Lexus Test Drive - Taste of Luxury
10-30-04, 06:22 PM
#77
Pole Position
I just cam back from LEXUS TASTE OF LUXURY in Ft. Lauderdale (well Hallandale/Aventura actually) and here are my impressions.
PERFORMANCE LUXURY SEDAN COMPARO
GS430 vs. E500 vs. 545ia
This was a blast! When I got there the shortest line was for GS430 so I went there. I was really excited for seating down in the V8 Lexus other than LS. So here is the rundown.
GS430
I got into the car and it was really really quiet. AC was on max and still it was so quiet. After all these years interior still works, maybe layout is a little bit outdated I didn't like the white gauges but ergonomics are for very high grade. Everything is very accessible and easy to use. I set up the seat without any problems and turned off the AC and radio.
So I pull the car to the green flag and here we go!
First there is a straight so I floored it! WHOA holy @#@$ this car is fast! So I got a litte bit cocky, I mean if it was fast it had to handle well right? I went into first turn full throttle, everything was fine, I breaked just a little bit and as I went intto second hairpin the car leaned so bad on the side. I just knew I would not be able to pull out this turn without spining the car so I slammed on the brakes. Whoa! That was close. I lost a little bit of confidence in a car so I didn't push it for the rest of the track. I was surprised by the amount of bodyroll which was still present as I was takin turns a little bit easily. But it did have a nice comfy ride which is a plus in my book and nice light steering. I finished the course and as I slowed down could have appreciated more that comfortable ride. Anyway it was a time to step outside the car and here are my thoughts
Acceleration: Insanley fast! Had a huge rush in the stomach. The car was even faster than XLR but I will get back on that one.
Grade: 9/10
Handling:: This is where the car fails miserably. A lot of body roll simply kills any feeling of the safety. Beside that car just couldn't pull off the turns sharp. This is the field where this car feels outdated compared to others. I got really scared in second turn and didn't feel safe trough out the rest of the track.
Grade: 6/10
Ride Comfort: Smooth ride on high speeds, smooth ride on low speeds. In this segment this car delivers as it was really soft and pleasent.
Grade: 9/10
Interior Experience: Quite possibly the second best thing about this car in my oppinion. Materials are high quality and ergonomics are just right. Easy to set up a seat, AC and Nav. This cabin stood the test of time.
Grade: 8/10
E500
I used to own few MBs so I knew what to expect. The feeling of excitement was gone but hey I still enjoyed it.
I get into black E500. The interior is smooth, quality and ergonomic. It was also very quiet. Max AC was just a little bit more noisier than GS but that is not the minus. I set the seat with no problems, shut the AC and set the car on Sports 2 mode and here we go. I didn't use manual shifting I opted for full auto.
I floor it! And it was quick! Pressed the break pedal a little bit which was probably too much for the car as I heard tires squealin' as I alsmost stopped. AWESOME BREAKS! But the first suprise hit me when I made first turn .. The steering is afully heavy! That just ruined the whole experience! I felt like I was weight lifthing as I went into curves. The body role was almost minimal. E500 tries really hard to cut the curves like a sports car and it almost does but deep insinde it is the straight liner just like GS. I didn't have problems going into turns but I really couldn't push the car far as it felt like I was limited by something or maybe the ride is so plushy that you just don't feel it. I don't know I couldn't figure out that one. The slow speed ride was the dream. You barely couldn't feel anything or hear. This car left me thinking about that heavy steering and that easily alone could be the reason why I would never consider to own this car. Anyway It was a time to go to the next car and here is the sum up of E500
Acceleration: Really quick, not fast but really quick! Rush in the stomach was a little bit shorter than in GS case but I could feel it. Awesome breaks are maybe even better rush factor than accl. itself on this car.
Grade: 8/10
Handling: Heavy stearing ruined totally for me. Big big minus in my oppinion. But other than that car itself didn't have a problem with body roll and cut the curves ok. It felt kind of safe but also kind of neutural and limited.
