WEll im my experience... light to light (on the strip) the MCS can hold its own.. against the "imports" but why would you do that on the street? I have done it...but regret it. Now I just roll my window down and say "see ya at the track" what do ya know... they NEVER show up! Its even worse on the highway! they want to see in first person the chase scene from the "Italian Job" I just wave and change lanes to get an SUV or truck inbetwwen me and them or just ignore them completely!

ITS NOT WORTH IT to street race!! for what ego? or that racing fine and/or jail?

-Josh

 

It doesn't matter what your car looks like, if your in an area with a lot of people who like to "street race" you'll get it a lot.

Even with my sunfire with sexy steel wheels wearing "high performance" 195/65R15 snow tires, i get people wanting to race me all the time when I'm in Damascus (where my parents live) or Rockville (where my brother works), but in Frederick, at least the areas I travel in, I rarely get anyone revving their engine at me.

As someone previously stated tho, ever since I started autoxing, I don't have any desire to race anyone on the street from a stoplight. However it is funny to watch them fly off the line by themselves...

 

I think that this thread is about avoiding street racing or any suggestion thereof.
Today a misguided youth in an RS-X came from waay back and slowed down next to me (as I'm happily ipodding away on my way to breakfast with my boss). When I didn't look at him or speed up to take the challenge he cut over and nailed it to reach the next red light before me. He then raced off to -- you guessed it -- reach the next red light before me (huh?) I imagine that in his mind he "won", but by the time he was congratulating himself on the "kill", I was too busy eating pancakes and sausage to care!

The only time that I even drive "sporty" is when it's just me on the road and there is a curve ahead, and even then I take it easy, concentrating on hitting the apex at the legal speed limit, in the right gear for proper acceleration or even practicing my poor heel and toe skills. No racing on the street for me -- having a great wife and a beautiful daughter will do that to you!

 

I agree this thread is about not racing on the street. I also like what Merkursport said about getting it right on the street under the right conditions. I have a wonderful left-hander going from a 4-laner to my little 2-lane side street. It's wide and open and sometimes clear of cars for 1/4mile, so I have a great view of this great corner. Can't seem to do it faster than 34mph, but I keep trying for the magical 35! All legal, all safe, all a whole bunch of fun. My wife chickens out in her Audi TT on the same turn--just can't lift the foot off the brake pedal. I'll take her to the track this year to encourage her to go easy on the brake--going easy on the other pedal doesn't seem to be a problem.

cheers,

 

i agree that it depends where you are, not what your driving that makes people want to race you.

 

Agreed this is about not street racing, I get invitations all the time, highway or stoplight, maybe it has something to do with the bogie stickers, used as a bit of humor. I have no issue seeing how quickly I can get to the speed limit, with two self imposed rules, no trie-chirp or or cars around me. I also love to make quick right and left hand turns, as long as I can see the road I'm heading on to, be warned when with passengers though, esp. if the usually drive a larger car or SUV and aren't used to so many lateral g's. There is no sense in breaking laws, nobodys perfect, but pride is not worth a ticket jail time or injuring yourself or others. CMT did a special on street racing a while back, interviewed one person who witnessed a spectator get killed, she moved to a legal venue the very next week. There is no shame in smart driving, so I recommend looking up a local autocross or drag strip or HDPE, if you want to prove yourself or your car, I think you will find many people who are very enthusastic about improving themselves and the car at these events. I also noticed when I drive my parents minivan that I had people trying to race me, or speed up if they got passed by me, I was doing the limit in moderate traffic, everybody in the slow lane started pulling out behind me, I was a 1/4 mile behind an M3 also doing the limit not a car between us. Moral being if you want to race take it to a track, maybe a little cost but a much safer and more social event and definately beats a ticket or risking harming somebody.

