Throwing In The Towel

Well I'm back. Here it is my Sonic Yellow 2003 Impreza WRX. It's been a long while in the making but I finally got it about a month ago. Thanks for all of your support and even though most of the new members probably dont know who I am or even care, I saw a lot of the now old members when they were first around and when they were noobs. Now for the bulk of my time I curise www.nasioc.com which I can happily say has the same family feeling the TCCA has. I must say for anyone here that thinks they want a performance sedan get a WRX or WRX STi I cannot strees how amazing these cars are. Its an amazing thing when the Carrera GT 3 gives you a thumbs up or a Ferrari 360 Spyder gives chase through a back canyon. The bull was nice but the scooby is awesome.

Thanks,
-Jamaal

360 horsepower and an insane 500 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 in 6.6 seconds, 1/4 mile in 15 seconds flat at 96.5 mph

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The WRX does 0-60 in 5.9 with a 14.3 1/4 at 93.5mph. With better stopping power, AWD, an IRS, and it's a LEV. Just thought I should say that. Needless to say I'm not a big fan of old cars.

Don't get me wrong I like Ford as well as the other domestics. That’s all my family has ever owned. Utilitarian cars for utilitarian people should be the domestic car motto. Face it America does not make awesome cars. Never have never will. We are hell bent on supporting NASCAR going in circles 500 times. Bigger has always been the domestic buzzword. We are raised on winning the race a 1/4 mile at a time. No fineness no style no grace or agility, just dead straight-line smoking tire burnout drag racing. We don't build any great road going race cars here. Nothing to rival the M cars BMW or the Type R's of Honda. Can we not have a car built by Ford that rivals the Skyline GT-R, Supra, NSX, or the Ferrari 360 Spyder. Can domestics offer up something more awe inspiring then the Viper or the tired old Corvette. The Viper has push rods for god's sake! Forced to get a real performance car we go or up the ladder in European or Japanese performance cars. Until we make a high powered canyon carver I will never buy a domestic ever.

With that out of the way...

A big thanks and :banana: to everyone. I've worked long and hard (and continue to) just to get this car. I've scraped and sacrificed but when I see it in the driveway and the looks is gets from everyone I know that is worth it. To address some of the questions; I'm still on my parents insurance and the bill just came for that and its something I was aware of and can live with($930 for the year if anyone cares to know [19 years old with no points]).

Yes I will start modding it. A good $5K will put me into the 300hp to the wheels range with an awesome suspension and upgraded brakes. Suspension first definitely though. The aftermarket is awesome for this car, though its more limited than many of you think (I know, I know, I shouldn't complain no one makes anything for the Taurus). There are only a few companies that make parts and accessories. Luckily the few companies that do make parts make awesome high quality stuff and really go out to help out the Subaru community.

Thoughts on the STi. First get it right its STi not STI or sti, only STi. But really that was a little more out of my range. I could afford it but at that point it would really make a big dent in my life and I would really be trying to support it. $700-$800 a month is a bit much for just a car and insurance. If there was a yellow STi that would have been awesome but as it is they only made this Sonic Yellow in 2003 and they only made 1500 (750 wagons, 750 sedans). Rumors are they may release a STi soon in yellow though. Really to be honest its hard going from a heavy FWD 160 hp Taurus to a Turbo 227hp AWD WRX. Its definitely been a learning experience in controlling the power. Had I just jumped into a 300hp monster I would not know if I would have been able to control it.

I think I’m done…

Thanks all,
-Jamaal

You can have one that kills all of them at once, or one at a time. It's called the Ford GT.

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Ah yes the Ford GT. I'm really amazed that I forgot about that. I will be the first to say that that is an amazing vehicle. That is the true car of cars. Fast off the line with impeccable handling and great body styling. That is definitely the pinnacle of car development. So maybe I was stretching it a bit when I said we never made any cool cars. The Ford GT does prove me wrong. For $150,000 I would expect a top notch car. Its an awe inspiring car, I don’t think anyone will or should argue that.

So does the Corvette. Both of these will eat your lunch in a heartbeat.

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Great, I know that. But can it at least do it with OHC technology. Pushrods just arn't cool. Its still old and tired. Update it a bit. FI maybe?


My point is that The bulk of American cars are big and heavy. Somewhere along the line we decided as a country that we did not want quality cars if they were too expensive. My Taurus had numerous little fit and finish problems. The hood was a little crooked, The windows always squeaked when the rolled up. Every so often the gas gauge wouldn't work, and so on. Not one of these problems in the Subaru. I've had it for 6 months and so far not one even tiny problem. I paid $10K more and I think I got my monies worth. That’s all off the point so back to the performance talk. The Taurus SHO was a great idea. Fast car but that you can load up with the family and go on a trip in. These are the cars that are lacking in this country. Cars that are made performance first but with the idea of a daily driver in mind. I can go out at 3 am and chase Porsches up and down canyons all night and maybe even get in some childish freeway and street racing in. The next day I can drive my girlfriends parents around and have them say 'What a nice car this is'. Its a true performance sedan. Of the top of my head I cant think of one American made (with an American name on it, I know almost all companies are owned by the big three anyways). If Ford made a car that could hold its own with the WRX I may have seriously considered it. There’s a reason Ford doesn’t make a Taurus SHO. You all know it, extend that to the rest of the domestic manufacturers and you will see the problem that I have in buying an American car.

-Jamaal