I have an MY93 impreza and as it is about 15 yrs old now I am concerned that it may have lost power through age. As a result I find myself measuring my cars performance against other willing cars (all within the confines of the law obviously) and then comparing 0-60 stats etc on the internet trying to take in to account the mods I have done (which should give me about 280hp if my engine is still good) all in an attempt to work out if my car is going aswell as it should.

Now I actually had a 'measuring session' with a much more worthy car than usual yesterday. A pair of bright white headlights came right up behind me on a dual carriage way so I gave it a couple of test pulls and the car stayed right up behind me, hello I thought! At the next roundabout he decided to go in the inside lane as it was clear so I pulled in behind it. It was an 07 registered BMW Z4-M. He proceeded around the roundabout with me planning to follow him but I had to let off coming out the roundabout in 2nd gear as it was understeering to much (budget tyres) and the Z4-M made quite a bit of ground on me, after which I managed to maintain the distance I was behind matching his acceleration but it was a real struggle. This happened in a similar way over the next couple of roundabouts until my std 2-pots couldn't cope anymore! On the next set of lights I pulled up next to the BMW roadster and the driver actually gave me a thumbs up (yes I know a thumbs up from a £43,000 BMW driver!)

So now do you think that I should consider my car to be putting out the power it should be in comparison or not. ie should I have been able to beat this car rather than just about managing to stay with it? My car is about 1200kg whereas the bmw is rear wheel drive with 340hp weighing in at about 1430kg. What do you lot think?

 

Yea sounds about right, he has 60bhp advantage and tranny loss is less as it's RWD. It's pretty much the same scenario for me against M3's, I have ~ 265bhp.

 

get some decent tyres is what id say.........

 

I got a set of 17's I am refurbing at the moment that will soon be wrapped in some decent rubber! I am also booked in for a live mapping session at the end of March which will make the most of the 440's I got waiting to go in, an uprated map sensor and fmic. Hoping to get to about 330/330

 

Just what I wanted to hear by the way, thank you! I have a bit of an OCD thing about my car's performance, I regularly drive a high power rear wheel drive skyline (TD06 25g) so 280 in my impreza is feeling a bit limp at the moment!

 

The skyline goes and sounds like this one:

YouTube - skyline gtst 509 bhp 460 FtLb

 

Get some decent brakes

Even the standard classic four pots are not up to much, let alone the original 2 pots

 

This is why I am putting 17" alloys on, when the car has been mapped at the end of March I am keeping it off the road while I do the next set of mods which include the all important brakes upgrade and suspension.

 

Only got the thumbs up because he was in front. Otherway round you'd of found him sulking.

 

If there is any group of drivers that hate being beaten/matched more than scooby and evo drivers It's M3 drivers in my experience!

I did have one encounter late at night on a motorway once (well, I was curious ) and you could almost feel the hate willing my classic to not be quite as quick in 5th!

I do really like M3s but could never have one now....I'd always be looking over my shoulder for that well modifed scooby!

Ns04 *runs*