 

Actually the MCS has been less then other cars I've had/have. My E46 was clearly non stock looking so garnered all sorts of attention, good and bad incl. stop light racers, and the M Coupe really attracts it. Just last weekend we were just driving along in the flow of traffic on the highway in the #2 lane and this modded Integra makes its way to us, gets in the left lane next to us and guns it at WOT just to run up to the car in front of him to show us or something

 

I mess with people, but I don't race. It's funny when the big bad ricers come up next to you on 78 with their loud exhausts... I proceed to drop a gear and get ahead, then slow back down. the idiots then proceed to accelerate up to me and challenge me again. I'm like what the hell? I just smoked you back there! I'm not wasting any more gas on you. I have to admit, I have tried to horse around with an M5 and an STi, and both of those times lowered my confidence.

Chris

 

The following description is of a legal event, that wasn't percieved so by the cops.

I have the mustang in my sig. I was at a light in san jose, with a friend who never had been in it. He asked what it sounded like, and I let him know. he asked how it went, and at the green, I didn't exactly floor it (no chirp, no spin), but I d9id give it some gas.... Well, turns out the car next to me was a new mustang (same motor, more wieght) who thought it was a race. As did the cop three cars behind who drove in the lane of oncoming traffic to catch up to us.

I pulled behind the cop and followed as he chased down the other car. I may have gone 5 MPH over the speed limit. We'll, the other driver said I made him race, the cop tried to write me up for over 75 mph (the speed he went, no me), I had to get a lawyer, and $2k later, I had an "unsafe start" ticket, and a$110 fine to go with it!

It took 4 court appearences, affidavids from my passengers that I didn't spin the wheels, and a whole bunch of hassle. One cop who was babysitting me while the original officer talked to the other car said, don't sweat it, maybe a ticket and you're on your way.... Afterall, I had grey hair! (well some, at least). But the guy who pulled us over was very up on addrenilin (the other car didn't see what was happening, and may have gone well over the speed limit, forcing the cop to go pretty fast to catch him), and I got all his amped nature directed at me. I guess he didn't like it either, when he'd told me the other driver had said that I had "forced him to race", and I laughed and said "and who's foot was on his gas pedal!" Anyway, the moral of the story is even if you don't think it's a street race, others may percienve it to be. And if you don't have the $ for a lawyer, it can be long, long time before you drive again.....

such is the life of flashy or noisy cars.

I am curious what happened to the other driver. He did race, he did get busted, and I don't think he looked like he could afford the lawyer!

Matt

 

Stripes, checkered roof and mirrors, old fart at wheel; never been challenged.

 

As soon as someone hears my intake, people think oh, little girl in little mini with a little noise... lets play with her.
Same with my (much louder) miata. Both cars stayed stock on the exterior... it was nothing put a LITTLE performance, and a lot of noise that made people want to play with me.

 

I feel for you on that one. If our legal system were fair, you should have been able to recover all of your expenses from that cop. Hopefully, where you're from that is a rare occurance, but around here, it's all too common. I'm just glad that you had the resources and (more importantly) the will to fight injustice.

I tip my hat to you!

Rawhyde

 

YES! I've experienced this problem more than a handful of times in the last 3 days. I don't get it. But I refuse to be a pushover just because I got a little itty bitty car. If only I were past the break-in stage.

 

kinda off the topic but kinda on topic... its raingin out....today leaving school I was making a left hand turn at a stoplight to go home but since the road i was turning on is 4 lanes I am going into the turn with some speed but not excessive. As I turn to try and cut to the inside lane of the slow f350 infront of me I had a bit of slide... which I tapped my brakes and she pulled around into the lane I wanted... while I look over my left shoulder and there sits a cop staring me down like I just killed his pet!!! I didn't get pulled over, I wasn't doiung anythign wrong, why do I get dirty looks from cops? Oh well back on topic now!

-josh

 

Just a thought! ....Not that I'd change anything.

 

I am not a social scientist but if you want to" discourage them" look over point at them and laugh.That always "discourages them" .

