Big Rizza

So, what would win? This or a Koenigsegg CCR? Both have almost identical claims for acceleration (0-100 in under 3 secs) and top speed (over 400km/h)... My money is on the Koenigsegg, despite a very slightly lower vmax - it's just so much lighter! As for Price, my prediciton is the Bugatti will be at least $2.5 million once it lands here. Given a Pagani Zonda is $1.4 million over here, and that is signifficantly cheaper than the Bugatti will be in overseas markets.

Some very interesting cars, for sure! I'd like to see what the fellas over on MBworld forums would think if they saw their beloved AMG badge on a Mitsubishi!!! What's next? A Ruf tuned datson 200B?

Mercedes and BMW have announced that their future flagship models will include a night vision system to improve visibility at night. The system is infra red based, so warm objects (such as people and animals) will theoretically be clearly visible from great distances. Links: BMW Night Vision Mercedes Night View Assist What do people think? Will it prevet crashes and save lives? Or will it be just another distraction for the driver?

Go one better and get a Quad Rotor RX7! Quad Rotor Video

I'll assume you meant Fords are shit except for the Ford GT and Escort Cosworth. Ford Escort Cosworth = not shit Ford GT = not shit Regardless of if you like Falcons or not, you cannot possibly say either of those two cars are anything except awesome. Anyone disagree?

You guys reckon APS is expensive? 300km/h and 11 second passes on street tyres for less than $9k of mods, whilst still retaining a fat low down torque band, smooth idle etc. And it's fully engineered, emissions compliant, noise compliant, etc. Plus it's drive in drive out - no messing around yourself (although sometimes that is the fun bit). Sure you can stick a T88 turbo on an RB, run a million pound boost and get more power for just as cheap, but it's less usable performance (due to lag etc) and reliability comes into question. APS seems like pretty good value to me.

I had a similar thing happen to me just a few weeks back, but thankfully the damage was minimal. The number plate took most of the imact leaving the car with just a small dent and scratches. Still pisses me off though.

It seems this has gone from attainable cars to dream cars! In that case I would be looking at a Koenigsegg CCR. 800hp in a light weight aerodynamic body. Good for 0-100 in under 3 secs and over 400 km/h. Not sure how user friendly all that performance would be, however...

If you are looking at getting an FD3S RX7, I say go for it. Any other rotary then no. If you get an FD you can be like Vin Deisel in Fast and the Furious. And everyone loves that movie. Get some neons and some ICE and run 9's. (Sorry, it's very late and my brain has turned into goo...) Actually, an FD would be sweet, but anything older and your Skyline will out handle it. So my vote is FD. Otherwise, keep the skyline.

Not sure your looking at the right cars for the "easy insurance" bit, but I bought an R32 and cannot recommend them enough. I had to settle for 3rd party insurance though. The cost of fully comprehensive insurance just isnt justified when I've spent less than $10k buying my car. I have generally found maintenance costs to be about the same as any other car. The only real increases in cost are because i use 98 octane fuel and fully synthetic oil.

Hey all, If for your next vehicle you couldn't get a Japanese vehicle, what car would you buy? Would anyone prefer the bus to a non-jap car? Personally, if I were to get a non-jap instead of my current skyline ($10k budget) I would be looking at another 1980's 6 cylinder rear wheel drive vehicle. Something like an E30 BMW 325is or an Alfa Romeo 75 Potenziata. I don't think either would be as good as the skyline though. And the Alfa Romeo would rust. But my Mum has an Alfa Romeo and I have a soft spot for them! Will definitely own one at some point in my life. Will be interesting to see the responses, particularly those with a bit more cash than me!

A lot of standing start racing comes down to the driver. XR6 driver probably didnt stall up the engine before launching. My mate drives an N/A S13 Silvia with suspension, diff and clutch mods and he has chopped a few cars off the lights with brutal launches. He was feeling pretty invincible for a while having beaten a few V8s from the lights. Then came the race with the Audi RS6... that put him back in his place.

