Yeah, and there’s also that ambulance trying to pass (been there - whoa).
So, how do Beetles run in those? They’ve got more torque low down than anything else I’ve seen on the market. I’m sort of regretting getting ready to dump mine simply because of that.
To be honest, I have never seen a Beetle run at any of our local events. I have seen a competitor in a TDI Jetta, and we have a fairly quick Golf with the 1.8 Turbo, but no Beetles. Until recently, we were mostly dominated by CSP Miatas, with a few RX-7s thrown in for good measure. Last I heard, the new Minis were absolutely killing their class (though I haven’t seen any of those compete here either!).
What peritrochoid said. I’ve heard GREAT things about the Mini’s on track. And I DID spend 3 or 4 years futzing around in Solo 2 locally with an 87 Turbo RX-7. I jumped over to Corvettes and discovered the local Mercedes club would rent out Stapleton Airport (and later Second Creek) for track days. It was about twice the cost, but you got HOURS of stick time, rather than 3 two minute runs in 9 hours.
During the motor swap on the hobbycar, I discovered dragracing over at Bandimere, it’s SURPRISEINGLY entertaining, and actually easier on the car than roadracing.
Beetles do surprisingly well. The Beetle (1.5L turbo) in my class, GS, dominates. Of course, he’s also running on Victoracers, and is a VERY good driver, but the car does very well. Not sure I’d want to run in a 2.slow, but maybe HS would be OK.
My brother’s going to run his Mini S in GS. The ones in HS rip sh*t up, though. Awesome autox car.
Yeah, the 1.8 Turbo would be the same engine. I can imagine that the Mini would eat the course alive… it’s got better specs than the Civic Si, and greater natural agility… not to mention a BMW-loved suspension. I’d love one but it’s just far too small for daily use.
I have the need to speed! Just completed Comedy Driving School last weekend. What a waste of 4 hours!! If I didn’t go to school the points on my license would probably cause my license to be suspended. I have too many points for speeding. I hate to see what my insurance premiums are going to be this year!
Isabelle, et al.:
I’m lightly suggesting (well, not so litely) that y’all get signed up for a SCCA autocross class ASAP. Get involved in racing in an OFFICIAL sanctioned manner.
a)It’ll safely let you handle your ‘need’.
b)It’ll teach you what your car can and cannot do.
c)It’ll keep you your license.
d)Once you figure out what the car will do on a track, round town speedin’ will rapidly lose it’s luster. (Especially when your new hot ride is TROUNCED by a rusty 1982 VW on a racetrack cause the driver knows how to drive.) Fast is not quick.
I grew up on a small farm and was driving almost before I got my first BMX bike. I drove minibikes and dirtbikes from the time I was 6.
Someone mentioned zenlike driving…that’s me. I’ve tried explaining my driving technique to most people and just get blanks. The windshield of the car ahead of meu is there so I can see through the windshield of the car ahead of him 
I see things way in advance. A lot of that probably has to do with my optomitrist giving me contacts that make my near-sighted eyes border on 20/10 vision. I don’t have racing training and am not a pilot but I’ve always seemed very aware of my environment (that applies to anything other than driving as well). I think it’s because I’m a hockey goalie and am used to fast-twitch reactions based on movement in my periphery. But what do I know.
I guess I knew I was a “good” driver when I was taking drivers education classes to get my license. My instructor told me that I scared her, not because I was reckless, but because I knew what I could handle and what the car could handle and didn’t mind driving within those limits. Just what a cocky 15 year old wants to hear 
I’m a little older now but just as fast, reaction wise. I just tend to flow. I can haul ass if need be. My 2 year old son spilled hot coffee on himself. I got him to the hospital before the ambulance had left the city limits. It’s amazing how fast children heal. Not a scar to be seen and the nurses credit me getting him to the hospital as a major factor in the burns not going deeper.
since I was enjoying the autocross discussions, but realized we had ever-so-slightly hijacked the thread, I started a new one.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=199409
come on over if you’re an autocross enthusiast!
gatopescado you mentioned motercycle drivers are generally much better drivers. I belive this is true not because they have been on the road longer, but that you tend to be more careful when you are wraping your body around the metal instead of the metal around your body. I normally drive a RAM 3500 4x4 truck (largest one dodge makes), but if I end up taking my brothers porche for a spin I feel much more vulnerable, and therefore I am much more caucious(yep my spelling sucks).
I treat driving as a hobby, and if I hadn’t become a professional computer geek I would have become a truck driver. I think of myself as a normal driver. I pay attention, don’t talk on a cell phone while driving, always signal, etc. However I do tend to drive a little fast, and am pickey about who I let in. If you didn’t put your turn signal on to change lanes, I’ll pretend I don’t notice you want over.
As several people stated above I have found that racing tends to make me a better driver. I started racing a while ago, and noticed that I tend to drive slower on public roads. Racing tends to get the speed bug out of me in a legal way. Before I started racing it wasn’t uncommon to see me doing 112MPH on the freeway(if there were no cars around). Now I drive the limit or 5 - 10 over.