Grade: 7/10
Ride Comfort: Nice and soft. Even though I didn't even drive the car on comfort mode at all. Air suspention adds a lot I guess. Comfort ride is not the surprise in MB car like E class.
Grade: 9/10
Interior Experience: When you seat inside you can say right away that this is 2004 car. Layout is modern and functional. Everything is easy to reach and operate. It is also very quiet.
Grade: 9/10
545ia
Ah, the infamous one was next! I heard so many praises about this car and I went inside of it with big expectations. Ok here is the thing that frustrated me the most on the whole event. It was the freakin interior of this car. To set up a seat it took me five times more time than in any other car (except the Jag in which I couldn't even find the power seat switches). There were way too many switches on the side of the seat. Finally as I somehow managed to set up a seat and I was looking for the lumbar button I somehow pressed the memory switch which is also on the side of the seat and whole seat went back to default position. Oh god... Here we go again! Other thing, AC on max was sooo LOUD! It irritated the #$^% out of me. I couldn't even figure out how to lower the fans at first try cause I coudn't see the big fan icon which is on the other side of the dial that you can't see from drivers side and small fan icon is so small that you miss it easily. After all that I didn't even have the time to play with the I-Drive cause I had to go.
The straight almost beged me to push the 545 and of course I did. Outstandingly FAST CAR! Neverending power of floored throttle just kept comin. I had to apply the brakes cause I almost run out of the straight road. I took the first turn hard and took the second turn ha... WHOAA *(@#!!! BMW stability control kicked in for some reason and I felt car rear wheels braking by itself and car was sliding away with some tire sqeallin. What was that almighty 5series? Intrestingly enough while that happend there was minimal bodyroll and it didn't look that scary but I think the car slided more than GS. Beside that incident car felt very stiff, sharp and precise. It is the most precise out of all three and I liked that. It felt really safe as I ate those curves with no body roll at all. The car itself was very rough! Comfort was ok but lesser than other too. It was also very noisey even on lower speeds. Well now that adventure ended...
Acceleration: FAST!!! Great amount of power! It just keeps goin and going and goin... This car delievers as fast as GS
Grade: 9/10
Handling: Beside the incident car felt sharp and precise with no bodyroll. I felt very confident in it even during the slide unlike in GS case where I got really scared.
Grade: 9/10
Ride Comfort: Nah, this is a rough sports car with four doors. It lacks refined comfort for sure but you can live with it as it is.
Grade: 8/10
Interior Experience: It is sooo complicated and I didn't even touch the I-Drive. It is noisy, AC is noisy, ergonomics are non-existant and it doesn't do nothin to help out the driver. Definately the biggest flaw of the car. It also got the lowest grade of the all cars tested.
Grade: 6/10
I really enjoyed the sedan round up. It had few surpises like GS insane acceleration, MB heavy steering and BMW feeling of confidence.
PERFORMANCE LUXURY COUPES COMPARO
This one was the most inriguing one. A lot of suprises and a lot of letdowns. First one on the track ******%$&ing XLR.
XLR
Whoa! I was so exicted to test drive this one. Even the line was the longest for it. After all this car is the Corvette under the metal.
So, I get in and maybe I look like million bucks to others watching me but I didn't feel like that. Cheap plastic kind of threw me off but I expected it. A lot of buttons also threw me off but that is the aftermath of bad ergonomics. Bvlgari gauges are just the gimmick so that didn't impress me but one thing that did was the HUD. Yes! Everything is forgiven now. Now I know I am seating in a sports car. I set up the seat without the problems and shut off the AC which wasn't noisy at all. I put the car in D on manual mode of course, this is a sports car. Ok here we go!
