The Crustang I'm sure will not be able to beat the '03 Accord in an all around performance contest either. I'm sure the Accord will produce better autocross times than a GT, all day long.
Come on, are you serious? RWD plus loads of low-end power to exit corners quickly versus a peaky-by-comparison FWD car that's too softly sprung?
As for the P.S., your assuming a ****ty driver for the S2000? A S2000 that is launched well will beat a stickshift Altima 3.5SE. I dont know, same mag, so I'd assume similar technics or what not. But if the temp/humidity/altitude etc etc was messed up, then you could very well be right.
Don't compare magazine times. I have witnessed a stock Altima run a stock S2000 and the S2000 got its ass handed to it.
And I just don't get this "useable power" deal.... chances are, if someone owns one of these cars, they know how to drive it. Drop clutch at 5,000 rpm, shift at redline, and you CAN beat a Mustang GT off the line, which looses power by 5,000 rpm.
Think for a second here. How many times have I said to stop talking about drag racing? Of course from a standing start you can pick your RPM. I'm talking about when you're exiting a slow 2nd-gear corner and stomp on the gas. Low-end power gets you up to speed faster.
In the end, if you know how to drive a VTEC powered engine with a manual transmission, there really are not as many cars which can beat you, as some may think. It's only because they don't know how to drive a Prelude, CL-S, the new Accord V6 6 speed, Integra GSR or Type R, RSX-S, and the like.
I had a GSR, I know how to drive it. It's not a good stoplight-drag car. No power down low. Useable power means that when I'm exiting a slow 2nd-gear corner there's power available without waiting for the revs to climb back up to 5000.
I tell people who think my car is just another rice burner to drive one for a week and they will never say that again.
Typical comment from the car-as-extension-of-ego set. Blah. I don't understand why people get their panties in a wad when someone talks a little trash. You don't need to go on an epic quest to prove the legitimacy of VTEC or some nonsense which you probably rant about at the local Starbucks.