The shame of stock

Aren Jay

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I was at a light, the car left to me with an older female driving was in the lane I needed to be in. The car on my right was a Japanese silver thing. I left fairly fast, fast enough to pass the lady in her slow mobile, and take the lane. The silver thing makes this loud odd noise, goes flying past me, and held about 10 feet infront of me, edging slowly away.

I wasn't really racing, I still have my snow tires on, next week the new BFG's go on, but he did beat me. So now I feel bad.

No preloading just normal pedal half way down till the silver thing shot past then I floored it.

It made the worst sound ever. It was some kind of Infinity.
 
Why is it a shame?
That may have been a g35...a coupe...A smaller, maybe modded car...No need to be ashamed of your stock MM...
 
A lot of cars go faster than a stock MM's maybe 15 second pass, nowadays. Technology has caught up. There are more than a few stock 4 cylinder cars that would totally destroy a stock MM. 15s in the 1/4 is mid priced passenger car territory in 2008. My friend has a cheapo Mazdaspeed 3. Cloth interior, no power seats, etc. It's not an expensive car. It's turbo and intercooled and I have driven it, and I nearly cacked my slacks. Totally stock, that cheap little car outright hauls. And it has a lot of low end for a 4 banger.
 
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A lot of cars go faster than a stock MM's maybe 15 second pass, nowadays. Technology has caught up. There are more than a few stock 4 cylinder cars that would totally destroy a stock MM. 15s in the 1/4 is mid priced passenger car territory in 2008. My friend has a cheapo Mazdaspeed 3. Cloth interior, no power seats, etc. It's not an expensive car. It's turbo and intercooled and I have driven it, and I nearly cacked my slacks. Totally stock, that cheap little car outright hauls. And it has a lot of low end for a 4 banger.


My boss has one also it is the mazda speed 3. That thing flat out moves. Impressive for a little car.
 
Why in Hell do you STILL have SNOW TIRES on your car?!?!?!?!

:dunno:

KillJoy
 
Come on, global warming is a political agenda not a scientific fact.

Although there is considerable political clout, I'll see you eat your words when you're up to your head in snow in winter and dry as a desert or flooded like a Monsoon in summer.
 
It is only july, summer just started and I was waiting for my new tires to arrive. Next week I change over. Then in september I will change back.

It snow in June in Calgary, mind you with all the hail we get snow tires are handy.
 
There is no doubt that times have changed when it comes to performance. I can recall in the 80's when the Mustang again eclipsed 200 horsepower, it was a big deal, as were the performance numbers of the venerable 5.0 litres of the time.

Today, such numbers do not impress nearly as much. The same can be said of our Marauders, I suppose. A horsepower rating of 302 and the accompanying performance for a 4200 .lb sedan would have at one time impressed the masses, but by the time of its release, perceptions had begun to change. Such a car released 7-10 years ealier would have no doubt gotten a much warmer reception.

Not to in any way make excuses for the Marauder, but it is, as we know, a large heavy sedan. Still though, it is no slouch for what it is. Yes, it could have been given a little more testosterone, but I do feel it was a little too harshly judged by most of the automotive media. Sure, one can judge the car based purely one the statistical performance data, but that hardly encompasses the entire measure of the car. Much of the impact, I find, is from the presence of the car. It looks badass, plain and simple. Not unlike Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. All he needs to do is give that glare and you just know. The same can be said of our cars.
 
If you're driving without at least 4.10's and a tune, you might as well be rolling a Grand Marquis...

It's like the guys I see in the GT Mustangs that are all pimped out cosmetically, but are still running stock engines....

There's no shame in the stock Marauder, but it's definitely not a "performance car" by any means....
 
If you're driving without at least 4.10's and a tune, you might as well be rolling a Grand Marquis

That's a little extreme, a stock DOHC Marauder is a whole lot faster than a stock SOHC car. They aren't even on the same page. The new CVPI does 0-60 in around 8.5 seconds and the 1/4 in the low 16's (just about the same 0-60 time as my 124 horsepower 1993 Saturn, for comparison).
 
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I would add also, that at times people get a little too engrossed in alleged 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. While it is true that a stock Marauder may not be spectacular right off the line, it does have very good mid range-top end grunt. From a roll they haul pretty good.
 
I admit it........... I like to be first off the line at the stoplight.( Probably a little too competitive. ) My car is bone stock and that might be for the best.;) In general, my car gives me the performance I need for the type of driving I do. It can keep up with just about anything I'm likely to run into on my daily commute, excelerates going uphill and handles alot better than a car this size should around corners. I feel safe and in control. I smile alot behind the wheel.:) And the guys at the Mobile station fall all over themselves to pump my gas and ask questions. Makes me feel soooo important. LOL. Never had this much fun driving.
 
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