Slam on the pedal and ... Hmmm this doesn't feel like a Corvette. Where did the rush in my stomach go? Ok once again I expected too much and got disappointed. I mean it was quick but nothing like 545 or GS. But what exceeded my expectations was handling. This was the best handler so far but you could feel that rough sportiness it had in itself. Turns were not the problem, actually even the infamous second haripin wasn't a problem. There was some body roll but I felt safe all the time. I finished the course really fast. I enjoyed it but car didn't live up to a hype. So when I finally got out of it after some time spent looking for the door switch the desire known as XLR in me faded. I guess I expected too much.
Acceleration: Quick but not as quick it "should" be. Definetely this car is not the Corvette when it comes to acceleration. It feels significantly slower than GS or SC
Grade: 8/10
Handling: Great sports handling. Corvette shows in this section. Great great stiff handling
Grade: 9/10
Ride Comfort: It's a sports car. It's rough. There is very little of comfort but you could drive it easy everyday
Grade: 7/10
Interior Experience: Ouch. Refinment is not present. Ergonomics are trying really hard but there are no results. But the biggest flaws are the materials and fit and finish. The best thing about it: HUD
Grade: 7/10
SC430
Now here comes the car that I never test drove but I set in before.
As I seat down the interior gets me excited. Actually everytime I seat in that car the interior gets me excited. The refinment, the choice of materials, the sliding covers everything is there. You can't even hear the AC at max. Seats are the most comfortable seat I have set in today and seting up the seat and steering wheel is a piece of cake. I shut down the Nav and AC and radio. Claps go down! I get excited once again. As I pull over to the green flag the cars ride like a dream. But what will happen when the green flag goes down? I heard a lot of stories how this car is a blvd cruiser and nothing more. Actually I hear all the time, in mags, forums and other sources. And do you know what I say to all of that after today? BULL&*^#$!!!!!!!
As the green flag goes down I slam the pedal. It is freaking FAAASST!!!! V8 roars again! But the surpirse waits at the first and second corner. I pulled it off without any problems with minimal body roll and ..CHECK THIS OUT... ride still felt very comfortable and soft. This is the car that gave the biggest confidence boost. I raped this car by the end of the track. I felt safe all the time, I had confidence and car didn't do anything I didn't tell it to do. I was so sure in this car I just couldn't stop pushing it. And it always listend to me. It handled just like XLR but instead of rough sport handling it had nice soft handling. Car was so comfortable and rode so nice at high speeds going trough the corners. One kind of a feeling!!!
After the ride was over, just like a little kid I wanted to do it again!
Acceleration: One hell of a 0-60 ride!
Grade: 9/10
Handling: Handling like no other. Handles as good as XLR but with comfort. No rough business here. Goin straight or going trough tight curves this car rides soft like a real luxury car with minimal body roll. The car I had most confidence in at the whole event.
Grade: 9/10
Ride Comfort: This is luxury car and it sure rides like one. Most enjoyable ride
Grade: 9/10
Interior Experience: Ok we are not going to argue about this one. This is the best interioir found in one mass production car in the world. It is probably the only car that gets me excited from inside more than from outside. Ergonomics are prefect. Quality of materials are first class. It is quiet. Everything works like a swiss watch here
Grade: 10/10
XK8
Okay this was the last one. And because one of them broke down in the middle of event there was only one left and waiting was very long.
Finally the car came into my hands. First thing that got into my head was: "Where in the hell are the seat controls here" Actually hours ago there was one guy driving the Jag and yelling to his friend how does he adjust the seat I was thinking to myself whata fool but in the end he found the controls and I didn't. Interior was outdated. Layout was outdated, ergonomics were like in a car made in late 80s. To tell you the truth it felt like crap. But I didn't expect the much out of Jag. At least AC was quiet.
So here I go after the green flag. Slow speed ride is nice. Plushy no doubt about that. As I put the pedal to the medal.. Medal just got away from me. Acceleration was not smooth at all. There was some power cut off at higher revs and I really didn't know what is going on. Even though it was the only 6 speed out of three it was the slowest. I didn't manu-shift so maybe that was the problem but most of the people drive this car in auto mode. What happened at the first turn was a lot of body roll. Suddenly feeling of GS going crazy came back. So I decide not to push the car that much. Still body roll is there, accel. cuts off when I floor it and I really wanted this to end soon.
