STI: place yer bets.

[Musashi3000GT]

Yeah actually I did buy a Recaro baby seat already, its blue to match the GTO's interior. pics when it arrives.

Recaro even makes carriers and strollers but I couldnt get them to ship me one. They're only available in Europe far as I can tell.

[KamilMk]

Originally Posted by Musashi3000GT

Yeah actually I did buy a Recaro baby seat already, its blue to match the GTO's interior. pics when it arrives.

Recaro even makes carriers and strollers but I couldnt get them to ship me one. They're only available in Europe far as I can tell.

Hehe.

[Steiner]

The STi doesn't need to be have the piss revved out of it like the Evo. That extra half liter of displacement gets that little VF39 turbo going pretty good by 2K RPM's. I believe the factory ECU limits boost in 1st gear anyways so you're pretty much wasting your time revving over 5K on the stock tune IIRC. It was a nice kill but the first 1/8 mile should have been his if he'd ever launched the car before. The GTO is no doubt the faster car however.

Most of what I know about STi's has been observed and/or overheard while getting my Evo tuned when I used to go to Gruppe-S. Mike Warfield, now with GST, has been tuning those turbocharged scoobie boxers for a long time, going back to his time in England. He's got a couple WRX's he races for rally and another I saw one Saturday on SPEED channel racing in Utah on tarmac. Needless to say the guy knows his stuff. My understanding is that with the new gearing and larger turbo new to the '07 model they're a much easier car to drive 0-100mph - as any rally inspired car SHOULD be in the first place. They also flow much better on the top-end, which has always been a criticism of the USDM STI since it hit our shores for MY04.

As much fun as it is to street race these little AWD turbocharged cars, they're not truly in their element until you put them on a closed course. I'm not making excuses or backing down from the pushrod V8 crowd. I'll beat far more of them than I'll lose to running around in a 11 second Evo. I'm just stating a fact. Yeah we can get stupid crazy with the big turbos and beat some big V8's if that's your thing, but is it worth the 5.5K RPM's of lag? After riding shotgun in a few autox events recently I have a new found respect for certain platforms. The E36 M3 is one of them. The Lotus Elise, Corvette, and Viper are a few others. Unfortunately the GTO is not one of them. My younger brother owns one and it's truly a straight line terror off the showroom floor with extra power potential out the pooper, but it's more boat that goat. It feels disconnected and floaty and it's damn heavy too. What made it even more frustrating was that Pontiac had the blue print for success and spit on it. Somewhere between the port of Sidney and the board room in Detroit, GM decided it wasn't concerned with cornering. Ask an American if his GTO handles well and he'll pop the hood and show you the V8. Ask an Aussie how his Monaro handles and he'll take you for a ride. I don't get it. (flame suit on)

[AMGalltheway]

Originally Posted by KiillaKam

Hehe.

[Musashi3000GT]

Originally Posted by Steiner

After riding shotgun in a few autox events recently I have a new found respect for certain platforms. The E36 M3 is one of them. The Lotus Elise, Corvette, and Viper are a few others. Unfortunately the GTO is not one of them. My younger brother owns one and it's truly a straight line terror off the showroom floor with extra power potential out the pooper, but it's more boat that goat. It feels disconnected and floaty and it's damn heavy too. What made it even more frustrating was that Pontiac had the blue print for success and spit on it. Somewhere between the port of Sidney and the board room in Detroit, GM decided it wasn't concerned with cornering. Ask an American if his GTO handles well and he'll pop the hood and show you the V8. Ask an Aussie how his Monaro handles and he'll take you for a ride. I don't get it. (flame suit on)

^ well the USDM GTO has a few weld points set differently then the Monaro. The gas tank is also smaller and relocated to the trunk and there are a few strut bars encassing the gas tank that throw off the rear a bit.
As for showing the engine you know your stereotyping based on what youve seen. Im the type that takes people out for a run rahter then pop the hood. People here can be ignorant and assume that because it says "Pontiac" it is fwd and has a V6. I have to remind people that it is a V8.
As far as handling, wow, Im surprised you dont like it.
It may not be exactly point to point with the monaro but its not seconds slower either. Ive had entirely the opposite response in critizism then what you've experienced.

