Having your own independant OPINION on sports cars

sublime19 · Post by **sublime19** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:47 am

Hardly anybody has their own opinion nowadays, people are stereotypical about which cars to buy to be a "racer", and those cars become an icon for street races etc.. I mean WRXs are great cars.. but they're just like Flies at a BBQ, like somebody else said before on this forum.

You get some punk kid with rich ass parents who ask him what car he wants, and he'll say "I wanna REXI yeaa!"
So they'll get in their STi, just step on, let the car do the driving for them, and be happy cos they're "race pros" who can beat other cars off the lights.

This is what I hate, for eg, I read the letters people send in to Auto Salon magazine, and most of them ask, "I've just got my Ps, and I have $15,000, what's the fastest car I can buy that's the cheapest to modify"

This is pathetic.. people don't have their own opinions, it's all about what your friends think about your car and what car is "cool" to buy, and it sickens me that people don't have the respect nor the passion, to buy something that suits your taste and driving style, or better yet can be customised to be the way you want it to be. The car that YOU like, not what you THINK you like cos you've been brainwashed by society.
I've had people laugh at me for mentioning that I want an FTO (before I had one), and at one point, I actually didn't want it any more cos I was that influenced by everybody not to buy it.. but now that I have it, I can't help but smile everytime I see it, and in the end it was my opinion that gave me the most happiness, not everybody elses.

This is my opinion, please feel free to express yours.

P.S When I said "YOU", I wasn't literally referring to the people reading this, but to those people who don't have their own opinions.

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Mon May 15, 2006 8:06 am

Well said sublime19.

I too have recieved a lot of flak since buying my FTO back in Jan but I don't really care. I feel in love the FTO 8 years ago and always wanted one, regardless of it's performance. It is one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen. Definately the best looking car Japan has ever created.

I too once wanted a WRX, ever since V-Rally on the PSX actually hehe. I loved the car back then basically because it could slaughter any V8 here in AUS and I liked that idea. I also watched lots of WRC back when the WRX dominated. Now though I'd prefer a BA XR8 or something lol. I hate the current WRX shape or basically anything post 2000. Can anyone say boring!

I love all cars now but am picky at what is really special to me. For me a car has to look dynamite before I even give it a 2nd chance. For example Porsche are a brilliant car but I think they are dog ugly and would never buy one. Aston Martin or Ferarri? Aston Martin please.

Like music if the melody isn't candy to my ear I don't care what the lyrics are about. Do I judge a book by its cover? When it comes to cars yes. I am a man. I like curves. I am attracted via visual stimulation before anything else.

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Mon May 15, 2006 9:15 am

in the end your thoughts are generally influenced by your peers/enviroment and social context....although there is room to move...some1's opinion may have been formed form a background much different to yours/mine and as such who are we to judge what is right/wrong. Its all a matter of perception and if your perception is that and FTO is cool then good for u but if its not..well good for u too. no point worrying about who likes what car and what car is better...life has many more important issues that need solving...and I bet a WRX vs a FTO is not one of them.

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Mon May 15, 2006 9:42 am

Yes there are many more important issues but this is car website and I think we can safely say these opinions of ours aren't going to change the world all that much.

I understand what your saying but still I find it interesting how other ppl form thier opinions and come to judgment on this subject of cars. I've shared mine and so has sublime19. What is your personal preference and why?

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:42 pm

Spud wrote:Yes there are many more important issues but this is car website and I think we can safely say these opinions of ours aren't going to change the world all that much.

I understand what your saying but still I find it interesting how other ppl form thier opinions and come to judgment on this subject of cars. I've shared mine and so has sublime19. What is your personal preference and why?

then explain to me why u like the music u do? or why you like a certain jacket or pair of jeans? did you buy them cos your mates told u too??

If u bought an FTO and live on these forums I think your preference is pretty clear...

however in the end its a combination of a number of things:

looks/performance/price/age/interior/service costs/appeal and of course coolness...!

overall the FTO ranked fairly consistanly on all of these..and thats why i got mine!

SG · Post by SG » Mon May 15, 2006 3:16 pm

yeah but not everyone thinks the fto has all of those, like faimly car drivers

imo...just to present a opposite pov, its pricey for its old age, is slow in straight lines, and costs more than a lancer to service, and, some ppl can be forgiven in thinking its like a supra but not as cool as one. but, the fto will monster the supra around corners, look better in a showroom, and if you have enough money..be faster aswell

is all your own tastes imo

jonowong · Post by **jonowong** » Mon May 15, 2006 4:13 pm

i agree with chris, when your looking to buy a car or simply just clothes, u always bring atleast one other friend to get a second opinion, just try not to bring a friend thats a bias dickhead

mrx · Post by **mrx** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:48 pm

As i posted on Schmi's post, the best thing IMO is about how the FTO makes you feel when you drive it. It isn't the quickest car, but we know that. It may not be the best looking car, but for the money it arguably is.