It wasn't the best way to end the event but here is the rundown on Jag
Acceleration: Even beside 6speed auto some weird cut offs in straight line accel. show up at high revs. Quick cur none of the less but the slowest one I tested today!
Grade: 7/10
Handling: A lot of body roll. Not as much as in GS but it still doesn't wake up the desire to push it hard. It better be off cruising
Grade: 7/10
Ride Comfort: This is the high of this car. It rides like a dream! Very very nice ride.
Grade: 9/10
Interior Experience: Hmm. It just feel so old. One example of the interior that didn't stand the test of time. Very unfuctional and very cheap looking and cheap on touch. Not reifned enough.
Grade: 6/10
Coupe comparo left me with adrenalin, mainly because of SC430 whihc was the hands down the best car that I tested on the event. Also a little bit of letdowns in this comparo but all the cars pretty much delievered.
So that's it! I didn't do any other test drives. I really enjoyed the event and I would come back again. I hope you enjoyed the review.
PERFORMANCE LUXURY SEDAN COMPARO
GS430 vs. E500 vs. 545ia
This was a blast! When I got there the shortest line was for GS430 so I went there. I was really excited for seating down in the V8 Lexus other than LS. So here is the rundown.
GS430
I got into the car and it was really really quiet. AC was on max and still it was so quiet. After all these years interior still works, maybe layout is a little bit outdated I didn't like the white gauges but ergonomics are for very high grade. Everything is very accessible and easy to use. I set up the seat without any problems and turned off the AC and radio.
So I pull the car to the green flag and here we go!
First there is a straight so I floored it! WHOA holy @#@$ this car is fast! So I got a litte bit cocky, I mean if it was fast it had to handle well right? I went into first turn full throttle, everything was fine, I breaked just a little bit and as I went intto second hairpin the car leaned so bad on the side. I just knew I would not be able to pull out this turn without spining the car so I slammed on the brakes. Whoa! That was close. I lost a little bit of confidence in a car so I didn't push it for the rest of the track. I was surprised by the amount of bodyroll which was still present as I was takin turns a little bit easily. But it did have a nice comfy ride which is a plus in my book and nice light steering. I finished the course and as I slowed down could have appreciated more that comfortable ride. Anyway it was a time to step outside the car and here are my thoughts
Acceleration: Insanley fast! Had a huge rush in the stomach. The car was even faster than XLR but I will get back on that one.
Grade: 9/10
Handling:: This is where the car fails miserably. A lot of body roll simply kills any feeling of the safety. Beside that car just couldn't pull off the turns sharp. This is the field where this car feels outdated compared to others. I got really scared in second turn and didn't feel safe trough out the rest of the track.
Grade: 6/10
Ride Comfort: Smooth ride on high speeds, smooth ride on low speeds. In this segment this car delivers as it was really soft and pleasent.
Grade: 9/10
Interior Experience: Quite possibly the second best thing about this car in my oppinion. Materials are high quality and ergonomics are just right. Easy to set up a seat, AC and Nav. This cabin stood the test of time.
Grade: 8/10
E500
I used to own few MBs so I knew what to expect. The feeling of excitement was gone but hey I still enjoyed it.
I get into black E500. The interior is smooth, quality and ergonomic. It was also very quiet. Max AC was just a little bit more noisier than GS but that is not the minus. I set the seat with no problems, shut the AC and set the car on Sports 2 mode and here we go. I didn't use manual shifting I opted for full auto.
