Svelt Swede Vs. Detroit Steel (Or: "Beauty and the Beast")
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:04 am
OK; so I had my fun yesterday against a Dodge Charger . We were on a 6 lane surface highway; you know the type: Multiple lanes at highway speeds, but still has traffic lights and intersections. We were pulling up to a red light at the bottom of a long uphill climb, a little over a 1/4 mile to the top. At this particular light the roadway actually opens up to 8 full travel lanes and 4 turn lanes, so there is a lot of wiggle room when traffic backs up a little.
I switched lanes to a far right lane that had just opened up as I was pulling up to the light, and the charger cut over in front of me so he could have a free lane. I have a very long commute (65 miles each way) so I generally don't let traffic bother me... It is what it is... so I figured he wanted to get around traffic just like I did, no problem. As the light changed green I heard his twin pipes roar to life as he pushed the beast, but I noticed quickly that despite his efforts I was still having to hold back on my little 4 banger. The weight of the charger just took away any power advantage he had...
So as soon as he and I were past the body of traffic in the left 4 lanes, I floored it in second gear at about 35-40; right in my car's perfect power zone I switched over a lane and screamed past the charger, and I heard him floor it as I did, trying to show me what the beast could do... I shifted to 3rd and floored it again, watching the poor charger drop multiple car lengths back as my turbo screamed to life once more. As I crested the hill; I saw that the traffic light at the top of the hill just changed to red as well; so I slowed down and eased into the left lane (at this point it dwindles back down to 3 forward lanes and a turn lane).
After about 10 seconds the charger comes up beside me at the light, revving his engine repeatedly and looking at me. I started laughing, but I figured he probably didn't work it very hard at the first light so maybe he had more power with a harder start? When the light changed green I took off; easing through first a little (Saabs are torque limited in first and second to protect the transmissions) and then pushing it to WOT as soon as I hit second. Right as the light changed, he gained a few feet on me due to his lack of turbo lag, but even in first I started to gain that ground back once I crested about 2500 RPMs. Once I shifted to second he didn't have a chance... By the time I was looking at third gear he was a good 3-4 car lengths behind me and still dropping. I pushed it up to about 80 and then eased off and relaxed; dropping back to 74 and continuing along my normal commute. About 6 seconds later the same fool charger comes screaming past me at about 95-100 like that was supposed to show me something; then he slowed a bit after he was a few hundred yards past me
I pulled up next to him again at the next light, about 2 miles down the road, and he started revving it up again. I just laughed at him. The beast had already been thoroughly slain by that time
DISCLAIMER: I, as most people here, know that street racing is wrong. To be honest this was the first time I ever did it; though I regularly push my car up close to its limits when there are no other cars present.
I switched lanes to a far right lane that had just opened up as I was pulling up to the light, and the charger cut over in front of me so he could have a free lane. I have a very long commute (65 miles each way) so I generally don't let traffic bother me... It is what it is... so I figured he wanted to get around traffic just like I did, no problem. As the light changed green I heard his twin pipes roar to life as he pushed the beast, but I noticed quickly that despite his efforts I was still having to hold back on my little 4 banger. The weight of the charger just took away any power advantage he had...
So as soon as he and I were past the body of traffic in the left 4 lanes, I floored it in second gear at about 35-40; right in my car's perfect power zone I switched over a lane and screamed past the charger, and I heard him floor it as I did, trying to show me what the beast could do... I shifted to 3rd and floored it again, watching the poor charger drop multiple car lengths back as my turbo screamed to life once more. As I crested the hill; I saw that the traffic light at the top of the hill just changed to red as well; so I slowed down and eased into the left lane (at this point it dwindles back down to 3 forward lanes and a turn lane).
After about 10 seconds the charger comes up beside me at the light, revving his engine repeatedly and looking at me. I started laughing, but I figured he probably didn't work it very hard at the first light so maybe he had more power with a harder start? When the light changed green I took off; easing through first a little (Saabs are torque limited in first and second to protect the transmissions) and then pushing it to WOT as soon as I hit second. Right as the light changed, he gained a few feet on me due to his lack of turbo lag, but even in first I started to gain that ground back once I crested about 2500 RPMs. Once I shifted to second he didn't have a chance... By the time I was looking at third gear he was a good 3-4 car lengths behind me and still dropping. I pushed it up to about 80 and then eased off and relaxed; dropping back to 74 and continuing along my normal commute. About 6 seconds later the same fool charger comes screaming past me at about 95-100 like that was supposed to show me something; then he slowed a bit after he was a few hundred yards past me
I pulled up next to him again at the next light, about 2 miles down the road, and he started revving it up again. I just laughed at him. The beast had already been thoroughly slain by that time
DISCLAIMER: I, as most people here, know that street racing is wrong. To be honest this was the first time I ever did it; though I regularly push my car up close to its limits when there are no other cars present.