I borrowed my wife's car last night and got in a race.

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Originally posted by -RotorDemon- on ar15.com.

I borrowed my wife's Geo Metro last night. One liter of raw power, 3 cylinders of asphalt-tearing terror on thirteen-inch rims. It's stock, alright, nothing done to it, but it pushes the barely 2000 pounds of metro around with AUTHORITY. I'm always catching mopeds and 18-wheelers by surprise...

I was headed back from Baskin Robbins with my manly triple-latte cappuccino blast ("No Cinnamon, ma'am, I take it BLACK"), when I stopped at a streetlight. As the Metro throbbed its throaty idle around me, I sipped my bold beverage and wiped the white froth my stiff upper lip. I was minding my own business, but then I heard a rev from the next lane. I turned, made eye contact, then let my eyes trace over the competition.

Ford Festiva - a late model, could be trouble. Low profile tires, curb feelers, and schoolbus-yellow paint. Yep, a hot rod, for sure.

The howl of his motor snapped my reverie, and I looked back into the driver's eyes, nodded, then blipped my own throttle. As I tugged on my driving gloves and slipped on my sunglasses (gotta look cool to be fast, and I am cool, hence...), the night was split with the sound of seven screaming cylinders...

Then the light turned... I almost had him out of the hole, my three pounding cylinders thrusting me at least a millimeter back into my seat, as smoke pouring from my front right tire... my unlimited slip differential was letting me down! I saw in the corner of my eyes, a yellow snout gaining, and I heard the roar of his four cylinders. He slung by me, right front wheel juddering against the pavement, and he flashed me a smile as his .7 extra liters of motor stretched its legs. I kept my foot gamely in it, though, waiting for the CHECK ENGINE light to blink on in the one-gauge (no tachometer here!) instrument panel. I saw a glimpse of chrome under his bumper, and knew the ugly truth... He was running a custom exhaust-probably a 2-into-1 dual exhaust...maybe event cutouts!

The old lady passing us on the crosswalk cast a dirty look in our boy-racer direction... Yet still I persisted, with my three pumping pistons singing a heady high-pitched song, wound fully out. Though only a few handfuls of seconds had passed, we were nearing the crosswalk at the other side of the intersection, and I heard the note of his engine change as he made his shift to second, and I saw his grin in his rearview mirror fade as he missed the shift! I rocketed by, shifting, and nursed the clutch gently in to keep from bogging, keeping my motor spinning hot and pulling me ahead, now trailing a cloud of stinking clutch smoke. Not ready to give up so easily, he left his foot in it, revving, and I heard one wheel *almost* chirp as he finally found second and dropped the clutch. We careened over the crosswalk, now going at least 15 miles per hour. A bicyclist passed us, but intent on the race as we were, neither of us batted an eye. He pulled slowly abreast of me, and neck and neck, we made the shift to third, the scream of motors deafening all pedestrians within a five foot circle. He nosed ahead as we passed 30 miles an hour, then eased in front of me, taunting, as we shifted into fourth. I was staring up the dual chrome tips of his exhaust, snarling, my cappuccino forgotten, as he lifted a little to take the next corner.

I saw my opportunity, and counting on the innate agility of my trusty steed, I pulled wide into the number two lane and kept my foot buried in carpet. Slowly, I inched around him, feeling my Metro roll slowly to the left as I came abreast in the midst of this gradual sweeping turn. I felt the Geo ease onto its suspension stops, and felt the right rear wheel slowly leave the ground - no matter, though, because my drive wheels, up front, were pulling me through the corner, and around the Festiva ...

The Ford driver beat his wheel in rage as my wife's car eased past him on the outside, my P165/55R13's screaming in protest, as we raced to the next light. We coasted down, neck-and neck, to the red light. I tightened my driving gloves, ready for another round, when this WIMP in the next car meekly flipped his turn signal and made a right.

Chevy superiority reigns!!!

I drove off sipping my masculine drink, awash in my sheer virility, looking for other unwitting targets.... Perhaps a Yugo, or maybe even a Volkswagon Van!
 