:TEMPORARY OFF TOPIC NONSENSE: I love Lancers. And any other riced up car. They're hillarious. Examples: These cars MUST be so much faster than mine! Just look at them! Like a RACING CARS!!! Or Space SHIPS!!! With all their stickers and spoilers and paper thin rubber and cut springs and subwoofers!!! BROOM BROOM!!! Like Michael Schumacher's car cross with a Jet Fighter!!! It's so very funny... I just laugh when I see those clown cars. Okay I'm done acting like a 5 year old now Actually a friend of mine owned a 1.5 litre carby Lancer coupe with a full exhaust and extractors etc. We can look back on it and laugh at how slow it was compared to our current rides (he is an S13 man now). "OFF TOPIC NONSENSE COMPLETE:

Dunno about the R33, but my Nismo Coil Over equipped R32 GTS-T is DEFINITELY not a boat. Getting out of my dads VX Commodore (FEII suspension, supercharged V6, LSD) into my car makes the commodore feel like an ocean liner. No way in hell am i gonna try and slide that behemoth through a corner. Despite that, I can say the FEII suspension controls the body roll well, and it definitely grips tenaciously during corners. The traction control is horrible though, and you soon learn to start the car and disengage TC in one smooth motion. I wish I could turn HICAS off sometimes. Sorry guys, but not a fan... My Dads commo isnt all bad, certainly more comfortable than the skyline. The skyline's suspension is very still and feels slightly underdamped over rough roads. But the shear size of the Commodore means I could never own one myself. Come to think of it, the skyline is a little bigger than I'd like as well... I'd prefer a Lotus Exige (800kgs, 190hp) haha! Now that car can never be called a boat... Except maybe by owners of Arial Atoms (500kgs, 300hp)... And they might be called boats by motorcylists... So the skyline is not a boat, but it doesn't hold the honour as the most nimble car on the road either. I think it's the balance of power and handling that attracts most with the skyline. You can get a nimbler car, say an MX5, but you will never be as quick in a straight line as a skyline.

Cubes, I agree that an R33 is cheap to modify, but costs to modify an XR6 Turbo: APS Stage II Kit: $5650 282 rwkw 12.8 second quater mile on street tyres (auto). Motor Review: APS Stage II APS Stage III Kit: $8750 345 rwkw 11.6 second quater mile on street tyres (auto). 10.9 second quater mile on slicks (auto). Over 300km/h top speed Motor Review: APS Stage III So the XR6 can play the cheap upgrades game too! Pity it can't match the R33 for cheap purchase price! For the money I would prefer either 34 GT-T or 32 GTR. (Sorry, but 33's just don't do it for me...). The real problem for us jap car lovers will be if the HSV crew decide to shoehorn the new Z06 'Vette engine into the Commodore. They did it with the C5 ZO6 and created the 300kw HSV GTS. The new C6 Z06 comes with 500hp and 500lb-ft stock. Revs to over 7000rpm from a 7 litre V8. I'm guessing mid 12's stock for that thing if it ever happens. Oh, and as for the original questions, stock GTST vs stock XR6T will depend on the driver - the performance is too similar. Stock GTR vs stock F6 Typhoon I reckon the GTR would get the nod.

Renaultsport Clio! Surely the best value hot hatch on the market! It won Motor's Bang for Your Buck award a couple of years back if you care about such awards. 124kw isnt much, but ain't too shabby in 1000kg. 0-100km/h in a shade over 7 seconds. Plus you get 4 airbags and 1/2 leather interior. Official fuel consumption 6.8 l/100km highway, 9.0 l/100km city. Can pick up used for under $20k now. Check out M5 Board for some info on the Clio. I realise a BMW forum is a wierd place for Renault information - but its a good thread! The posted pics are worth looking at. Hmmm... if I'm not careful I might convince myself to buy one! If you are just worried about fuel consumption, the 1st generation Toyota Prius (not sold here - the first one we got was the mkII) is available under SEVS for under $20k. Less than 5 litres/100km. Alternatively check out the locally delivered Honda Insight - most fuel efficient vehicle ever sold in Australia, (a little impractical though). Although Hybrids look like they are going to be poor for resale value - particularly the Insight. If all else fails, VTEC honda civic or integra should be a bit of fun, and probably more tunable than the renault. I still would go the Renault though. Or get a scooter.

OHV all alloy V8 = better weight distrobution too, as it can be mounted further back in the engine bay (OHV and V configuration means its very compact for its capacity). There are guys on the RX7 forums retaining the 50:50 weight distrobution running LS1s instead of 1.3 rotarys.

