MRGTX

So my daily driver- (the indestructable and failthful 1997 Mazda Miata with 200k miles) is in the shop getting some urgently needed brake maintainence that I'm too lazy to do in my driveway... and I was forced to drive the 2011 GT today, a couple weeks earlier than I would have liked due to the unpredictable late winter weather here in CT.

So a couple miles before my office building on my morning commute, there is a stop light with two lanes that becomes one lane a few hundred yards down the road on the other side of the intersection where the right lane ends. I was in the left lane waiting at the light when a 2004ish WRX wagon (yes, wagon) pulls up next to me and I thought... "here we go."

I'm no street racer but I will put my foot in it, when required, to avoid being cut off... I knew this was going to be a problem today though...

Light turns green, we both take off, WRX pulls away, as predicted. :O

Did I mention that it was pouring rain and there was standing water all over the place? Yeah, he had the upper hand. It's tough to compete with AWD in the rain. I was spinning the tires almost instantly.

Perhaps a better driver (or someone who hadn't been merely looking at his new car in the garage for the past four months) could have modulated the throttle enough to grab some traction and beat him but I sure couldn't.

Do any of you guys pride yourself in maximizing traction in wet conditions? What are your tricks? I usually just rely on a light throttle foot and gentle clutch engagement but the Pirellis just seem to lose traction instantly.

Double-EDad

In wet conditions I just take it easy and let the zit-faced Rex drivers act out their Rallisport Challenge fantasies. My V8 still sounds cooler. Don't even try to engage.

I've driven a couple of WRXs and they're not very fast stock, but are easily modified to within an inch of their lives. Great-handling tho. Unrefined and noisey going down the road in my opinion. I might have bought one a car or two ago, but my wife hated them so that was that.

LLZuB

ya don't even bother in wet conditions, you'll most likely get spanked since they can go full throttle and take off, while your still easing into it

I wouldn't be surprised if it were an STI swap aswell which a lot of wagons are since they are sleepers...I had a buddy with a wagon with a full STI swap, and it was ridiculous

A tune, downpipe, up-pipe help those wrx's fly as well....but in dry weather it wouldn't even be a problem for a stock mustang either way... don't feel too bad, you lost on his terrain...hope you run into him again in dry weather..and put him in his place

Glenn

What he said I usally don't giver to much gas in the rain either, but I'll make them think I'm going to race them lol

stangfoeva

Why would you try this in the rain? Why??

You should have just let him have the lane lol

Overboost

A friend of mine has a '02 WRX pushing about 625awhp. That car makes ours feel like a Camry. That's what $20k in the motor does for ya. They have tons of potential for mods, but also have their share of problems. Boxer engines aren't as responsive to mods as the standard I4, like the 4G63 in the Evo. They do, however, make a much sexier sound with the right exhaust.

I wouldn't worry about it. On a dry road, it's a whole new ball game, unless he's dumped some SERIOUS cash in his like my friends.

revenge

cold rain summer tires yeah not really good conditions to try and race. FAIL

Timeless

You're only hope is traction control in that situation.

OAC_Sparky

My 4WD FX4 Ranger can give a Mustang a go in this weather.

There's some things that 4x4s and AWDs excel in. Sucks but it's the truth.

MRGTX

Ouch! Nice way to get acquainted with your fellow Mustang owners! FAIL.
Oh, just kiddin. You're right of course.

Obvioulsy, this wasn't a drag race, nor did I have any hopes of pulling out ahead of this guy. I just did the best I could to see if I could at least defend my lane which was simply not possible (at least not with me at the helm). He would have beaten me no matter how hard I tried.

Good input all around...
I agree that stock WRXs aren't anything special...at least not in this era. The current STi in't even that impressive in stock form. Just take a look at the Car and Driver Lightning Lap for 2011- all three Mustangs beat it...not a great showing for a car that should be at home on a road course. The handling is predictable and the limits are relatively high but they understeer in a very non-sporty way when pushed hard.

But like almost any turbo car, add bigger injectors, upgrade the intercooler and turn up the boost and you have some serious power on tap even if you don't need it to embarass 400hp Mustangs in the rain.

MRGTX

Ah yes.. here's the Lightning Lap data... It was etremely close between the GT and the STi... but the point stands. The hot new V6 did reeaally well.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...to_2011_page_8

dennis

It's times like this that I'm glad I live in the desert Southwest. We get a little over 2 inches of rain a YEAR . . . and I drive my 4X4 pickup when it's wet and do the same thing to other people that that WRX did to you.

However, I must say your strategy was all wrong. You've heard the expression that a trial lawyer should never ask a witness a question that the lawyer doesn't know the answer to? Well, when street racing, I say you gamble foolishly and risk ignominy when you don't KNOW the outcome.

IF my May 1 purchase is a Shelby GT 500, as I think it will be, if I ever pull up next to a WRX or a Evo or a Civic with a wing and chrome coffee can for a muffler . . . my strategy is going to be: They don't exist. It's kind of like being the driver of a Corvette. Did you ever see a Corvette in a street race? No. Generally, they're driven by 55+ guys who are fairly certain that they're driving the fastest car on the planet. Maybe they look over at you and wrinkle their lip, or wind their tinted window up so they don't have the unpleasantness of looking at you. In NO circumstances are they going to rip away when the light turns green.

Your best strategy, if you don't KNOW for sure, is to let him scream away at the light while you, with your much superior vehicle, are amused, perhaps even insulted, by the fact that the idiot would try to tempt you into a race he couldn't possibly win. He'll never know. Neither will you, but it's better than losing. Plus, he'll feel like a moron.

MRGTX

Extremely well put.

blkside

You know I have never been a fan of Car and Driver or Road and Tracks numbers cause there is some biased BS going on here.

A porsche boxster spyder is faster than the 5.0 , Evo and a lotus elise... yeah lets get real.
Im an Evo owner and its funny that the cayman has been rated against the Evo X since inception and have been within .1 - .3 seconds in comparisons going either way but in here were talking 6-9 seconds because it doesnt tell which evo is which....

I love the fun factor aspect in the mag too... Genesis beats out mustang and camaro v6 in almost all categories but comes in last due to drivers preference..

MustangTiffi

I don't even have a build date yet and I'm already getting challenged to races I know I can't win with a stock V6 (see: sport bike). I'll let them have their fun. At least we all look good when we're losing.

blkside

Oh you can run down sport bikes.. 600 and 750s for sure.. you just have to know what you are willing to spend on mods...

MRGTX

Good points... but in this case, C&D is pretty rigorous about making this as objective as possible. I think the Lightning Lap segment is one of the best things they have ever done...but yes, the straight up comparisons often suffer from overemphasis on subjectivity which is eye-roll inducing.

BTW, there is a hot version of the Boxter out now though the details escape me, I believe it's significantly faster than the regular old "S"...and who the hell would ever cross shop the Cayman and the Evo X? I'd say that it's even less likely than cross shopping a Mustang GT and an STi.

EDIT: it is the Boxter Spyder that I was thinking of. It's like 150lbs lighter than a Boxter S, upgraded suspension bits and has some extra horse pressure too.

Ministang

I maximize my traction in wet conditions by driving my Subaru I usually leave my Miata and Mustang parked when it rains, and definitely when there is snow, ice, slush, or salt on the roads.

MustangTiffi

Therein lies the crux. I'm not going to do any mods to it for a while for a couple of reasons (warranty, funds, etc.).

slidejob

This reminds me of back in the day, 1970. I'm riding shotgun in my buddies modified mini cooper s. Pouring rain at a stop light. New Mach pulls up next to us & my bud says he is going to kick ***, I said BS. It was ugly for the stang!