You’re saying no 5-figure car outperforms the 328? Surely you’re not serious? I bet I can think of half a dozen off the top of my head. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely car!
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peas on earth
Consumer Reports? Methinks not.
Obviously a man who lets his red, white and blue blood flow without actually doing any research. And, I know you haven’t touched a 328 in your Bonnie, most 328 owners are sucure enough in their manhood to avoid the backroad meatheads.
My numbers come from Motor Trend. Their stats are aquired by their expert drivers, who do all the tests. Therefore same driver, same measuring equipment for each different car.
By the way, I was just being coy by throwing out the 6 figures comment, but there aren’t any that can compete for at, or less than, the same price. Maybe a couple of cars can match her off the line like a blown Camaro Z28/Trans Am WS6, or a SVT Mustang Cobra but with all that tuned horsepower it isn’t very impressive seeing a charged V8 beating a naturally aspirated I6. And all three cars are worse than a Bimmer in the other 3 categories. Not a single car that doesn’t come out of a performance shop can match the 328 in lateral gs, braking, or slalom for the price. The Audi TT handles better, but doesn’t keep up off the line with a 7.0s, and costs a few grand more.
You don’t need a supercharged one for that! A plain old factory stock, normally aspirated Z28 does 0-60 in 5.3 according to MT. (According to the Nov99 MT, the 328 is 6.6s, which is really not very quick). Skidpad: .86, and mid 13’s in the 1/4. Blown, they’re a different animal - it’s very easy to get 450 HP out of the stock 6 speed tranny, and there are 600 HP streetable examples around with upgraded drivetrains. It’s something of a cheesemobile, but it’s only a $21500 car, list. There are streetable ones around doing 11’s in the 1/4.
The Corvette hardtop is $38k, 0-60 in 4.8 (MT) or 5.0 (Edmunds), .93 skidpad (1.0 with better tires - the runflats kinda suck). 13.2 in the 1/4. 68.9 in the slalom (or 66.3 for the coupe, according to MT).
I think the 328ci is a wonderful car, BTW. I would love to have one, and you won’t get any argument from me if you say it’s one of the nicer cars around. But the quickest thing in the price range, it ain’t, by a long shot. It can’t be - it’s a 3200 lb car with only 200 HP.
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peas on earth
FYI those V-8 cars don’t come with superchargers so perhaps your research is a bit flawed.
back road meat head? I race on the track CHUMP!!!
BUT, if you happen to show up next to a Bonneville on the street, both cars with HOT engines, you will find, as my friend has, that the beemer aint all that - especially for the $$$$$. Now for the supercharged version (it is a 6 cylinder not an 8) kicks the beemers ass for a lot less.
As for the lateral g’s. MOST drivers can not drive their cars that close to the limit anyway.
BTW Motor Trend drivers do not even powershift the cars when they test. MT also, will not always get the good performance optioned car when they test. Or they will not turn off the traction control, or leave the suspension setting on soft, not firm…
Since YOU bring up R,W,& B blood - any import owners want to try my 14 year old 6 cylinder Buick? I especially like to humiliate 12 cylinder Lamborgini (sp) and Ferrari owners with my 3,800 LB, fully optioned street car.
bant, you’re right. I should pick my words more carefully. I threw the words charged, and blown as coloring words not truely intending to imply that the vehicles are supercharger, turbocharged, or equiped with a blower unit. I mean to imply that the cars a “sport” tuned, and not the base models of each example I gave. For example, I was stressing the fact my statistics indicated a Z28, SVT, and WS6 as opposed to the base model. These matched with the base 328Ci, not the M tuned model which puts up numbers that blow almost any car away including the exotics.
Our conflicting BMW numbers are because you took the stats from the '99 328i (the 4 door sedan). I used the '98 328is numbers (the 2 door coupe). The 3 series was redesigned for '99 so the precise numbers I want I don’t have on hand, the 328Ci is the new 2 door coupe designator. The performance numbers are reported to have improved, and the horsepower is lifted up from 190 to 205, so I believe my numbers to be on the conservative side.
The Corvette is a car I love, but the '99 hardtop was tested at $40,122. '98 BMW 328is was tested at $35,895, a difference of $5000 that I felt too large to really include it in comparison.
1420Vel.GN, yeah, I’m gonna take what you say over the pros at MT, and I’d love to know how you can lend veracity to you assertions about their flawed driving skills. A Buick touching a Lambo or a Ferrari or any of the Italian ponies, not in your earliest wet dreams. You can drop a 440 into it, turbocharge it, or sprinkle faerie dust on it, it isn’t putting 360 Modena or Diablo numbers. The only car ever made that can is a McLaren F1, and a handful residing on the worlds race circuits. Get back to me after 8th period lets out.
Boys, boys, boys…
Anyway, leap, I’ve got two words for you: Internet Research.
I HATE buying cars cause I hate being pressured by salespeople. I used www.cars.com alot when I was researching cars and stuff. I ended up with a Chevy Prizm, 1 year old. I really like it. It’s not as big as my Eagle Vision was (::sniff: 
but it’s a solid little car and my mechanic gave it a thumbs up. Ask around (or have your Dad ask around) for someone who had a really great experience with their salesperson and find out where they went. I had a friend who used to be in car sales and told me who to go to. It was an actual pleasure dealing with the guy. If you’re moving to the Lansing, MI area (ha! Like that’d happen!), let me know. I’ll give you his name.
you are the one using grade school psychology
Time slips don’t lie. no dreams here
And MT says that is how they drive!!!
you jackass.
