The Popularity of Calling Others "MAGAZINE RACERS."

[Keyshawn]

I've noticed a humorous trend lately: some people here love calling others "MAGAZINE RACERS" to point out that they know more about cars than the other person. I find this hilarious, since we freely bring up a single article in SCC about the Hotchkis Celica to point out the awesome performance potential of the Celica, yet many here call BS when about SEVEN mags (Road and Track, Sport Compact Car, Grassroots Motorsports, AutoWorld Weekly, Car and Driver, Automobile, Motor Trend) get mid to high 5 sec 0-60 and low to mid 14 sec 1/4 mile times on a stock WRX. The "Pro-Celica, Anti-Every-Other-Car" bias I sometimes see here makes me laugh.

Obviously, if you look at ONE magazine 0-60 time for a certain car and believe that to be the absolute number under any conditions and with any driver, you're an idiot. However, magazines are quite useful and reliable when you use the range of numbers from different sources as a reference point for judging a car's performance. Last time I checked, the race tracks and testing equipment that those magazine testers use are more accurate than the street races and butt dynos that 90% of us use to test out our car's performance. Something to think about.;)

[Chui]

Thanks for your insightful observation. I tend to laugh as well. What's more funny is the claims that "so-and-so cannot drive since they only ran xx.xx seconds in the quartermile."

[red97gsr]

What's also funny is that before this last article in SCC, I remember reading postings that talked about how SCC sucked and biased and couldn't drive because people didn't like the numbers they had for the stock Celica a while back. It's funny, but I've heard that in almost every car forum until the mag says something good about their car. People are funny. But I guess it's just that everyone is very passionate about their cars and want everyone else to see things their way. You do see this kinda 'attitude' on just about any forum though. A lot of people on 'enthusiast' forums get this 'us vs. them' kinda attitude. Some forums are worse than others, but I just try ignore things like that now.

[GTS LAID]

whats even funnier is that 95% of the people on this very same board know less than 50% than the people that work at the magazines... the last 5% falls into the category of equal or greater knowledge. its just lots of bullsh1t talk to make themselves feel better... dont let it bother you.. you're up there in the 5% keyshawn

[Peab0dy]

damn you to hell with your fancy mathmatics and your melissa joan hart graphics

[2002GT_Celica]

I'll agree with you on that one. Just like all the people here brag about their straight line performance when they win, but when they lose, all you hear is "you'll get them in the twisties..."

[FriedRice]

thats shakira lol.... damn u to hell with your ignorance of celebrities :D jp btw...

and keyshawn.. that's what i said... anytime ANYONE uses a magazine time to offer proof... others slam the guy, calling him ignorant and stuff.....

these people that drive for the magazines.. cars are their life... i'd give them the benefit of the doubt.. as they know craploads more than i.. but i agree that the celi's in magazines get worse times than many in our board... the only thing i can offer is.... u guys OWN the car.. u guys KNOW how to drive it.. where everything is, familiarity.... the other guys dont drive it for a month, then run the track.....

im out.... not sure if i made any sense there... but yea.. haha

[yakkosmurf]

Originally posted by Keyshawn
Obviously, if you look at ONE magazine 0-60 time for a certain car and believe that to be the absolute number under any conditions and with any driver, you're an idiot.
I couldn't agree more. There are too many idiots on this board.

[larryd]

Yakko.. admission is the first step :)

[Kry]

Maz racer
:stupid:

[yakkosmurf]

Originally posted by larryd
Yakko.. admission is the first step :)
Does that mean you're still in denial? :D

[CSteckel]

Ha Ha,
Yeah, I admit it was a bit risky for me to bring up the WRX topic like I did, but I had a pretty good idea I was gonna get axed for it in one way or another. These people (mag. test drivers drive/race/test new cars all the time. It's not like they grab joe schmoe off the street to test these cars (although some people feel they are better at driving their car than mr. Schmoe from the mag's). I just wondered how a range from mid 5's to 6.4 0-60 ever came up for that particular car. Didn't think I would get castrated for it. Geez, what questions aren't stupid to ask??

