What the Fu- Production Protege does 14's!

[jaketuff]

Okay, I read thru the latst issue of MT today and noticed a commercial for "MAZDASPEED." They talked about Turbos for cars and a T-25 Garrett ball bearing Turbo.

Well, I read on and found that they are GOING TO OFFER a MazdaSpeed Protege from the showroom witha warranty!!! Okay, so what, it ain't know EvoVIII, or Stii - well, the sucker is boosted from 140HP to 170HP, and it now does 0-60MPH in 6.5sec, and the quarter in 14.9 at 93MPH!!! Unbelieveable, even Mazda knows the deal, give it power and it will be bought!!!

They plan to offer 6,000 a year of these things...

Okay that is excitement! Now from GM the excitement is -
Ponti-who? Chevy-wha? Sat-heh? Olds-Oh yeah.... they don't believe in selling power... the beancounters make sure that the only things sold are 4wd Rolling Roadblocks, or 2wd Buick Roadblocks...

Hmph,

JOUT

[VTECSiGAH8R]

Ya know, when I saw the Mazdaspeed Protoge in Motor Trend with the 350Z on the cover, I immediately started laughing when I thought of this forum. I say this because like the day I bought the magazine, someone on this forum had gone to a Protoge forum where they were talkin smack about grand ams, so some grand am people from here went over and told them how slow their Protoges were.

The Protoge people immediately responded that their MP3 version handled much better by showing info that some magazine (Car and Driver maybe) had rated their car like the number 7 best handling car in the world, including supercars.

Now all I can think of is how now the GAGTs don't even have straight line performance better than the Mazdaspeed Protoge now after going to their forums and everything!

We have Pontiac excitement, but it comes by way of Magnason Products. I guess it's Eaton SC excitement. Now Mazda is finally backing up their commercials, ZOOM,ZOOM, ZOOM. PONTIAC, WHERE IS YOUR ZOOM? Ram Air, Yeah Right.

[Vintalage]

I personally think the Grand Am GT should have more power. A 5 hp jump from 170 and a 10 torqe jump from 195 is ridiculous. I don't think of Ram Air as anything significant. I think of it as a marketing tool to reel customers in. Not saying that it is bad. The GT should be pushing 200 or 215hp and 230 or 245 torque. And why didn't gm upgrade power for the 2003 "update?" Or come out with the supercharger, put it in the Grand Am, make other mods to the Grand Am to give it a somewhat substaintial increase in performance and name it GTP, SC/T, or Hot Wheels edition. With a decent price of course. Come on Gm.

Why do you guys even have Grand AMs?? Not to bash any side hear but... You should be alittle more ummmm... enthusiastic about the cars you drive. I mean you liked the car enough to buy it, then you got excited and found a web club about it... so I would think you would stick up for it just a bit more? Kinda odd I think for you too bash the cars you own on a web sight for people who are into it?

[WOLF]

If I remember right the car does 0-60 in 7 seconds and putters down the 1/4 in 15.4 not in 14 range. So for a car that weights over 300 lbs less and has about the same hp WITH a manual it really doesn't have that good of proformace numbers. Drop a manual in a GAGT and will do the same WITH an extra 300lbs on its back.

Please people, you have to remember that these are tiny spec "I can hardly fit in the back seat" cars not even close to the size and weight of a GA, so if you want to go faster than a Mazdaspeed Pro. just go Borla add a cone filter and some other add-on that will add about 5hp and you'll out run a Protoge. Plus the price of a that Protoge is basically the same as a nicely loaded GT. Hmmmmm, I think I'll take the GA for more room in every direction and the thought of only spending a extra grand to outrun one.

In other news, we can blast a Toyota MR2 with ease, 0-60 8.2 and 1/4 in 16.2 @ 86mph for 25+ grand. Ok, now try to figure that blunder out compared to dissing a GA over a incredibly smaller and lighter aftermarket tuned Protoge.


I'm starting to think that alot of you don't understand what cars the GA is going against and what cars to compare it with *read up people before comparing crap*.