550 hp is not a problem with just bolt on parts for an 86 - 87 Buick Grand National, check out the TurboBuick.com message board and see what is going on for your self. Or forget it, you probably think the thousands of members on that board are just having wet dreams.
My offer still stands, and I am available for fun - any DC area dopers wanna play?
When you’re ready to back anything you say up, I’ll listen.
The Stock Grand National quotes its numbers as:
0-60 MPH - 5.49 Seconds
1/4 Mile @Mph - 14.20 @95.64
Some Grand National Links:
A GNX site, about the GNX a McLaren tuned Grand National that is a “ax-wielding barbarian laying waste to everything in it’s path” “Rockets to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and squirts through the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds at 102 mph” http://www.infinet.com/~rowilson/gnx.html
Here’s a guy who put up NHRA records in a GN, but this is a pure dragster. Custom engine, turbos, roll cages, no stock equipment. Not hardly a street legal car, which in cased you missed it was an implied requirement. Also, it can’t turn! We’re talking performance here, not launch pads. http://www.fastbuicks.com/
Here a good GN facts page. http://www.turboregal.com/docs/gnfacts.htm
OK, I did your research, and didn’t come up with a lick of evidence that reflects it can touch Ferrari 360 Modena times unless totally stripped and rebuilt into a dragster. In which case it can’t really corner, and isn’t street legal. Not the point!
The Ferrari 360 Modena puts up a conservative 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds (by those slow driving MT guys). This time on the launching pad from the factory, while still putting up performance numbers like a 12.2sec @ 113.5mph in the 1/4, .90 gs on the skidpad, and turns in a slalom of 69.0 mph, on stock tires.
Fact is you have no support other than some vague assertions you can’t back up. Say you like the car, say its the best looking car ever produced, say its immensely cool, and gets you lots of pussy. Whatever, but if you’re gonna shoot your mouth off about measurable facts that are patently false, try and back it up so you don’t look so damn foolish.
go to Turbobuick.com
Slightly upgraded replacement turbo $800, front mount intercooler - stock just relocated to the front side of the radiator, 50#/hr fuel injectors $350, adjustable fuel pressure regulator $100, hi volume fuel pump $175 = 500 HP, no problem.
AND I BACK UP MY POSTS WITH MY CAR, and according to Capitol Raceway, my low 11 second Buick is smoking the $200,000 imports, AGAIN any DC area dopers are welcome to try it.
Mine is not even that fast compared to some of the others in the area, but good enough to deal with any beemer.
Oh yeah, FUCK OFF, I don’t lie! Perhaps you like the internet to feel big, but remember this, not everybody here is like you.
Why would I waste my time, measuring my dick on turbobuick, when all it will be is a hundred Buick loyalists who wouldn’t change their mind after being driven circles around by a Euro roadster, or told they were wrong by the best tech minds and drivers in the business. McLaren himself, designer of the GNX, now uses M-tuned BMW powerplants in the F1. He could come onto Turbobuick and explain how mislead you all are, and not a soul would listen. At least here people expect some facts, and citations to the BS claims people make. Also most are going to be impartial, and if I say something false, they’ll point it out. When you’re ready to make a relavent point, feel free. Otherwise, back to the OP.
To get back to the point a bit…I just got a Saturn a couple of months ago after several friends and relatives, simply had nothing negative to say about these cars. I’m happy with it so far, and the price was reasonable.
And no, I don’t work for Saturn.
There’s an old saying that goes, “Of COURSE it has to come to a complete halt before it changes direction - it’s a muscle car!”
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peas on earth
leafrog,
I’m sorry for the flap.
I came here to give you some opinions, as I said when I signed my original post Just -IMO, and some jackass starts calling me a lier, child, and something about measuring my penis.
This is not meant to be a scholarly paper. Sorry I don’t have any cites for you. Just some ideas from one who owns, builds, and drives racecars on and off-road.
Omniscient - PUT UP OR SHUT UP, this is the last thing I have to say on your issues: the people on those bb’s show far more maturity than you have shown here and would welcome input from any of the people that designed that car, there are some GM engineers on the site that worked on the original design. I have nothing to hide and have made an offer to prove it to anybody on this board. Come sit in it, watch it at the track, or even perhaps maybe find me at a street light 
and that is better than a cite from a magazine!
I personally love my 1991 Toyota MR-2. Yeah, its only two seats, and I can barely fit into it (6’0") but its a blast to drive. Handles like a glove, stable to drive, and the T-tops are a blast to drive w/0
I had a 86 MR2 before that, felt a lot more like a go cart than the 91, but also a great car. I would highly recommend them both to anyone who can stand having a 2 seat car.
knuckle-dragging hose mongerer.
SDMB Self-Righteous Clique
we just got a new honda civic and its very good… but i would recommend getting a used car since its a better deal overall.
check out honda, they are excellent
Check out my site:
Chief’s Domain