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I drive a Metro too. Six valves of iron fury. I'm pretty sure the stock tires are 12 inch, not 13. At least that's what I have. Just being accurate.
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I have to say that I p!$$ed of a Trans Am driver with an '87 Sprint and a whopping 61 cc I-3.... three sucessive lights, and the first one just smoked the Pontiac.

Everyone says, "He wasn't trying", or "He thought I was joking".

Second light: I notice he has a cute girlfriend. I wink at her, and she laughs. Light changes, and I smoke the V-8.

Everyone says, "He didn't care."

Third light: Buddy's girlfriend is still laughing, but not at me. He's angry, probably because he has 289 cc more engine than I have. I smile and wave. He mouths words that I will not print here, but let's just say it's not "Happy Birthday".

Light turns.

I blow past the Firebird, and he doesn't get past me until I have started braking to make my turnoff. I'd have loved to have been a fly in that car when he realized I had him for breakfast that day.

While that car was tiny, that was it's most unsuspecting feature: it weighed in at under 1850 pounds, and it produced about 65 lb/ft torque.
 
If you think the Geo Metro is really good, wait till you try the Suzuki Swift (that's what the Metro is called here) GTI. Strong forged internals of the G13B engine guarantees aftermarket enhancements to work with great effect.
 
When I was a student my g/f had a '90 1.3L pontiac firefly 3 cyl. That thing was a hoot to drive, got great fuel economy, was reliable, and a set of 4 tires cost 69.99 at wally world mounted and balanced.

They make alot of sense with today's gas prices. I always really liked that car.
 
Had someone in a pimped out Scion coup try and race my 2004 Sunfire - beat her pretty badly. Online it says the scion's 0-60mph is 7.2. I have a 5 spd manual and I know she had an automatic... Online doesn't state my 0-60 but my stopwatch test clocked around 7 sec 0-60.

The day that natural 4 cyl cracks 6 second 0-60mph will be awesome.

But - I took a ride in a Escalade with the 400HP corvette engine.... I definitely see why people love driving those things!
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My '89 Justy had a 1.2L 9 valve motor. Produced 66BHP and 65LBS/FT IIRC. Best part was it was under 2,000LBS and it had a 5.12 final drive. No, that's not a typo, the final drive ratio was 5.12:1, I had more AVAILABLE torque than my buddy's Camaro [ok, only when we were each in first gear, but still
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]. Plus, the darn thing averaged 38MPG. Dang I miss that car...

Dave
 
Nice to see efficient power, but street racing is definitely a NO-NO when people are on the street.

I have no problem on freeway/highway when no one else is around, but not on the local street.
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Nice to see efficient power, but street racing is definitely a NO-NO when people are on the street.

I have no problem on freeway/highway when no one else is around, but not on the local street.


So race on the sidewalk! Sorry I brought this up but my buddy drives a Swift and another buddy has a purple Ford. The one after the Festiva. I cain't remember what it is called. Made by Kia. Durn little thangs run!
 
I had a '93 Festiva. Hatchback. Made by Kia. Parked in a lot one day and some teenagers came along and asked if it was a Festiva. I said, "Yes." They were genuinely impressed and I didn't know why until a year later my son bought a video game racing stock cars. One of the cars you could race was a Festiva. The kids thought it was a cool car because it was in the video game.
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It was a great commuter car. Could park it anywhere. 43 mpg highway, 39 city
 
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The Suzuki Swift GT was one bad ride.

But I'm talking 'bout Shaft! (double overhead camshaft)
 
I used to be into the local street racing scene. We did it as safe as possible, dead end street out in the desert with no side streets and even had a Christmas tree.

I outgrew that.... Sorta.

I had a crush on a waitress and she was telling me about her new Acura she bought. I never did follow the rice scene and when someone says Acura I think Honda.

Going home one night I was stopped at a light in my Jeep. It has a 4.0, 5 speed , 3.73 gearing and stock sized tires.

It will scoot prety well so I thought.

This cute waitress pulls up next to me, waves and throws a little rev.

When the light turned green she was gone!

The last thing I saw was "RSX-S"on the rear of her Acura.
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A few years ago I borrowed by grandpa's V8 Jeep, and proceded to get smoked by a Civic (not even an SI).
 
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