How about a Porsche 914 with a 300-350 ci V8?

 

I see your 350 914 and raise you an LS7 S2000

 

I'd have to disagree to an extent. Going fast is a lot more than hitting the gas. Ever driven at a drag strip? You need to get the launch right, which requires finesse with the throttle and the clutch. And then you gotta worry about getting every shift right, shifting quick enough without busting your transmission, etc. And the car isn't moving in a straight line the entire time. In a FWD car, you'll have to worry about torque steer, in a RWD car you have to watch for the rear stepping out, etc.

I'd say being quick in a straight line is almost, if not as challenging as going around a corner quick.

 

 

That Toronado can clearly turn.

 

We used to have a saying at my old job:

How is a 300hp Supra and a 1000hp Supra the same?


They both run 13s.

 

Aside from my mustang, the Integra was the car I put the most amount of work into and could beat the absolute shit out of on the curves. And it never complained.

 

Sorry power over-handling, I don't have the confidence to take corners at high speed, so to me this is a one sided argument.

 

Launching a car perfectly is very technical, but overall in public streets at least, cornering is more fun. At least that is my opinion

 

A drag strip is different than everything else. You are correct that it takes a lot of skill and there are 100 things that you need to pay attention to inorder to not spin the wheels, break in the staging area, not hitting the wall or the guy you are running against.

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, then

On the street however, you don't need as much finesse to corner quick, which was your original point. IMO anybody can take a corner quickly on the street, as long as you stay within the limits of your car. It's just a matter of turning the wheel a certain amount. Once you break through those limits however (understeer, oversteer, what have you), that's when it takes a skilled driver to keep everything under control.

 

The thing is, it's difficult to launch a car that isn't really powerful as well. Launching a 1000hp car will be more difficult than launching a 150hp car but either way, at the drag strip a person who can launch very well will be much quicker at the end in both cars than someone who can't launch well. When you throw an automatic transmission into the equation (the clear majority of cars on the road), most of what makes launching difficult becomes a moot point.

I think the point of the conversation is would you rather have a car that you can mash the gas on the highway and be pushed firmly into the street or a car that you can dive into a tight corner and feel like your going to rip the side bolsters off your seat because the car holds the road so well.

 

^ In that case, I'd still stick with power, because IMO it's much more exploitable on a day-to-day basis, and I'd complain more about a lack of power than a lack of handling in my DD. Like I said before, with a WW/track toy, it's completely different.