I floor it! And it was quick! Pressed the break pedal a little bit which was probably too much for the car as I heard tires squealin' as I alsmost stopped. AWESOME BREAKS! But the first suprise hit me when I made first turn .. The steering is afully heavy! That just ruined the whole experience! I felt like I was weight lifthing as I went into curves. The body role was almost minimal. E500 tries really hard to cut the curves like a sports car and it almost does but deep insinde it is the straight liner just like GS. I didn't have problems going into turns but I really couldn't push the car far as it felt like I was limited by something or maybe the ride is so plushy that you just don't feel it. I don't know I couldn't figure out that one. The slow speed ride was the dream. You barely couldn't feel anything or hear. This car left me thinking about that heavy steering and that easily alone could be the reason why I would never consider to own this car. Anyway It was a time to go to the next car and here is the sum up of E500
Acceleration: Really quick, not fast but really quick! Rush in the stomach was a little bit shorter than in GS case but I could feel it. Awesome breaks are maybe even better rush factor than accl. itself on this car.
Grade: 8/10
Handling: Heavy stearing ruined totally for me. Big big minus in my oppinion. But other than that car itself didn't have a problem with body roll and cut the curves ok. It felt kind of safe but also kind of neutural and limited.
Grade: 7/10
Ride Comfort: Nice and soft. Even though I didn't even drive the car on comfort mode at all. Air suspention adds a lot I guess. Comfort ride is not the surprise in MB car like E class.
Grade: 9/10
Interior Experience: When you seat inside you can say right away that this is 2004 car. Layout is modern and functional. Everything is easy to reach and operate. It is also very quiet.
Grade: 9/10
545ia
Ah, the infamous one was next! I heard so many praises about this car and I went inside of it with big expectations. Ok here is the thing that frustrated me the most on the whole event. It was the freakin interior of this car. To set up a seat it took me five times more time than in any other car (except the Jag in which I couldn't even find the power seat switches). There were way too many switches on the side of the seat. Finally as I somehow managed to set up a seat and I was looking for the lumbar button I somehow pressed the memory switch which is also on the side of the seat and whole seat went back to default position. Oh god... Here we go again! Other thing, AC on max was sooo LOUD! It irritated the #$^% out of me. I couldn't even figure out how to lower the fans at first try cause I coudn't see the big fan icon which is on the other side of the dial that you can't see from drivers side and small fan icon is so small that you miss it easily. After all that I didn't even have the time to play with the I-Drive cause I had to go.
The straight almost beged me to push the 545 and of course I did. Outstandingly FAST CAR! Neverending power of floored throttle just kept comin. I had to apply the brakes cause I almost run out of the straight road. I took the first turn hard and took the second turn ha... WHOAA *(@#!!! BMW stability control kicked in for some reason and I felt car rear wheels braking by itself and car was sliding away with some tire sqeallin. What was that almighty 5series? Intrestingly enough while that happend there was minimal bodyroll and it didn't look that scary but I think the car slided more than GS. Beside that incident car felt very stiff, sharp and precise. It is the most precise out of all three and I liked that. It felt really safe as I ate those curves with no body roll at all. The car itself was very rough! Comfort was ok but lesser than other too. It was also very noisey even on lower speeds. Well now that adventure ended...
Acceleration: FAST!!! Great amount of power! It just keeps goin and going and goin... This car delievers as fast as GS
Grade: 9/10
Handling: Beside the incident car felt sharp and precise with no bodyroll. I felt very confident in it even during the slide unlike in GS case where I got really scared.
Grade: 9/10
Ride Comfort: Nah, this is a rough sports car with four doors. It lacks refined comfort for sure but you can live with it as it is.
Grade: 8/10
Interior Experience: It is sooo complicated and I didn't even touch the I-Drive. It is noisy, AC is noisy, ergonomics are non-existant and it doesn't do nothin to help out the driver. Definately the biggest flaw of the car. It also got the lowest grade of the all cars tested.
Grade: 6/10
I really enjoyed the sedan round up. It had few surpises like GS insane acceleration, MB heavy steering and BMW feeling of confidence.
