Lets see front suspension stiffer upper control arm bushes, stiffer upper strut mounts and retuned dampers, while the rear suspension gets higher spring rates, retuned dampers, a larger anti-roll bar and reinforced lower control arms.
All in all they did one thing, tried to take the "GT" from the "GT", they made a car that now has very little bump and rebound compliance trying to eliminate rear end float, which was another bad trait of the FG. I'd bet my last bag of lollies that it would suffer serious crash through from anything larger than the smallest of pot holes and ruts in the road.
thats very true...but then it seems not many seem to
know much about anything except what they currently sit in....perhaps even the journos it seems.....as they didnt even come close to joining those dots....one of my main issues with this particular comparo....ahh well one day.........
People must be going bloody soft. I'll take outright performance over a bit of extra harshness anyday if buying in that segment. Sorry but I thought the GTS was meant to be the flagship "PERFORMNACE" model. Leave the senator for the Luxo sports comparisons. Fact is the R spec is the better performance car. Compare a GTS to a GT-P if you are going to weigh drivability so heavily in a comparison.
As soon as you start to compare flagship performance cars on a racetrack you've drawn the line right there on what people want these cars for and what really matters.
Would it be ok to compare a Calais to an SS in a performance test and then give it to the Calais as the overall better performance car even though its slower around a track, hell no.
It's like guys who buy super sports bikes and only cruise around on them. They're bloody idiots. But a sports tourer ffs. But at least those bikes are clear on what they are made to do. So people will never expect an R1 to be a comfortable commuter.
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Fair call but the comparison was an FPV R-spec v Chrysler 300 SRT8 and the HSV Clubsport R8, the magazine was also Wheels not performance magazine Motor and they were never actually compared on a track except for the sprint times.
The actual fact is you and others here have a very narrow minded approach to a "Performance" car. Straight line speed and big dyno numbers are f#ck all in the scheme of things, to me and obviously the general public. You do realise the biggest selling car atm is a Mazda 3?
Let me put it this way, if we put the LS3 in the FPV R-spec would the FPV still be the countries performance car benchmark that you say it is? No? why not it was only an engine?
I thought the R in R-spec stood for Race, I would think the most appropriate place to test it would be on a race track, with that in mind HSV really dont build anything comparable. Although perhaps the R is for reworked suspension since if it were a true race spec car attention would have been paid to brake cooling, power steering cooling, tyre compound and the like, stiff and less comfortable suspension would be part of that so at least it seems they got that right.
Well i'z a think we settle this a redneck style....How's a bout we's a get a snatch strap tie em to tha back of anooother and have a toootin tug o war...
Loser buys beer......![]()
I don't think the biggest selling car would be the Mazda 3 if an FPV and HSV were $30000. Wants and needs for most are very different things. I am sure most of the Mazda 3 drivers would rather be in a BMW or Merc given no financial hurdles existed.
Anything can be made better than another thing if the goals to which they are judged are set so that one has an advantage over the other. In this case, the writer took performance cars and put more emphasis on driving to work and back, around the suburbs to pick up some milk with the toddlers in the back seat. The HSV will win that comparison, it has for some time been commented as being more comfortable to drive. I think everyone was after an in depth look into these cars, and more so the R-Spec by itself to see what it was like and how it got along in all situations. Perhaps the timing meant the writer could not get decent track time, which is most likely the case.
If the measurement between this comparison was outright performance, you would think the FPV would win, it would be a sad day for Wheels magazine if it didn't. The old FPV was faster than these around a circuit already, so you can pretty much guarantee the R-Spec would be quicker again than the old car. I would also like to see the W427 up against it as it really is the only car that HSV have made that gets close. On a circuit the W427 may even be quicker, it would probably be very close. HSV don't make a car to match the outright speed of the R-Spec in a straight line or around a corner at the moment, I am sure they will lift their game when they get a new engine. That is what is holding HSv back in terms of performance, they have a great chassis and a slow engine in today's standards. Low 12 second quarter mile is where it's at from the factory in 2012. HSV make a nice car, styling is subjective, but they lack power, hence why a $45k XR6 Turbo owns it.
Last edited by BA_XR6_TURBO; 25-09-2012 at 09:15 AM.
I got rid of my VE partly because of that god damn awlful axle tramp.
What is the rear end like in these things? Any tramp?
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