Can someone please explain the appeal of this new attraction to soft 4x4s? This is a serious question - why do the sell so well? Can't stand any 4x4 that doesn't have offroad credentials. A serious offroader can justify the comprimise, but these Grass n Gravel 4x4s are just horrible. They cost more than regular cars. They chew fuel. They dont handle as well as cars. They often are less comfortable than cars. I can't see past them in car parks meaning i have to back out blind. They are so high that you can't see small children when manouvering in car parks / near schools (most children killed near schools are killed by 4x4s). They roll over in avoidance situations. They kill people when they hit smaller vehicles (and most vehicles are smaller than these behemoths). They often do worse than conventional cars in NCAP crash safety tests. And equivilently sized people carrier has far better fuel economy and space utilisation. A conventional wagon will often do everything a 4x4 will ever do. I genuinely cannot see why anyone would buy one. I beleive the craze took off in America, where manufacturers loved big 4x4s because they could be developed cheaply by not having to comply with "car" safety legislation. Yet many people argue safety is an attractive feature... End Rant.

For a first car, I wouldnt recommend anything that would encourage a lead foot. Whether it be a fast car like a GTST or Commodore, or a slow car that looks flash, like a Lancer Coupe, your mates are going to encourage you to do stupid shit if you've got such a car. Stupid shit that will get you into trouble. Stupid shit that will make you poor, without a car, or dead. Get some kms under your belt before getting into a quick car. Then go have fun!

Not all the 32's and 33's in this price range are bad. I bought this cheapo skyline at the start of the year and it has been pretty well problem free (touch wood), other than a flat battery when it was delivered and the A/F Ratio being a bit out of wack (fixed with a quick tune up). With prices so low how can you afford NOT to buy yourself a skyline?!?!?! Good luck to you whichever path you choose. Cheers all

It really has got to the point where a 13 second pass isn't anything to write home about. Flipping through this year's Bang for your Bucks issue of Motor magazine, no less than 6 cars ran in the 13s (HSV Clubsport, Subaru STi, Chrysler SRT6, Porsche Boxter S, Mitsubishi Evo VIII, Falcon XR8), with two others within a bees dick (HSV GTO 14.0, FPV F6 Typhoon 14.01). When there are this many stock standard vehicles running 13 second passes, it really loses it's impact. I think for sure that 12's are the new 13's. And it won't be long before 12's just aren't that special anymore. The German's are already there - the BMW M5, Mercedes E55 and Audi RS6 all run 12's stock, and they're all big heavy sedans. How long before 11's are the norm?

$16k GTS-T is unbeleivably cheap? Dude, I got my 32 GTS-T imported and on the road for under $10k. And in regards to engine choice, whilst I prefer my RB engine for it's refinement (easily more refined than my dad's 10 years newer supercharged commodore V6), an SR20 will always give the better weight distrobution (shorter and lighter), so for me I don't see the benefit in swapping it out. Plus, the SR20 will put out more power than you will ever need once modified. I also found the RB20 to be ever so slightly laggier than the SR20, stock vs. stock, although most probably woudn't notice/care.

Ah gotcha - the old V12.

You serious? Why ditch the factory twin turbos for quad turbos? Seems unnecessary, especially when people are running that engine (albiet the AMG version from the SL65) to over 700hp on MBworld forums with nothing other than an ECU retune. Hillarious watching videos of the heavy-ass mercs running low 11s with no mods other than ECU tune.

I'm in WA as well, but I can tell you that in Victoria there are rules regulating the maximum power to weight ratio a car can have for a P-plater to drive. I think the max is 125kw/tonne, but might be wrong. From what I understand it works better than the system soon to be introduced into NSW, where ALL turbos, superchargers and V8s are banned. This means slow-ass cars like the Saab 9-3 and Smart for2 are banned. But if I were on my P plates I could go out and get a 206kw Nissan 350Z, 265kw BMW M3 CSL, or a 280kw Porsche 911 GT3 because they all run naturally aspirated six cylinder engines. Great system! Glad to be in WA where I can drive a Ferrari Enzo on my P's if I want to (and I would if I had the cash). Cheers all.