PERFORMANCE LUXURY COUPES COMPARO
This one was the most inriguing one. A lot of suprises and a lot of letdowns. First one on the track ******%$&ing XLR.
XLR
Whoa! I was so exicted to test drive this one. Even the line was the longest for it. After all this car is the Corvette under the metal.
So, I get in and maybe I look like million bucks to others watching me but I didn't feel like that. Cheap plastic kind of threw me off but I expected it. A lot of buttons also threw me off but that is the aftermath of bad ergonomics. Bvlgari gauges are just the gimmick so that didn't impress me but one thing that did was the HUD. Yes! Everything is forgiven now. Now I know I am seating in a sports car. I set up the seat without the problems and shut off the AC which wasn't noisy at all. I put the car in D on manual mode of course, this is a sports car. Ok here we go!
Slam on the pedal and ... Hmmm this doesn't feel like a Corvette. Where did the rush in my stomach go? Ok once again I expected too much and got disappointed. I mean it was quick but nothing like 545 or GS. But what exceeded my expectations was handling. This was the best handler so far but you could feel that rough sportiness it had in itself. Turns were not the problem, actually even the infamous second haripin wasn't a problem. There was some body roll but I felt safe all the time. I finished the course really fast. I enjoyed it but car didn't live up to a hype. So when I finally got out of it after some time spent looking for the door switch the desire known as XLR in me faded. I guess I expected too much.
Acceleration: Quick but not as quick it "should" be. Definetely this car is not the Corvette when it comes to acceleration. It feels significantly slower than GS or SC
Grade: 8/10
Handling: Great sports handling. Corvette shows in this section. Great great stiff handling
Grade: 9/10
Ride Comfort: It's a sports car. It's rough. There is very little of comfort but you could drive it easy everyday
Grade: 7/10
Interior Experience: Ouch. Refinment is not present. Ergonomics are trying really hard but there are no results. But the biggest flaws are the materials and fit and finish. The best thing about it: HUD
Grade: 7/10
SC430
Now here comes the car that I never test drove but I set in before.
As I seat down the interior gets me excited. Actually everytime I seat in that car the interior gets me excited. The refinment, the choice of materials, the sliding covers everything is there. You can't even hear the AC at max. Seats are the most comfortable seat I have set in today and seting up the seat and steering wheel is a piece of cake. I shut down the Nav and AC and radio. Claps go down! I get excited once again. As I pull over to the green flag the cars ride like a dream. But what will happen when the green flag goes down? I heard a lot of stories how this car is a blvd cruiser and nothing more. Actually I hear all the time, in mags, forums and other sources. And do you know what I say to all of that after today? BULL&*^#$!!!!!!!
As the green flag goes down I slam the pedal. It is freaking FAAASST!!!! V8 roars again! But the surpirse waits at the first and second corner. I pulled it off without any problems with minimal body roll and ..CHECK THIS OUT... ride still felt very comfortable and soft. This is the car that gave the biggest confidence boost. I raped this car by the end of the track. I felt safe all the time, I had confidence and car didn't do anything I didn't tell it to do. I was so sure in this car I just couldn't stop pushing it. And it always listend to me. It handled just like XLR but instead of rough sport handling it had nice soft handling. Car was so comfortable and rode so nice at high speeds going trough the corners. One kind of a feeling!!!
After the ride was over, just like a little kid I wanted to do it again!
Acceleration: One hell of a 0-60 ride!
Grade: 9/10
Handling: Handling like no other. Handles as good as XLR but with comfort. No rough business here. Goin straight or going trough tight curves this car rides soft like a real luxury car with minimal body roll. The car I had most confidence in at the whole event.
Grade: 9/10
Ride Comfort: This is luxury car and it sure rides like one. Most enjoyable ride
Grade: 9/10
Interior Experience: Ok we are not going to argue about this one. This is the best interioir found in one mass production car in the world. It is probably the only car that gets me excited from inside more than from outside. Ergonomics are prefect. Quality of materials are first class. It is quiet. Everything works like a swiss watch here
Grade: 10/10
XK8
Okay this was the last one. And because one of them broke down in the middle of event there was only one left and waiting was very long.
