Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Really? I'm not aware of any muscle cars that are as slow as a Focus.
The difference is you're not going to get more than 5 additional hp out of most economy car 4 cylinder setups with exhaust. Uncork the factory 1.5" exhaust from an old big block and you gain some measurable power.
I hate just about anything that isn't a V8. Most 6 cylinders don't sound that good.... But 4 cylinders are just aweful and it's worse because most owners keep the stock exhaust and add a giant muffler with a 6" tip. Keep that cat on, run a 2.5" pipe and no tip and it would sound throatier instead of raspy.
It seriously makes me want to cover my ears when I hear all 1.6 liters of fury going by at 8,000rpm powershifting on their way to a 17 second 1/4 run on city streets.
Speed isn't always what people are looking for, and Camu isn't looking to make his Focus faster, or else he would have probably gotten a Turbo 4WD like WRX or Evo instead. BTW, most well tuned 4 bangers are faster than muscle car in autocross.
Like I said, 2.5" is too big for a div>
Then what is the purpose of running aftermarket exhaust if not to make it faster? I sincerely hope people don't really like the sound of a loud 4 banger (some of the Subaru boxer engines excluded).
Whether a given car is faster in autocross has nothing to do with it's displacement. I would hope a brand new car is faster around the corners than a stock 60's muscle car though there are many exceptions.
I think a lot of the reason the 4 cylinder crowd focuses on cornering is because there's very little potential to go fast in a straight line. Take for example the GN and Monte Carlo SS. Both are essentially the same car with different drivetrains. The SS crowd is all about corners. The Chevy 305 is a gutless slug with very little potential to ever break 13s. The GN will go 12s with $200 invested. Surprise surprise, the GN crowd drag races and the Monte crowd road races. It's the same with the 4 cylinder crowd. Spend the money on suspension because it will never be a contender in a straight line.
I would like to have both power and cornering but anyone that says cornering is more fun than lots of power in a daily driven street car is dilusional.
Call me delusional if you want but I still think it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. I don't need tons of power in my daily driver. I need reliability. I need enough performance and handling to get down the road while keeping my occupants safe. The Focus has that. I want a BMW 1 series with the turbo okay, but I cain't afford it. I know my Focus will never ever grow up to be a Bavarian wolfhound but if she can behave like a nice Blue Heeler will be alright. What I mean is the car doesn't have to do anythang great it just has to everythang well. Nah mean?(And actually the Focus does something really well. She doesn't guzzle away my paycheck at the pump.)
I got my tax refund back. I want a PS3. I decided instead of shipping my money to Japan I'd buy an American made cat-back exhaust system that would give my Focus a little more growl. I don't have anything against Japan. I just thought I'd put my money were my mouth is. Instead of just talking like a car guy I thought I'd walk the walk for once. It was gonna be snow tires but Winter is winding down and the Hankooks have been great in the snow and ice this year.
And I don't really care if you guys think a four banger sounds awful. I think V6's sound awful. Not all of them some sound good like an NRX. I think most of them sound like vacuum cleaners. When I was in college my dream car was a Honda Prelude. Then it was a WRX. I still want a WRX. I should have bought one. I think a full bore rally car would work great in my climate and the roads I drive on. I wish when I shifted fire came out the exhaust like a WRC car. That ain't gonna happen with my Focus unless something is going terribly wrong. I can't afford a WRX right now. So I thought if I could just put a "stealthy" exhaust on the Focus(one that makes the car sound a bit more robust when you get on it, but you can still hear the radio while crusing) I'd be more happy.
I'm happy some of us have different tastes. Less for me to be envious of...
Now are Borla exhaust systems made in the US?
Serious question after reading that first paragraph. Have you ever driven a decently quick car like something that runs 11s or faster? I have a feeling you haven't or you would change your mind.
My 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix got 11 MPG in town!
