I really like the look of the new Challenger too. Its a great looking car. My neighbor up the street has a bright blue RT model. I have to drive-envy by that thing every morning!
griping about transmissions aside, I do feel your pain. I have an SRT-4 (not the abortion based on the Caliber) and for the longest time after I got it, every stupid kid driving a primer-and-fartcan Civic or his mommy’s Camry would pull that shit around me. Or, some other douchespigot who also had an SRT-4 would, upon seeing me, rev several times to make sure I heard the “psssshhh” of his vented blow-off valve. No, froggy, I’m not your buddy just because I bought the same kind of car as you.
Outside of the Pontiac Aztec, I can’t think of an uglier late model car off the top of my head than a Dodge Caliber.
Nissan Cube, Nissan Juke would be a couple off the top of my head. Lincoln MKT.
The Juke. Definately the Juke. The back’s not bad, but you walk around to the front and ASAasdsDFGAJRKGJSKILLITWITHFIRE!
It looks like a freekin’ bug. And not a Volkswagen bug, either.
Nissan Juke - I’m looking at pictures of it, and all I can think is, “What…the hell?”
It’s worse in person…at certain angles, things just get all bulgy…and not in a good way.
It looks like a futuristic version of the Family Truckster.
The modern 6 and 7 speed automatics will eat their manual counterparts for lunch. You simply can’t shift as fast as an automatic. In addition to speed there is the advantage computers provide such as driver selectable shift points and the ability to “detune” the engine off the line to limit wheel spin.
Street racing has killed many innocent bystanders. So it’s a good thing that you don’t partake. Here’s a recent example from my area:
also, it gets difficult for a single-countershaft manual transmission to handle much over about 750 lb-ft of torque. that’s why you see most of these ultra-high-powered supercars have DSG/DCTs or really beefy planetary automatics.
Let me bend the collective ear for a sec: Guys please be careful and pay attention, esp where it comes to proper following distance.
Commuting in a motorcycle, I pick the fast lane and choose an appropriate speed, it halves the number of locations people can come at me by, and I’m already doing 80 in a 65 zone, so it’s not like I’m holding things up. When there’s someone behind me, I’ll get over and let them pass.
The last time I did this, there was a freight-train bearing down and I got over to the middle lane to let it pass…and by freight train I mean:
Honda (8 feet ahead of a) Hyundai (8 feet ahead of a) Tahoe (8 feet ahead of a) Toyota (8 feet ahead of an) Avalanche (8 feet ahead of another) Honda all going the better part of 85 miles an hour.
I watched this group, as a unit, barrel down the highway and off into the distance. If anything happens, the whole unit is an insurance claim. I can only hope it happens far enough in front of me that I can get out of the way. In a motorcycle, I also have to worry about the under-caffeinated zombie fleet behind me, if they don’t stop in time.
Really? You feel you owe a complete stranger an explanation?
Try this: “Good day, sir. I said good day.”
mmm
^Technically, that would work.^ Realistically, it’s not fun. First, there is the disdain for these racers (esp. the lame ones), and I like to zing them somehow.
I owe myself some satisfaction. It’s therapy.
I’m a good boy. I don’t even buy the car(s) I REALLY want because I will be tempted far too much. My car is enjoyable, but I have to avoid cars like this
Dodge Official Site – Muscle Cars & Sports Cars
… because I don’t know if I can avoid tapping all that HP/Torque. I’m salivating right now. That’s the bigger Hemi @ 392 cubic inches and a little under 500 HP. Crap… I could drive off the lot today in that thing. Hmmmm…
I need to stop. 
Meh, you get used to it.
The HARD part is this: When you hoon, do it where it harms no one else, there are no witnesses and you have a full view of the situation…then when you’re done, GET OFF THE LOUDPEDAL.
Squirt, 100 million miles an hour, stab the brakes…5 over like a little ol’ bluehair.
It’s that last part that’s hard to learn.
If your default behavior is law-abiding, then you won’t find yourself going faster and faster than you intend.
Also: Spend some time on a track…rent some time in a Kart…take a driving school with SCCA.
By doing so, you get to see what real fast is, and then learn you just can’t do it on the street. Once you spend any time driving 8/10ths on a track, you’ll find it’s physically impossible to do more than about 5/10ths on the street and man, that’s no fun.
Plus, with that kind of training under your belt, when you find there’s a situation where you DO get in trouble (ice, accident situation, emergency avoidance) you already know what it feels like and how to handle it.
FWIW, $1200 tire bills bring your hotrod tendencies under control right quick.
Tire bills won’t stop me. I do performance boating. 1200 bucks is few outings on a performance boat.
That’s the problem. I don’t look at gas prices, maintenance costs, etc. I am very lucky to be able to afford them all.
I’ve done Karts and I’ve done tracks. Nothing on the road is as intimidating as the sea, even when you are boating responsibly.
I have the ‘speed bug’. I like power. Big V8 engines… massive am’t of torque, etc. I get my urges out on the open water. No car I can drive will total 8.2 liters with an open exhaust. For now… my dough goes to boating. Jeebus… it ain’t cheap.
Then I don’t see where you’d have a problem with a Great Big Hemi…unless you have poor impulse control. 
My BFF has a Mercedes Benz SL63. He likes to put on his English driving cap, crank Sinatra and motor in a civilized manner. 'tis most difficult not to feel superior as you drive the speed limit with admiring/coveting glances caressing the bodywork of your noble steed.
When we go to dinner or whatever, he lets me drive since he knows I love that car even more than he does. With the top down, we get comments at every light, and occasionally some ricer or knucklehead in a Camaro wants to see “what that thing can do.” As an immature person with poor impulse control, I must admit I enjoy letting the ricers see the back bumper for about 8-10 seconds before slowing it down to a legal velocity.
I get fewer takers on my bikes because most folks already know what will happen.
I have it under control… but fear losing control!