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Originally Posted by b3lha
Hi Joe. Check this thread out, there's a couple you've missed.
http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14072
I remember posting an article from the Sunday Times at one point, but I can't find it now. It may have been on one of the yahoo sites before this one existed. If I find it I'll pass you the details.
Don't forget:
Andy's article in "IM Group Express" about the Torquay meet.
Ian Orris' article in "Unique Cars" about the Gaydon meet. |
Thanks for the links Phil. Spot on.
I was avoiding newspaper articles. For no good reason, I suppose, except bias. For one thing, it will/would be more difficult to get your hands on clean copies of the articles, they get binned. [Your Sunday Times one is on James' geocities site BTW]
For another, newspapers tend to put in millions of "we saw it first" type articles. These are culled from manufacturer promotional material, and add very little to the overall information quotient except noise.
What I am hoping to compile is a list of "actually driven" articles from real motoring journalists.
As already noted in your linked thread, the playing field is skewed a bit anyway. It is traditional for the companies to supply a few cars to a load of journalists. This can be good or bad, depending if the cars are picked at random off the boat, or have been "breathed on" by a QA and tune-up squad.
Also, see the issue about the US cars. They get low 0-60 times because the US market is sensitive to drag racing ability [Harrison Ford and George Lucas have a lot to answer for] and less sensitive to handling, which the VTD version is a bit better at.
Harvey is saying that the VTD type gives better rear steering and handling because of the torque split. I would concur with this, but I have two Aussie mags, and one of them complains of the understeer, and for sure they were driving JDM or Oz/UK variants. This is probably because of the very high top gear, rather than the overall gearing. To get the best from the handling, I find you have to drive brave, lock out top gear, and power the car through fast or tight bends in 2 or 3 to get the benefit of extra rear torque split. I imagine the car is nowhere near as controllable on the limit as an Impreza Sti or a Skyline GTR, primarily because of the "lazy" 4EAT.
Just my opinion, but I'm sticking to it.
Joe