[jaketuff]

Originally posted by WOLF
If I remember right the car does 0-60 in 7 seconds and putters down the 1/4 in 15.4 not in 14 range. So for a car that weights over 300 lbs less and has about the same hp WITH a manual it really doesn't have that good of proformace numbers. Drop a manual in a GAGT and will do the same WITH an extra 300lbs on its back.

No pal, not to flame, but YOU need to read. Take a look in MT. It has a story on this 14 sec Protege, it is 1 page and an ad for MazdaSpeed. We should be able to demolish these small cars as you say, that is what upsets me...

MazdaSpeed is like the SVT of Ford, the STI of Subaru, the Mugen of Honda, the R/T group at Chrysler... And the "yet to be named" section of GM.

I am one of the more hardcore Grand Am enthusiasts here, but call it like it is, other manufacturers are blowing us away now. I have a GAGT with a SC, and I am just a tenth faster than this special factory edition Mazda Protege!!! That is crazy... BUT I WILL BE FASTER!

If only there were a fuel system/PCM reprogram for the GAGTs that are SCed... Then we would be MUCH faster.

JOUT

Dude listen to what you are saying!!!!! Our cars are a basic design. They havent been taken apart andput back together buy specialests at a sepret shop with highperformance race parts... Yet we still are a really good compeditar against any sooped up car out there! and priced under most of them out there! let alone the comfortzone is way nicer!!GIve it up for Pontiac!!Thell get to the point of after market power..but they need the money first! and witht he way the price there cars affordable it takes a while...

[WOLF]

I was going by Car and Drivers full report on the Protege, which seems sometimes to have more realistic #'s compared to motortrend. Anyway, Car and Driver report had the P. doing 0-60 in 6.9 seconds with a strangly slow 15.4 @ 91 1/4. Usually a car that will crack the 7 second barrer will have a faster 1/4 but eh, maybe its the motor or a bad clutch.

I do think people seem to get confused because the last gen. GA was the size of the current Sunfire and weighted only 2880 lbs in 1998 compared to 3120 lbs in the current 1999-up GA. The Protege weight wise and size wise should be compared against the Focus SVT, Civic Si, Sentra SE-R, and VW Golf 1.8T.

That makes a much better comparison, and the Protege comes out pretty much on top, only car better is the Golf and at the same price too. But then again, the compition is a good grand cheaper if you exclude the VW Golf.

What WILL be neat to see is the next gen. GA going against the 240hp accord, Camry *yawn, never have liked that car*, Altima, and some other mentionables. Will basically anything in the 19grand to 24grand range, still I have yet to hear how much the next GA will be and that will be really interesting to find out.

[WOLF]

We can atleast say that we can blow the doors off a Dodge Stratus R/T 0-60 in 8.5 seconds and the 1/4 in 16.6 @85mph and they want 24grand for one of those.

Also by the way Jake, with that 1/4 mile you have there, you can out-run a Mustang GT and those will set you back some 23000-27000 dollars. Sound cool to you? The avg. 1/4 mile for the 02 Stang GT is right at 15 seconds, just read the September 2002 Car and Driver and that should put a big grin on your face!

[VTECSiGAH8R]

Stang is nice, but I'd get a slightly used Z28. I don't care if people say the interior is outdated and cheap and the ride is bad, that 310 hp and 340 ft/lb of torque is soooo attractive for the price. I can just imagine throwing that baby into second from 50 mph now, and ride her up to 100+. MMMMM, the power

[gagtgrrl]

Originally posted by jaketuff
MazdaSpeed is like the SVT of Ford, the STI of Subaru, the Mugen of Honda, the R/T group at Chrysler... And the "yet to be named" section of GM.