 

Wait a second, cutting into a turn fast, sliding your car on a rain soaked street, almost hitting the car in front of you, all in front of a cop, and YOU are complaining about him glaring at you? You should be thanking him for not pulling out his ticket book and running up about 3 to 4 citations, all while conducting a search of you and the vehicle.

 

There just jealous that despite 3 driving schools they cant do what you did in their Intercepter.

 

Here, SUVs are the official choice of vehicle. They own the road because of drag racing, their mpg sucks more fuel (includes dually four-door 4x4 with lift kit and exhaust pipe big enough to park in) resulting in paying more tax per square foot of shadow than us.
The trick to defending a clear forward view is to never act like you're in a hurry. Just accellerate quickly to the speed limit, then put it cruise. Watch the other guy zip past to the next red light. Fun part is when you cruise by after the light turns green without touching the brakes (on a good day).
MINITOR: your car begs to be raced, it looks tough. I wouldn't be stupid enough to challenge you.
I know someone who got a WRX STi. First thing he did was remove the boy-ricer...er racer wing because of challenges from boneheads.

 

I played with a super street racer WRX yesterday, not a street race but an open highway drive from my place to another city, about 60 miles. We at no time were racing, but just playing. He would pass me, I would pass him.

At one point a pickup truck who wanted to show both of us he was the big boy on the road came up behind him and I slowed way down so he could pass. As he passed us at _00 MPH, I’m thinking… Please take my ticket. I just love those people who are so eager to run a radar block for me. It couldn’t have been more than 60 seconds later the lights come on and he gets pulled over.

The WRX and I roll down our windows and give each other a big thumbs up, roll the windows up and back to play.

The WRX definitely had me on HP. Once he kicked it as we were doing about _00 MPH, he really pulled away fast, much faster than I could at that speed. But I’m strictly stock, no pulley or anything, so I figured he could, why try.

I had him on every tight change of lanes or tight challenge. He respected that. He was set up for street racing, I’m just stock.

When I turned off at the end, he gave me a big thumbs up and continued on his way.

You can have fun on the street/road, but you have to be smart enough to know when and how much to push or not. Knowing when to back off is not being a looser, rather smart.

“Let The Idiot Get The Ticket” is my motto.

 

Yeah, that's why I wanna play with Sam...no other reason.

 

I'm with Hyde on this one, and I've had my MCS for over a year. No challenges I can think of. But I'm an old guy with lots of grey hair. And I don't make eye contact with other people at stoplights. (Have had a few people roll down their windows and ask about the car, though.)

Only "incident" I can think of wasn't really an incident at all...

A couple of months ago my wife and I were sitting at a stoplight and a new Corvette pulled up next to us. I pointed to it and said, "Hey, look - there's the new Corvette." (She hasn't had a good look at one yet.) And then I saw the fender badges and said, "Oh, sh*t - that's the new Z06!" I'm explaining to her that it's the really hot model, blah, blah, blah, when the light changes. So I get on it a little bit to try and keep up with the guy as long as we can.

I guess with all the pointing back and forth and jabbering between me and my wife and then my quick take-off, he either thought I was some idiot trying to race him, or else he just wanted to show off, but my-oh-my, at about 20 mph he got on it briefly. What a glorious car! If you haven't heard the Z06 exhaust open up, you're really missing something!

 

I have to admit that often on the highway I can be a little agressive. Not to race though, I like to taunt other drivers to speed off in front of me. That way they are cocky thinking they have "won", when in fact I have "won" because they don't realize that the game that I am playing is getting cars to speed in front of me clearing the way of cops and tickets for me.

 

I have been challenged once in earnest. It really doesn't interest me. I much prefer the sensations of driving in the turns, or at the track under braking, setting up for a turn. Raw acceleration is good too, but I'm not fooling myself that our MINI is stupid fast to begin with, even with the mods we have invested over and above the S (works, etc....) It's quick, yes, but not in the category of many cars on the road in terms of raw acceleration.

Where it excels is where I like to push the car. In the turns.

 

No fear, MINOTOR is a lover, not a fighter. Like Michael Jackson.