Wasn't it just yesterday that sport compacts were nothing more than four-cylinder econo-boxes with bigger wheels, louder exhausts and questionable plastic appendages? The niche has come a long way since Hammer pants were acceptable club wear, but recent history has been particularly kind to the concept thanks to a hyperactive development pace-fueled largely by the addition of turbochargers to those wheezy little four-bangers. As evidence of just how far the game has advanced, we've collected four of the best examples, two of them fresh off the boat.
Wow great acticle. I'm surprised the lap times are so close, given the differences in specs. Looks like the GTI did really well despite having a lot less power.
I'd be interested to see a follow up with each car given, say, $3000 each for mods.
* 2005 VW GTI 1.8T 5-Speed * 2004 Audi A6 3.0 Quattro
Constructive criticism: -Have you guys ever thought about having a narrator for your videos? They look cool enough, but could use more substance. -Include video comparison (drag race, braking, something... there was a bit of that, but more driving and less 360 views of the cars) -I like the included engine noises, but more wouldn't hurt -Perhaps a little less of the wide-angle too...
2007 Outback Sport | 2001 Boxster
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I have to wonder what the Caliber would be like with a lowered race bucket, defeated stability control, and a good differential. It sounds like it has the framework in place to be pretty awesome...just needs the recipe tweaked a bit.
Eugene Leafty Fungi produce 13% of all the CO2 in the atmosphere, my motorcycle produces over 100 gallons of H2O per year.
-The VW turned a respectable lap time with less power and no LSD.
Overall the GTI holds its own, considering the chassis is nearly 4 years old and it has (on paper) only 200BHP.
Quote, originally posted by Viergang Fuchs »
Unfortunately, hackin' it is a way of life in auto journalism. Hemingway was able to drive an ambulance and write a book; most of these guys couldn't do either.
I've been waiting for this article. Motive is really coming together, guys.
Considering the huge range in power ratings - between 200 and 285 - I'm surprised the lap times are so close.
The WRX's performance makes me very excited for the new STi. The fact that it can hang with such a lofty crowd, even with floppy springs and lousy brakes, speaks volumes about the capabilities of the new chassis.
The Mazdaspeed 3 really does put it all together. What a car.
Splinter - Team Post-Killing Ninja My decantering is delicate and courageous.
Constructive criticism: -Have you guys ever thought about having a narrator for your videos? They look cool enough, but could use more substance. -Include video comparison (drag race, braking, something... there was a bit of that, but more driving and less 360 views of the cars) -I like the included engine noises, but more wouldn't hurt -Perhaps a little less of the wide-angle too...
i was really thinking this, too.
Quote, originally posted by eggman95 »
I drive like every road I'm on is the final stage of a rally and I'm 5 seconds behind the leader.
Quote, originally posted by Knock Sensor »
Please read the thread again and come to a different conclusion.
Really, guys? We were all under the impression that people hate cheesy voiceovers and would rather hear the sounds of the engines and some music, and just let the cars do the talking? Keep chiming in if you feel one way or the other.
Also, Don't miss this sidebar--it's really telling of where each car's strengths are:
damn, all that sidebar did was make me wish i lived in chicago and had a spare $35k to become a member at Autobahn Country Club...
The essence of a free life is being able to choose the style of living you prefer free from exclusion and without the compulsion of conformity or law. -- Eleanor Holmes Norton
The MS3 continues to impress. Its good to see the caliber has good power, but its still lacking in other areas. You guys should upload some blooper vids on youtube, of cars spinning out and the like. Or maybe have a moderator vs moderator race!
Really, guys? We were all under the impression that people hate cheesy voiceovers and would rather hear the sounds of the engines and some music, and just let the cars do the talking? Keep chiming in if you feel one way or the other.
Don't be cheesy- say you have a clip of each car on a part of the track, then maybe tell the viewer what was notable (the car understeered, layed the power down, was X.XX faster than the other, whatever). Just quick little tidbits- highlights from the article or something -nothing that will distract. The engine noises are more important than the music for sure, so maybe keep the music for the open/close and for any non-driving spots.
2007 Outback Sport | 2001 Boxster
Want to change the face of men's health? Movember!
go MS3, i drove this car for a bit a few weeks ago and was VERY impressed. i was hoping for more from the SRT-4 particularly since the last one demolished the competition. very suprised by the results from the GTI and the WRX was right where i thought it would be.
great job Motive
new - '06 VW Passat 3.6AWD old - '96 BMW 328i Convertible Hardtop (FOR SALE as of 10/11/06) email rempel07@yahoo.com for price and pictures
The niche has come a long way since Hammer pants were acceptable club wear, but recent history has been particularly kind to the concept thanks to a hyperactive development pace-fueled largely by the addition of turbochargers to those wheezy little four-bangers.
This sentence had me wondering what "pace-fueled" meant, until I realized that you meant to use an "em dash" there.
So, let's try it again:
Quote, originally posted by article »
The niche has come a long way since Hammer pants were acceptable club wear, but recent history has been particularly kind to the concept thanks to a hyperactive development pace -- fueled largely by the addition of turbochargers to those wheezy little four-bangers.
Or if you want to get fancy, you can use the Unicode em dash: "pace — fueled"
p.s. The same mistake occurs numerous times during the article, making it clumsy to read.
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Yes, I'm serious. As it stands, the rest of the article isn't even worth my time to read. If Motive wishes to be respected, they should hold themselves to the same editorial standards as the printed car magazines.
I like the video, though I agree with others, it lacks substance. I thought it was a good intro for a real video. If you guys want to know what makes a good performance video, watch some Best Motoring videos. I find that series to be very entertaining to watch.
I don't know how much time or money is involved with making the videos, so my suggestions may not be possible, but:
a) Spend some time focusing on each car separately, off the track. Do a 360 of the exterior of the cars. Film the interior. Film the engine. Then start the car up and let us hear what the car sounds like.
b) There was too much transition in the current movie. I felt like I wasn't really sure what was going on. It would be great if you could stage some sort of "battle" with the cars on the track just so we could see what the cars look like going through their paces, not necessarily who would win. Or film each car separately on a hot lap.
c) Less music and more engine. I want to hear what these cars sound like when they get beaten on the track. I want to hear more tire squeel.
d) I think it would be cool to see/hear comments from the people who participated in the testing. What they liked, what didn't.
I think the video should compliment exactly what was said in the article. I want to see, via video, what was written in the article. Make it more like an online video magazine and less like an intro sequence.
I think with regard to the content in the written material, it's gotten better. And as stated above, hyperbole was at a minimum compared to previous articles. I'm glad you guys published the lap times. I don't really have much to add with the results, except I'm shocked to see how slow the SRT4 was around the track. Not that I couldn't see this coming as it doesn't seem nearly as set for the track as the neon.
Modified by 6cylVWguy at 11:33 PM 10-26-2007
Tom Current: 94 SLC; 08 XF LTD-6 spd Previous:06 GTI, 99.5 Jetta, 85 jetta coupe (x2), 93 Fox
Great article from Motive Very close between the GTI and MS3, but I imagine with the revised ECU it would be even closer with the 30 extra hp for the gti.
Quote, originally posted by SpecialFX »
"What about tires?" "I'll be reusing the stock ones"
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