[MarkyMark]

you like math? How about 100% of people who put the radioactive symbol on their cars are retards :D

[gamota]

not every car has same performance..dynos prove that horsepower varies from car to car. so i think that's important too.

[Keyshawn]

Originally posted by CSteckel
I just wondered how a range from mid 5's to 6.4 0-60 ever came up for that particular car. Didn't think I would get castrated for it. Geez, what questions aren't stupid to ask??

Any car has a range of different times if you look at different sources. You could always average out the different times, if the range is too confusing.

[Keyshawn]

Originally posted by GTS LAID
whats even funnier is that 95% of the people on this very same board know less than 50% than the people that work at the magazines... the last 5% falls into the category of equal or greater knowledge. its just lots of bullsh1t talk to make themselves feel better...

I totally agree. The bull$hitters that you mention are an embarrassment to us all. It's ironic that those types of Celica owners often clown "Honda-worshipping idiots" who diss other cars because they aren't Hondas, and then turn around and do the EXACT same thing to cars that aren't Celicas.;)

[t2000gts]

Originally posted by MarkyMark
you like math? How about 100% of people who put the radioactive symbol on their cars are retards :D

are you sure? i thought when you removed the butterfly valve, all the gamma rays came out when you hit VVTL-i :D

[gts24]

I will admit to slamming people in the past who have gone soley by the magazine times. Which was in a way the wrong thing to do.

However, at times we gotta look at who is driving these cars. Alot of times it is just some scmuck journalist.

Check out the reviews on MSN cars to see what I mean. The guy that reviewed the GT-S managed to get a 16.1 time....

http://carpoint.msn.com/vip/heraudspecs.aspx?modelid=10210&src=vip

These review numbers are JUST carry overs from last couple years numbers.

I mean come on?!!!! that is terribly pathetic, this guy is seriously

A WRITER FIRST , then a "car reviewer".

I swear to you , my little brother that just got his permit to drive could get a better time than that.

This guy is a "respected" car reviewer.

I do agree that their are many professional drivers doing these tests and of course could out drive me even if they were drunk, but Magazine times are a place to start and then look at actual individuals who have had the car and get to drive it more than a max of 1 week.

Which brings me to another point. How long does it take you to actually get used to a car? Like when you drive it you feel like you and the car are just one smooth motion working together.

Quite frankly it took me at least 2-3 months to get anywhere near that comfort level with the GT-S. It has a finicky powerband, we all know that. To get the max potential out of this car, I feel you have to drive it for some length of time.

Which I do honestly feel is better reflected in some of the original pre 2002 SCC times. They have a "project GT-S", and they rod on that sucker quite often.

Those of you who have been to the track , think just how much your time suffered when you didn't land the 1-2?!! It really does affect it alot doesn't it!

[Chui]

Recall that the methodology of testing varies from country to country. We do not test with two people and a full tank of fuel... I don't think they got an ITR under 7.0 seconds either.

[J.C.]

Well, I'll admit it here and let it be heard.... I would be the first one to tell you that SCC was Honda a :bowdown: worshipper....
But after wiping away the frustration from my face I came to this conclusion.. " Hondas were the only thing out there at the time that had any real engine and suspension mods..." Lets face it...
But Keyshawn could'nt of hit more on the head.... I had a guy (who didn't give his name) call me here at work and basically say that our car in the SCC article couldn't do what was written about in the SCC article.... C'mon..... Don't give me that sh*t... He wouldn't beleive it.. There is finally a car here (and not just the Hotchkis cars) that can really put a dent in the Import / Honda market and it still doesn't get the respect it deserves... When this article was being written about and pictures were being taken and the feedback that the driver (SCC's) was giving, it was like a whole new realm was opened up.... Records fell, were shattered and almost brought down to nothing with this car... And all with stock motors..... Yes, even ours..!!! I know this car will bring more and more people to realize that in the end, this car can contend....!!!!
:applaud: :thumbup: :bowdown: :chuckles: ........ Anyways, just my two cents..