But it is unique, it sounds great, handles brilliantly, looks sensational and what more do you need? Do you need to prove you can get 400m down a straight road quicker than the guy next to you? I have never ever understood this way of thinking. If you do, thats fine - buy a different car. It annoys me no end when people say "Oh but my car is quicker than yours". Really? Thanks for pointing that out. And your telling me this.....why exactly? Did you think I didn't know that? Do you think I care?

But that is not the point of the post....

I do agree that people do tend to want to follow the advice of everybody else. Give people free will to do whatever they want and watch then all try and copy each other.

And as for WRX's - if you want to be unique these days - keep the thing stock!!!

sublime19 · Post by **sublime19** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:14 am

Everybody has their own opinions, sure there are countless people out there that like WRXs and Supras for the same reason we like the FTO.

I was merely stating the fact that a lot of the younger generation have their opinions moulded by views of their peers and society.

For eg. Yes, it's great to bring a friend with you when buying a car and getting their opinion on it as a second, but it's completely different to deciding which car you want based on what all your friends and people on the street like.

Yep, there's a lot of bigger issues in life then WRX vs FTO, I was just giving my 2 cents on a thought I had, no biggie

mrx you're exactly right about the "my car is faster than yours", it seems nowadays it's all about one-upping the guy next to you.
You don't need to prove or justify yourself to anybody, in the end, you're driving the car and it's you that gets the feeling of satisfaction regardless of who's faster than you

jonowong · Post by **jonowong** » Tue May 16, 2006 3:47 am

but you see the "stereotypical" people love skylines and wrxs and 200sxs because everyone else likes them... you ask a teeny bopper girl why she likes a skyline and she goes its fast! :s so all the other guys get them to impress the girls.. and then the even younger girl sees that the guy she likes has a skyline... so she likes it aswell...
its a vicous cycle!
or maybe im just fucked cos its 246am on a tuesday morning...

Post by **dstocks** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:50 am

I dont know about everyone else, but I like my FTO because of how it makes me feel. Every time I get in and turn the key, I smile. Every time I take a corner I think to myself, now thats how a car should handle. Ive never cared what anyone else thought. If a Lada Niva did it for me, id be driving it. Ive always appreciated individuality and wanted something a little different that will make people think 'what is that????'. Unfortunately, your Skylines and WRX will never do that!. Yeah, they go faster, but all that does is make it easier to get fined.

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Tue May 16, 2006 10:17 am

mrx wrote:Do you need to prove you can get 400m down a straight road quicker than the guy next to you? I have never ever understood this way of thinking. If you do, thats fine - buy a different car. It annoys me no end when people say "Oh but my car is quicker than yours". Really? Thanks for pointing that out. And your telling me this.....why exactly? Did you think I didn't know that? Do you think I care?

So if you actually did own a car that beat anything down a 400m straight are you saying that you would never ever mention that to anyone at all?

khunjeng wrote:then explain to me why u like the music u do? or why you like a certain jacket or pair of jeans? did you buy them cos your mates told u too??

Yeh sure when I was a kid I liked what my brother liked but when I got older my tastes became a lot different to his. Maybe I found new friends with another taste of music and I grabbed onto that, and so and so forth.

Although I agree with all of this I think it is only part of what makes us choose the things we like and not the sole reason we are the way we are. Surely our very own personal being plays a part here untouched by the outside world in what we like and what we don't like? It may play a small part for some and a big part for others perhaps? Or do we think that part of our personality doesn't exist? Are we then just some sort of robot sponge soaking everything in and formulating random likes and dislikes and that's it?

I don't know anyone else in my circle of friends who shares my interest in the FTO like I do. So where did my lust for the curves on an FTO come from? It certainly wasn't peer pressure from ppl around me.

I ponder...

Sparhawk · Post by **Sparhawk** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:02 am

OK, my 2c...

Personally, I think maturity has a part to play here. I have a 16 year old son who is a car freak, so I sort of see how the younger gen can be influenced.

I have never been that influenced by other pplz opinions. My first car was a Mitsubishi Starion Turbo. Not inline with my friends at the time, but when I was a kid I saw one and said to myself, "I'll own one of them one day", and I did. The FTO was a similar story. I saw one, and it was love at first sight. Unfortunately they were $40k at the time, and out of my league. When I bought mine last year, I had friends with WRX's and Skylines etc, and they tried to sway me, but those cars (while I think they are nice) dont "do it" for me. I bought an FTO, and I have had so many comments etc. It turns heads, lets face it. Like mrx said, it looks hot, sounds hot and handles like its on rails, and at the end of the day, I smile when I see it and drive it, every time.

Now onto the other people. My kids for one, have been influenced a lot by tv and video games. Gran turismo is a prime example. The emphasis here is on how quick a car is, so thats the way they go... BUT, since I bought my FTO, I see them in the games buying an FTO and racing it. They always want to show my car off to their friends. At least these few kids of the next generation will learn from me that acceleration and turbo's arent the be all and end all of cars. They are starting to appreciate a finely crafted, and good looking car that is front wheel drive and non turbo.