Finally the car came into my hands. First thing that got into my head was: "Where in the hell are the seat controls here" Actually hours ago there was one guy driving the Jag and yelling to his friend how does he adjust the seat I was thinking to myself whata fool but in the end he found the controls and I didn't. Interior was outdated. Layout was outdated, ergonomics were like in a car made in late 80s. To tell you the truth it felt like crap. But I didn't expect the much out of Jag. At least AC was quiet.
So here I go after the green flag. Slow speed ride is nice. Plushy no doubt about that. As I put the pedal to the medal.. Medal just got away from me. Acceleration was not smooth at all. There was some power cut off at higher revs and I really didn't know what is going on. Even though it was the only 6 speed out of three it was the slowest. I didn't manu-shift so maybe that was the problem but most of the people drive this car in auto mode. What happened at the first turn was a lot of body roll. Suddenly feeling of GS going crazy came back. So I decide not to push the car that much. Still body roll is there, accel. cuts off when I floor it and I really wanted this to end soon.
It wasn't the best way to end the event but here is the rundown on Jag
Acceleration: Even beside 6speed auto some weird cut offs in straight line accel. show up at high revs. Quick cur none of the less but the slowest one I tested today!
Grade: 7/10
Handling: A lot of body roll. Not as much as in GS but it still doesn't wake up the desire to push it hard. It better be off cruising
Grade: 7/10
Ride Comfort: This is the high of this car. It rides like a dream! Very very nice ride.
Grade: 9/10
Interior Experience: Hmm. It just feel so old. One example of the interior that didn't stand the test of time. Very unfuctional and very cheap looking and cheap on touch. Not reifned enough.
Grade: 6/10
Coupe comparo left me with adrenalin, mainly because of SC430 whihc was the hands down the best car that I tested on the event. Also a little bit of letdowns in this comparo but all the cars pretty much delievered.
So that's it! I didn't do any other test drives. I really enjoyed the event and I would come back again. I hope you enjoyed the review.
Last edited by Vladi; 10-30-04 at 06:25 PM.
10-31-04, 02:29 PM
#78
Great review! I pretty much agree with everything you said...I think our reviews were a lot alike. The biggest surprise of the day for me was the SC430 as well. All we read about is what a boat the car is and that it gets panicky in fast corners, it's no fun, ect. and I was truly surprised when I got to ring it out. It's fast and actually sounds pretty damn good while accelerating. It's no Mustang GT, but you can certainly tell that there's a V8 under the hood. The one thing I did notice about the SC was that you don't notice the exhaust when you're in the car, but when you're behind one at full throttle...it's much different and throws out a pretty throaty growl.
Around the corners, I didn't think it was quite as agile as the XLR, but the SC was much smoother and more pleasant to drive. It never felt quite as raw as the XLR, which is something I like. IMO, it made the XK8 look like a lincoln when the twisties came though.
In conclusion, the SC430 deserves a lot more credit than it gets when it comes to performance!
-Michael-
Around the corners, I didn't think it was quite as agile as the XLR, but the SC was much smoother and more pleasant to drive. It never felt quite as raw as the XLR, which is something I like. IMO, it made the XK8 look like a lincoln when the twisties came though.
In conclusion, the SC430 deserves a lot more credit than it gets when it comes to performance!
-Michael-
11-17-04, 12:34 PM
#81
Pole Position
Vladi nice write-up!
CEO
CEO
11-17-04, 08:36 PM
#82
Originally posted by 1SICKLEX
This weekend in Dallas is the last one. What a succesful event and glad so many members took advantage of it. This sticky will come down after any Dallas write-ups.
This weekend in Dallas is the last one. What a succesful event and glad so many members took advantage of it. This sticky will come down after any Dallas write-ups.
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