Couple of my pet peves are speeding in residental or school zones. I always drive under the limit. Kids are too unpredictable. Not using turn signals. How much energy does it take to flip that little switch? Also people who sit in my blind spot for a long time. Either pass me or back off!
My biggest pet peve is people who are not considerate to semitrucks. Come on people they are delivering stuff so you can buy it at your favorite store. That is there job, how would you like it if I came into your office, and got in your way when ever you tried to move? One of my favorite “games” to play on my way in to work is guardian angel to a trucker. Stay behind him (at an appropriate distance). If I notice that he wants to change lanes, and nobody is letting him in I will move over, and let him in.
I’m a completely different driver on the highway than I am in town. In town, I’m a bit of a ditz–sometimes I just plain don’t notice things. Fortunately, I’m pretty good at evading those things I don’t see as soon as I do see them, but it’s still not an ideal situation. I do, however, look both ways at every intersection, even if I have (or think I have) the right of way.
On the highway, I’m completely different. I’m more focused, somehow. I go with the flow of traffic, I don’t cut people off, I don’t lane hog, I’m cautious without being too cautious, I know how to merge, I use my turn signals when I’m supposed to, and I’ve only been in a close call once, when some guy decided he wanted to merge across four lanes of traffic regardless of the fact that two of those four lanes had cars in them where he’d need to merge. I also don’t tailgate–I’m all about proper following distance. I do get a little testy when I see people being dumb, but unless I think that they’re being dangerous, I just let it roll off my back.
Unintentionally Blank is me, but I’m young and poor. My dream after college graduation is to go to racing school.
I’m what you don’t expect - the ultimate sleeper. First of all, I’m a woman. People expect me to be a bad driver. Second, I didn’t get my licence until I was almost 19. (I didn’t have a social security card or access to my birth certificate.) Third, I’m very small. I look like I should be sitting on a pillow to see over the dash. Fourth, I drive a soccer mom car.
But I am an excellent driver. My parents were blown away when I learned to drive. My high school driver’s ed teacher (mandatory six hours in the car) said I was excellent. My friends who have driven with me in the city say that I am cautious and an excellent driver.
I’ve only had one person tell me I was a bad driver. It was the guy who had run a red light into my right, front bumper.
When I start school again this fall, I won’t bring my car. I’ll be taking lessons every week.
Left to my own devices (which I’m not, which is why I don’t drive any more), I drive rapidly. I weave around obstacles, which includes vehicles moving at 2-digit MPH speeds, after checking rear view mirror and signaling.
I maneuver so as to allow the faster-moving folks behind me get by me without having to change lanes.
I try to drive in such a fashion that other drivers scarcely have to take my existence into consideration at all. I prefer that people in front of me leave me space to get by but I don’t usually get tempermental if they don’t. It’s a challenge. Find a way to get free and clear without endangering anybody or pissing anyone off.
I like to hover around 60 on residential streets and 90 on major metropolitan exchanges, and only kick it up to 115 when I’m out on the open highway. I do slow to 15 or 25 for blinking speedlimit signs, which usually pertain to schools and whatnot, since they don’t useruse them.
I slow it down when I’m on unfamiliar roads. I also slow it down significantly when it rains or snows or there’s ice on the roads.
I think American speed limits are way way short of realistic and are a boondoggle for bringing income in. I don’t think people should drive at all if they aren’t safe and responsive at speeds of 70 or above.
I dunno, I’m probably a menace nevertheless and I don’t drive any more, it’s just not worth the hassle.
Hmmm, I don’t smoke, drink, listen to music, use a phone, talk to people, put on makeup or eat when driving…Naturally, I do pretty nicely
Best driver of all, in my opinion, I think has to be this guy (no photos, nuts, not for the squeamish):
Guy with nearly severed head drives to the hospital:
http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEP20030721133653&Title=States&rLink=0
Well, you must have a pretty powerful car. I don’t think I could even get mine to 115 mph. If people drove like you do on I-81 in PA, there would be 100 times more accidents. I-81 is too dangerous to do what you do, even at night.
He’s canadian, dear. KPH. 60 mph=100 kph.
I’m not Canadian, and those were MPH. Car in question was a '65 Bonneville.
I did a lot of driving on western US highways. Here in the east there are too damn many cars to open up safely.
Wow! I had no idea there were so many great drivers out there! It’s no small wonder that they all happen to be dopers.
I am a tactical driver almost exactly like the OP. I don’t have any race experience, but I was a Pizza Hut driver for 3 years. And we did drive on the freeway, being located 1/4 mile from the #1 busiest freeway intersection in Texas. I concentrate while I’m driving on the freeway. Driving on the freeway for me is a chance to excercize my brain and reflexes. I don’t really downshift to a more relaxed style until I’m in the neighborhoods. And I am always ready for an emergency.