The Junk Supercar Shootout | Video and Thoughts
 

THE NOT SO REAL SUPERCAR SHOOTOUT

PROLOGUE: If you followed my direction with the FRS you know I am committed to the platform but also confused as to where to take the car as taking it from a streetable track car to a full blown track car would kill much of what makes it great.

In the meantime...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJkcrSIiquA"]Junk Supercar Shootout | Ferrari 458 vs McLaren vs Audi R8 | SE0205 - YouTube[/ame]

I am somewhat of a jaded guy, trying to enjoy life a bit more these days.
When my girlfriend's cousin asked me about what my dream car is, I said I don't have one as most are just a waste of money.

But other changes in my life made me question some of these things and I wanted to drive a few of these cars that most people consider "dreams."
The long and short of it is that I went in expecting to be blown away.
Don't get me wrong these are the pinnacle of "street" super cars.

But they are not race cars. I thought these cars would have been more hard core. But they just feel like bigger and faster versions of lower priced sports cars. (Cough Cough S2000, FRS, Miata, Vette) I would take a seasons worth of competitive kart racing over owning a super car any day.

However the experience was worth even a few grand if you can swing it. I ran about 30 laps. If you know the track and get a chance to run these cars I'd highly recommend it as it helps put things into perspective and of course its fun too.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f...ustom%2529.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0...ustom%2529.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-h...ustom%2529.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-f...ustom%2529.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T...ustom%2529.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-I...ustom%2529.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f...ustom%2529.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b...ustom%2529.jpg

Nice vid! It looks like you had a fun day. Having never driven any of the three I would rank them the same.

Lol at the co-driver in the Ferrari giving you hand signals for every brake, TO, and TI :)

Pics of the Ferrari instructor?

Awesome review. I had a chance to drive a 458 also my experience was very similar to yours also. I loved it but at the same time I couldn't help to think "this is not worth 200k+". I had the chance to drive the 458 and my stock FR-S back to back on the same track and I hate to sound like a fan boi but I had more fun in my car given the fact I wasn't terrified of wrecking something that cost more than my house haha.

Nothing that shows face.

Nice video as usual, Mark. I have been inching closer to this way of thinking all the time. I think it started with the GT-R a while back. When my wife can get great performance out of a car that does the hard stuff for her, I'm completely uninterested. I love old school super cars because they were nuts and dangerous and you had to respect them more than these new gizmo rides.

I'd rather beat on and spin out a 2-300hp car because I need to be better than have a computer take around fast.

I suppose that mentality is exactly why us ft-86 club folks bought what we did.

Great review, thanks!

Understatement of the year!

I have to say I do enjoy your videos and your sense of humor.

Nerf cars?
 

So since the 458 was the slowest of the pack but still the most fun, I guess that would make it the Nerf Supercar. Does this point reinforce the love aspect of Dezoris' love/hate relationship with his "slower is better" FR-S? (AKA "Nerf Sportscar"). Maybe taking the time to understand the stock version FR-S would have revealed that, if you wanted to love it, the car is more Nerf than Lego. The car definitely posesses Nerf-like principles e.g. it'll help you have fun, use your imagination, and not kill yourself while playing with it. Legos OTOH are mostly about the build. Play is secondary. Stop trying to build on the Nerf car, and just go outside and toss it around.

Perhaps our desire to improve things too often superceeds the practical notion that years of Toyobaru R&D achieved something. Goal, purpose & direction are baked in there, done. In a way we just wouldn't accept it. The 458 revealed itself to Dezoris during his track time. The FR-S did the same to me my first day on the street. Problem is that the FR-S' has fat but fast competition, compromises to lower the price, low slung looks, and huge aftermarket, so keeping hands off it long enough to understand the car was and is near impossible.

The Junk Supercar Shootout | Video and Thoughts
 

Makes me wonder how the Ariel Atom would fair, subjectively of course.

I've always had an interest in that car


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In the first couple of minutes it appears you are making an effort to smile. I suppose this is an effort while on camera to change your "unhappy" demeanor.

Please I beg you...stop this immediately ...it looks forced,painful and truthfully somewhat creepy.. don't change your style..Your dour style is a big part of why I enjoy your videos.

For gag inducing and chipper overload reviews there is John H. Davis from Autoweek ..... the sham wow guy of auto reviews.

Haha cant even fake happy!! Thanks for feedback.

I had an Atom for a year. It was amazing as a track car but not much else. To sum it up, the supercars here were designed to be accessible as street cars to mainstream rich buyers. Case and point Audi and McLaren seemed to design these cars for people with money who could get in and drive them and feel like they were better drivers than they were. The Ferrari takes the opposite approach and makes it more of the wealthy mans driver car. But for me there are still too many trade offs. Its not a race car, its still a street car and it shows.

The Atom was a rocket, felt much faster in every sense, vibratred rattled, no tcs, abs, or driver aids. But of course it was great for track because they designed zero streetability. And thats where all of that engineering comes in the Atom did not have. I really liked that car but it had one massive weakness, no aero. By 140MPH car is unstable and wind turbulance is horrible. I had to add the PID kit on my helmet to help stability of my head. Most helmets just lifted off peoples heads by 90MPH.

On an off note.
I love the 458 girl...
..."brake here, stay left, left, left, ok turn."
The entire time riding around with her legs crossed.
Cool and collective.