To anyone who considers any car made today slow.

"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
06/13/2018 at 08:01 • Filed to: None

I drove a 1980 Plymouth Champ, basically a 2Dr version of the Dodge Colt they tested. 19.5 second 1/4 at 69MPH.

DISCUSSION (16)

jimz > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 08:13

the Iron Duke powered Camaro/Firebird in the early ‘80s was even worse, IIRC its 0-60 was over 20 seconds.

Nibby > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 08:16

0-60 in 2.7 years

David E. Davis > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 08:18

Probably still faster than my wifes CVT Crosstrek.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 08:20

power!!!!

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > pip bip - choose Corrour
06/13/2018 at 08:22

Kinja'd!!!

interstate366, now In The Industry > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 08:23

0-60 time of maybe

WilliamsSW > jimz
06/13/2018 at 08:36

When I was in high school someone got one of those, brand new, as a gift from their parents.

We were driving 10-20 year old beaters and we made fun of that guy mercilessly.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 08:45

Econoboxes were never, and still aren’t, race cars. Humans remain mere humans.

Nothing has changed.

Ash78, voting early and often > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 08:48

Not quite as extreme, but my first “hot rod” was a 1995 VW Golf Sport (GTI seats and alloy wheels! Disc brakes all around! 5MT! 115hp!)

$15,500 car when my minimum wage job paid $4.25 an hour. No glovebox. Cassette player. Shoddy build quality. Maybe 32mpg highway on a great day. 0-60 in ~10 seconds. 2 year/24k warranty. It took up about 80% of my high school paycheck. Gas was $1.25/gallon but you had to drive 50+ miles every night to figure where everyone was hanging out. Only the two richest kids borrowed their parents cell phones at 35 cents a minute for calls.

Crunch those numbers every way you can, today is SOOOO much cheaper and better for cars than it has ever been.

Thomas Donohue > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 08:53

My first car was a Champ. Silver 4-speed. Long live the Champster!

duurtlang > Ash78, voting early and often
06/13/2018 at 09:11

Crunch those numbers every way you can, today is SOOOO much cheaper and better for cars than it has ever been.

From the perspective of comfort, warranty, absolute performance and maybe economy and reliability you have a point. So, rationally, you’re probably right.

However, and this might be my European market perspective talking, 1980s and 1990s cars were more fun to drive than newish ones. At least, there were many more fun options. Even among the non-enthusiast versions of common cars. Nowadays it’s all competent and safe and quick and sterile . Exceptions are very rare.

TeamPunkassRacing > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 09:27

Amazingly my 1st 2 cars combined made only 167hp - Only 12hp more than my current ND’s 2.0. My 3rd car had a V8 car that made less hp than my ND.

My 1st car was an ‘85 Mustang LX notchback, with the boat anchor 88hp 2.3, mated to an auto no less. My 2nd car was an ‘81 Accord hatch that had a 79hp 1.6 - but at least that car was a 5 spd, and weighed less than the Mustang.

The V8 was a 318 in a ‘74 Duster, and it only had a 2 barrel carb. Not understanding that it was a boat anchor with the stock heads, I bought a used Edelbrock Performer intake, a new Edelbock 4 barrel carb, and an Edelbrock Performer cam. I thought it was fast until I raced a stockish 5.0/5Spd Fox body - he pulled on me and put many cruiseship lengths on me by the time the race was over.

I also bought a ‘86 Trans Am with the 5.0 and a 5 spd, thinking it was the 190hp 5.0 HO. But no - I’d bought the 150hp 5.0 LG4. Another car I put the edelbrock parts on with the stock heads, and it was still slower than shit. But it looked good at least :)

punkgoose17 > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 09:35

I just watched this last week. I really like the Renault. I wonder if a 5 speed was available? I’d probably take their advice and get the Dodge Mitsubishi Colt.

Ash78, voting early and often > duurtlang
06/13/2018 at 09:50

Fair point on the intangible aspects. That Golf was nimble, mechanically simple, and pretty durable compared to cars just a decade earlier. And while modern cars can overcome a lot of shortcoming (like weight) with other tricks (suspension tuning and easy power) it’s just not the same.

Not just the Euro market, although I see the trend more clearly in European cars. Going from my dad’s MkI Jetta to my MkIII Golf to my brother’s MkVII GTI, the changes were massive. I’ll give the current GTI credit that it still feels very nimble, but not “simple fun”

Long-Voyager > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 10:19

Slow or not, they are still more fun to drive than most cars made today.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
06/13/2018 at 14:05

My first truck made 76 hp and got 24 mpg (combined) . My current rental makes 305 hp and gets 24 mpg (combined).

We’ve come a long way....