[AMGalltheway]

of dourse with the emphasis on speed americans have drag racing and nascrap whereas on the other side of the ocean you've got rally and sweet things like that

darn now i made myself wanna move

[KamilMk]

Originally Posted by AMGalltheway

of dourse with the emphasis on speed americans have drag racing and nascrap whereas on the other side of the ocean you've got rally and sweet things like that

darn now i made myself wanna move

So...

When's the flight?

[BlackGT2000]

I would say the same thing about the EVO/STI though. All you have to do is look around these forums and see what most of them are being used for, and its not rally courses. Most people use their cars for drag racing. Its just the facts.

[Musashi3000GT]

You guys seriously think drag racing is popular to the US and brushed off in other countries? srsly? Okay who here has been to Europe? c'mon show of hands. Okay whos been to Asia? Africa?

Right see Ive been to em and I can tell you drag racing is just as popular there as it is here. In fact the British and the Germans have some nitro and jet cars that would cut sick times even by American drag championship standards.

The STI and the Evo are rally cars but they are also time attack, road racing and AutoX monsters. Lets not say they're not good for drag racing either, Steiner's Evo would mop the floor with my Goat in a 1/4 mile right now!
All I was saying was that in stock trim the STI is not always a 13 second car.

You guys should look up some highway racing and street drag races from Dubai. Those arabs make us all look like chumps.

[AMGalltheway]

Originally Posted by KiillaKam

So...

When's the flight?

what you wanna come too?
i was thinking germany

Mush i was just saying how straight line speed events are more popular than rally and whatnot in america

[TheStang00]

so your throwing nascar into the straight line catagory

ignorance is bliss. you probably dont know squat about drag racing or nascar.

[Steiner]

Originally Posted by Musashi3000GT

You guys seriously think drag racing is popular to the US and brushed off in other countries? srsly? Okay who here has been to Europe? c'mon show of hands. Okay whos been to Asia? Africa?

Right see Ive been to em and I can tell you drag racing is just as popular there as it is here. In fact the British and the Germans have some nitro and jet cars that would cut sick times even by American drag championship standards.

The STI and the Evo are rally cars but they are also time attack, road racing and AutoX monsters. Lets not say they're not good for drag racing either, Steiner's Evo would mop the floor with my Goat in a 1/4 mile right now!
All I was saying was that in stock trim the STI is not always a 13 second car.

You guys should look up some highway racing and street drag races from Dubai. Those arabs make us all look like chumps.

Dude I've seen some of those video from Dubai! Those guys are nuts. Drifting on public roads at speeds close to 100 mph in Hyundai Excels and Toyota Corrolas.I guess you don't mind living on the edge when you've got 30+ virgins and paradise waiting for you on the other side. The UAE rally (which is competing with the South African rally for inclusion in the 2008 WRC schedule IIRC) is insane too. It's at 400ft below sea level and basically a gut check for any car/driver.

Musashi...I didn't mean to rip on the GTO the way I did. It almost sounded personal after I reread it right now. Not my intention at all and thanks for not taking it that way. I've just yet so see one with a full aftermarket suspension and some weight reduction up close, although I know they're out there...

http://www.peddersusa.com/images/GTO_Snow/DSC_9948.JPG

The Monaro chassis is excellent so you know the potential is there. It's just a little rough around the edges off the showroom floor in the cornering department. I've no doubt a 3500lb GTO with a full coilover setup and some R-compounds would be a potent track day weapon. God knows the engine and its aftermarket are incredible.

[AMGalltheway]

Originally Posted by TheStang00

so your throwing nascar into the straight line catagory

ignorance is bliss. you probably dont know squat about drag racing or nascar.

look im just trying to say that americans are more limited in their motorsports (except for the people here of course)

[Mr. Luos]

Originally Posted by Musashi3000GT

A baby seat!

Sara took her first ride in the Trans Am last night.
And of course...I don't get anyone toying with me until she is in the car.
Was just a Neon (non-SRT) anyhow...riced out with dual melon launchers.
He waited until about 30MPH to actually do anything...at which point I was in 3rd gear. I stepped into it...pulled on him.
I would normally use 1st from a 30MPH roll.
In other words...his car was SLOW!
I was off the throttle by 45MPH.

[TheStang00]

Originally Posted by AMGalltheway

look im just trying to say that americans are more limited in their motorsports (except for the people here of course)

actually id say we are more diverse in our motorsports. we are big into ovals, road courses, and drag racing. in europe and the rest of the world its mostly road courses.