From: crow@bnr.ca (LeRoy Pick)
Subject: Re: Fast Japanese Sports Cars
Reply-To: crow@bnr.ca (LeRoy Pick)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 22:56:04 GMT

In article <If1AkMO00iUxA0YPAG@andrew.cmu.edu>, Jinmo Ahn <ja2f+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
|> 
|> I'm looking to buying a car very soon.
|> 
|> These are the cars that interest me:
|> 
|> Nissan 300Z Twin Turbo
|> Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4
|> Mazda RX-7
|> 
|> I'm sure someone else was in similar situation before.  I would like
|> some comment on any one of the above cars.  If you bought one of them, I
|> would be interested in knowing why you chose it over the others.
|> 
|> Some of the important features I'm looking for are _very_ fast
|> acceleration and good handling (w/ adjustable suspension).  The
|> difference in price doesn't really matter as long as it's under 40k.
|> 
|> Thanks.
|> 
|> Jinmo Ahn
|> 

I've never driven any of the above, but I do follow the magazines and
reviews (you've heard of armchair jocks -- I'm the same idea with cars).

Six months ago in one of the magazines (Motor Trend, I believe), they had a
"challenge of the supercars" comparing the above three with the Corvette
LT1.  The general impression is as follows:

300ZX TT - not particularly exceptional at anything (0-60, braking,
           quarter mile, etc.) given this field of competition, but
           tended to be the reviewers' favorite choice.  The general im-
           pression is the car seemed the most "right" of the bunch.

3000GT - has the best low end (0-30, 0-40) acceleration times due to the 
         AWD (no wheel spin even at full throttle off the line) and 
         phenomenal torque, but the added weight made it the slowest 
         over the long haul (0-90, quarter mile) and with the second
         lowest top speed (the governor in the 300ZX limits its top 
         speed to something like 145 or so).
         
RX-7 - Very fast particularly on quarter mile and excellent handling.  
       VERY hard suspension (they believe the R1 would be murder on the
       body on rough roads or over long distances).

I have driven a Dodge Stealth R/T (non-turbo) and I can say it goes like
a scared rabbit, handles beautifully, and does have adjustable Sport/Touring
suspension.  Very stable at high speed and nice and quiet except when you
stomp on the throttle, where it quickly runs to 70mph in second gear with
a wonderful sports-car howl.  (This subjective view is based on the fact
that I own a Dodge shadow with a zero-to-sixty time of around 11 seconds
and isn't even *worth* doing the quarter mile.)  

Given what the reviewers say, the 300ZX is the best choice for reasons they
couldn't explain.  Several different reviewers from different publications
have criticized the RX-7 for having a twitchy rear end, primarily due
to its high power and low weight.  They also stated that if you live in
the northern areas where snow, ice, or excessive wet weather can be a
problem, the 300GT VR-4 is the only real or practical choice due to the AWD.
Reviews stated that it was the most forgiving of the bunch when it came to
abrupt throttle changes (particularly relevant if you plan to drive it 
in winter).

My own heart would steer me to the VR-4, primarily due to the AWD (take
note -- I live in Canada)  Who cares if it only goes 153 mph to the RX-7
163?  Within the legal speed limit the VR-4 was pretty much a match for 
any.  I'd like to think I'm a well controlled driver, but given the 
abilities of these cars, I'd want every control advantage I could get. 

A point of caution for the RX-7 is that it is really quite new and may 
have unrevealed bugs.  The 300ZX has been around the longest and I've yet 
to see anyone give it a bad review. 

Other than these factors, however, the issue becomes mostly one of the 
heart rather than the mind.  Whichever gives you the most goosebumps or
just feels the most right to you is the one for you.
-- 
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LeRoy Pick              |net:  LeRoy.Pick@bnr.ca
P.O. Box 3511 Station C |--------------------------------------------------
Ottawa, Ontario         |Reality is defined by the limit of my perceptions.
Canada K1Y 4H7          |Anything else is a figment of your imagination.
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