shrieden
11-06-2001, 02:48 AM
As I flicked through some of my old evo mags, I found one particular update on their STi IV long termer. Makes me remember why I really wanted a REAL WRX (please bear in mind, this is a British mag):
This month I haven't spent any money on my car, blown it up or crashed - probably a first. I have just been driving it. One enjoyable blast was down to Somerset, for a weekend away with the woman. Most of the journey was completed on spookily empty roads. Inevitably we would come up behind truck/caravans causing tailbacks, but with a good view ahead we swept past most with no need to change down and spoil the flow.
Just one incident: after a while we come behing a long queue with a truck at the head. Leapfrogging three cars at a time, we're soon behing a M3 that's sitting behing the truck. Hanging back slightly to get a better view, the road clears, I pause briefly to let the M3 go first, he doesn't, so I nail it in fourth and we're off. Just as I get level with him he pulls out without signal or observation and only very heavy braking avoids contact. Tara looks up from Hello (I haven't yet converted her to evo) to see what's happening and the M3 driver then notices me and gives ME the finger.
A few minutes later we come up behind another truck. The M3 hestitates. I have better positioning and go past. In my mirrors I see him do a kamakazie style overtake and as I slow for a tractor he catches me up. He follows me for a few minutes in a slightly ragged fashion until a nice damp bend when he almost loses it and drops back.
He was obviously pushing his £40k car to its limits and the STi was just ambling along. It reinforces my view that the performance and roadholding of an STi (especially with LEDA suspension) is more than a match for any sub £100k performance cars. The STi can be alarmingly fast - 0-30mph quicker than a Superlight R500 or McLaren F1. It also covers ground so quickly and calmly that Tara is oblivious to our progress and is content to read about who's porking who, rather than give me an official nag. As we arrive at the hotel she's surprised we're here so soon and eyes me suspiciously as I give the car a friendly pat.
This month I haven't spent any money on my car, blown it up or crashed - probably a first. I have just been driving it. One enjoyable blast was down to Somerset, for a weekend away with the woman. Most of the journey was completed on spookily empty roads. Inevitably we would come up behind truck/caravans causing tailbacks, but with a good view ahead we swept past most with no need to change down and spoil the flow.
Just one incident: after a while we come behing a long queue with a truck at the head. Leapfrogging three cars at a time, we're soon behing a M3 that's sitting behing the truck. Hanging back slightly to get a better view, the road clears, I pause briefly to let the M3 go first, he doesn't, so I nail it in fourth and we're off. Just as I get level with him he pulls out without signal or observation and only very heavy braking avoids contact. Tara looks up from Hello (I haven't yet converted her to evo) to see what's happening and the M3 driver then notices me and gives ME the finger.
A few minutes later we come up behind another truck. The M3 hestitates. I have better positioning and go past. In my mirrors I see him do a kamakazie style overtake and as I slow for a tractor he catches me up. He follows me for a few minutes in a slightly ragged fashion until a nice damp bend when he almost loses it and drops back.
He was obviously pushing his £40k car to its limits and the STi was just ambling along. It reinforces my view that the performance and roadholding of an STi (especially with LEDA suspension) is more than a match for any sub £100k performance cars. The STi can be alarmingly fast - 0-30mph quicker than a Superlight R500 or McLaren F1. It also covers ground so quickly and calmly that Tara is oblivious to our progress and is content to read about who's porking who, rather than give me an official nag. As we arrive at the hotel she's surprised we're here so soon and eyes me suspiciously as I give the car a friendly pat.