Raced a WRX tonight

[Chris Collier <collier@iglou.com>]

Hi everyone,

I won't make this a testosterone filled race story, I will keep it short
and to the point.

Well I had the chance to run a WRX tonight on the road...so I indulged
:)

After listening to him "blow-off" his valve in my general direction
several times, we ended up at the same light (the red one)
I leaned out the window and asked him how he liked the car.........he
said he liked it (really a deep conversation at this point); i asked him
if it was fast, he said, "yeah it is pretty fast; so we take off, and
when i say take off, that thing flat hooked up!!!! I could see that he
had a jump on me through first (about 1.5 car lengths), as most of mine
was spent spinning; shifted the 2nd and started gaining on him; by the
mid to top of 2nd I was at his back door, then came 3rd and I started
passing him; then came the traffic.

we stopped at the next light, and the first thing he says to me is "is
that thing a 1.8T?" I said "no it's a VR6", but I am thinking to myself
"damn that thing really hooks up". Even with a total of 4 people in the
car, that thing was quick; i had to ask him what kind a boost he was
running, to which he replied "15 pounds"; OH, that explains the quick
jack rabbit start;

Needless to say, I was impressed with that little car on the low end;
but once my car was allowed to stretch it's legs, I believe that I would
have put several car lengths on him in the long run.

The combination of that boost, and all wheel drive handling would make
for a fun little car; I would drive one if someone gave it to me; But
wouldn't get rid of my VR6 Jetta for one.

Anybody else with any experience up against these little WRX's, I mean
other than everyone arguing Wally and his philosophy or lack of on
Subarus?

I would still take an S4 like Wally's, hands down against the WRX, but
for the price, might have to entertain the little guy; catfish or no
catfish

chris collier
collier@iglou.com