I see ppl at the lights that want to drag, but I rarely take up the challenge. I have nothing to prove, and the fact they want to drag is complement enough that I have a nice car, and they are probably jealous.

Skylines and WRX's are nice, and quick, and common, but when it comes down to it, a mature person will buy a car that they like.

I'm not saying to ignore the opinions of those around you, but dont let them decide what you should buy. When I went to look at my car to buy it, I took a friend with me to check it over. He owns a R34 GTR, but he appreciates a nice car when he sees one, and I used his mechanical knowledge to my advantage. In the end he was very impressed with the FTO.

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Tue May 16, 2006 12:58 pm

Spud mate.

The point was that there are numerous reaons why we buy and like things and u cannot say that someone opinion is wrong...just becuase u don't agree. If somelike likes a car cos he thinks he will pick up chicks thats his prerogative....lol most chicks I know love my FTO over my skyline...but then again if I had a Cooper S they would love that more...chicks love the cooper S - well my friends do anyway. - don't say it Bennoz!!

we all agree here..cos we all own FTOs...but for some reaosn some ppl have a complex about their car cos of - mainly - its speed cos there is not much else to complain about really. In the end it looks much faster than it is...most ppl I know think its turbo anyway...lol

SG · Post by SG » Tue May 16, 2006 1:41 pm

if anyone thinks the fto is slow tell em to bring their car to the race track and lose against one there

they're too good around corners.. what they lose on the straight they make up in the corners easy, thats kind of why i bought my one... and im gonna spend a coupla grand on race suspension soon aswell. but, its becomming increasingly difficult to drive as an everyday car, with the button clutch and touchy accelerator in traffic. the lsd is fun though. it's just anoying to take off... its not actually that bad, but for an already stressfull day its just easier to drive ye olde magna to work everyday instead.

was a brilliant drive though when the standard clutch was in

fto617 · Post by **fto617** » Tue May 16, 2006 5:22 pm

hmm...FTO
when i saw it in 2001, i feel ion love with it

i was back in yr11 in high school.
when i got to first year uni in 2003, i bought one straight away, by then prices depreciated to around 26-29k
i think FTOs looks great, better than MANY MANY new cars (yes that include the WHOLE GENERATION of WRX)
but i think the prob is FTO look too fast.
OH
and i remember back then, when i took my fto to tempe tyres to buy rims, one of the "fully sick bros" said his got a rex and wants to see how the FTO go, so i let him drive aroudn one block by himself after he changed the rims for me, what he said was"yea, i'll take one over the rex, good performance for much lesser fuel" lol
but anyways...nowdays when u talk about corners in FTOs...
i dont think they are that great anymore, most lack LSDs, understeer,
so in the end i dont think FTOs are for the race track, but will be good daily driver as its comfortable and fuel efficent and looks lovely with beautiful mivec music.
in the end...i upgraded to new evo, only because FTO is 10years old, otherwise i would still keep it!!!
but man, when u drive evo, FTO corner is like....no offence but fully crap
but i still have FTO love inside!!!

Spud · Post by **Spud** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:03 pm

khunjeng wrote:Spud mate.

The point was that there are numerous reaons why we buy and like things and u cannot say that someone opinion is wrong...just becuase u don't agree.

Yeh yeh totally agree. That was my point also. I just find it interesting to see what those opinions are and how ppl come to the decisions they make. And for this website and this thread it is about cars in general but will of course always topically revolve around the FTO.

SG wrote:if anyone thinks the fto is slow tell em to bring their car to the race track and lose against one there Very Happy they're too good around corners.. what they lose on the straight they make up in the corners easy, thats kind of why i bought my one.

Although I think the FTO handles great I'm with fto617 and don't think the handling is special by any means compared to today's standards. Anything actually performance wise with the standard FTO. It certainly is not the reason why I bought an FTO that's for sure. It is still very fun though compared to my 90' Lancer and my 95' Fairmont Ghia

Post by **Bennoz** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:22 pm

I like my car

SG · Post by SG » Tue May 16, 2006 7:10 pm

fto617 wrote:in the end...i upgraded to new evo, only because FTO is 10years old, otherwise i would still keep it!!!
but man, when u drive evo, FTO corner is like....no offence but fully crap
but i still have FTO love inside!!!

lol fully crap compared to what!

get a lsd if you dont want any understeer...
and if you have decent tyres, you'll need to be hitting mivec in 2nd gear (around a hairpin!) before you lose any traction...(putting ya foot flat before the apex) have proved that on a track already... and i had standard hide height and shocks

the evo is so good compared to your fto because it is set up already to have very balanced handling when you give it heaps around a corner

khunjeng · Post by **khunjeng** » Tue May 16, 2006 10:01 pm

pretty stupid comparison really...

like for like boys....how can u compare a new EVO to an 10yo FTO...lol its like comparing your mum to Jessica Alba...don't know about your mum but .......

FTO AUSTRALIA

Having your own independant OPINION on sports cars

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Having your own independant OPINION on sports cars

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