a good analogy, showing the "performance" groups for these auto makers..but gm's IS the gt. the gt has always had the reputation of being "the faster series"
you must remember- our cars are grocery getters they are not high performance machines. i know this and full out admit, for what it is, it's quick, but i do drive a slow car compared to what is out there. stangs are way more horse for less cash..b/c our cars are grocery getters.
the way you're comparing our car to these is like comparing apples to oranges. compact vs. mid-size is quite the difference...it's like comparing a mini truck to a 4X4 and taking them both offroad.
my brother in law has the svt foca$$ and i will admit it's very close between us.
sure, the ones with the s/c SHOULD be able to beat these compacts, but sometimes there are things in life which throw you for a loop (b t w frank- nice vids from milan drag..the vortech s/c is the {better} one all the big boys use up here..heehee but we won't get into that will we?!?)
we were at the track a few months back and there was a 10 sec civic smoking a gtp. now, one would think it would be reverse, but with a few mods anything is possible.
i think i've made my point..but what do i know..i'm "just a grrl"

Originally posted by jaketuff


No pal, not to flame, but YOU need to read. Take a look in MT. It has a story on this 14 sec Protege, it is 1 page and an ad for MazdaSpeed. We should be able to demolish these small cars as you say, that is what upsets me...

MazdaSpeed is like the SVT of Ford, the STI of Subaru, the Mugen of Honda, the R/T group at Chrysler... And the "yet to be named" section of GM.

I am one of the more hardcore Grand Am enthusiasts here, but call it like it is, other manufacturers are blowing us away now. I have a GAGT with a SC, and I am just a tenth faster than this special factory edition Mazda Protege!!! That is crazy... BUT I WILL BE FASTER!

If only there were a fuel system/PCM reprogram for the GAGTs that are SCed... Then we would be MUCH faster.

JOUT

The GM group that will make souped-up versions of select GM car and trucks is named, drum roll please, GM PERFORMANCE DIVISION. Quite original, huh?

[black99gt]

Im not willing to to spend a huge amount of money to just knock TENTHS of my car! Thats just dumb i hate to say it.

If i was going to Drag Race my GA for competition, then i would spend the money.

The only other things im going to do to my car: New suspension, exhuast and the rest of the *** kit.

If that... I love my car dont get me wrong, but I could be putting my car payment each month towards a much better car.

In my opinion... GAs are not meant to be modified. I could take 3k and buy a sc for my car and drop .8 tenths off my time.

The guy next to me has a turbo car, spent 2k in mods and just dropped 2 SECONDS... And his car will probly outlive mine anyday.

Hands down... my next car will come from the factory WITH a Turbo.

Or a RWD V-8 with a 6 speed manual.

[black99gt]

Originally posted by KmanGT1
Or a RWD V-8 with a 6 speed manual.

KMan If i had the insurance money for that... I would have a WS6 rite now

Originally posted by black99gt



KMan If i had the insurance money for that... I would have a WS6 rite now

Yeah, the insurance costs are insane.

[Vintalage]

I'm not bashing on the GA nor GM. I like the GA and plan on getting one. I drive an Alero right now. For the money, the GA is a pretty decent car. I don't think of the GT as a groccery getter. The malibu is more for that. I just think the Grand Am needs a model to top the GT, like the Grand Prix has. The Grand prix has a supercharger, why can't the grand am get that from the factory? The Grand Prix has SE, GT, and GTP. The grand am should be the same. Just my opinion. Still, the ga is a great car.

[jaketuff]

Originally posted by KmanGT1
The GM group that will make souped-up versions of select GM car and trucks is named, drum roll please, GM PERFORMANCE DIVISION. Quite original, huh?

Glad to see that someone else knows!!!

www.gmpartsdirect.com A good source for the part offerings out of the catalog.

The thing is that they have never been at the forefront, only now with the Cavalier and the Ecotec are they finally awakening. OTW, it seems much of their concentration has been on the crate motors, and 8 cylinder rides.

I know that the GAGT is a sporty family car, but still, their is more potential in the performance side of it... I just think it is a shame that GM will not step up and at least add option packages that will give PERFORMANCE, not just looks. But at least they have started to work on the looks recently!!! Maybe soon they will step up the FWD performance options on more of the cars...

Pat

[WOLF]

Well the problem is why work on aftermarket parts right now for the current GA when a new one will be coming out soon in the first place. It's not going to have the same engine, lets just wait and see what GM has up thier sleeves because they DO want to gain some of thier market back by offering turned up rides for young people that want go-fast automobiles. THats one reason we are about to see some very interesting changes in the next 2-3 years if not less.