Okay so here's the deal. My friend challenged me to a race, and he drives a 2008 VW Rabbit 5-speed. Completely stock, nothing on it.

I've got an 08 Cobalt LS 5-speed, and only thing I have so far are 17 x 7 Sportmax 962 rims and Goodyear Eagle GT rubber.

Now my friend is fairly new to driving stick, doesn't quite have his launches down, nor does he have the courage to shift quickly.

Me on the other hand, have had previous AutoX experience, have got my launches nailed to perfection, and I'm quite adept at shifting.

I know the newer Rabbit (170hp vs. 150 hp) is a significantly more powerful car on paper, but would my skill and increased tire grip give me a chance to prevail? I drove his car and it pulls significantly harder than mine.

The new tires hook up so quickly. I get maybe two or three chirps off my launch and second gear just hooks up and scoots. I'm just hoping he messes up ><

What do you guys think?

 

it will be close... if u can drive and he cant u should be fine

 

Yeah I'm bettin on that. But I'm wondering how long I can stretch the race out to before he catches up? Because after a certain point skill doesn't play a deciding factor anymore.

 

I am a believer that a Volkswagen rabbit should not beat...... Anything legally

 

that will be one of the most boring races seriously tho i think you should have no problem taking him.. esp if he is new to driving a standard

 

If you can drive, and he can't. Then you should be good.

 

since it's a be and not a bunny you got this. Otherwise my money was on the bunny. Dig or roll

 

for a roll u have him beat, our cars are great from 20-35 rolls,

from a dig the extra HP might have u beat off the line.

but u said he cant drive soooo....

 

if u read my thread a few threads down the page, i am fully bolted with shiftplus and raced a stock 5spd rabbit and he was able to keep within 2 car lengths of me so id say it should be pretty close esp. if he isnt a great driver.

 

i raced a rabbit once lol i laugh my ass off the whole way off the launch and roll i really never saw him close to me but u have an lt so i dont know how that car moves lol

 

i raced one when i was stock from a dig and it was an auto and i own a 5 speed and we were even till i hit second then i was about a half a car on him and kept pulling slowing till 110km then i shut down

 

The VW is also heavier. the 2.2 is torquey too.

 

Yeah it's from a dig. He wanted to do a 10mph start roll but the LS has incredibly short gearing and I would toss him off the road.

Yeah, I mean I've raced a faster car before with my power and I didn't lose...I just want to best this guy since it was the car originaly on the top of my list, haha.

YEah...it's a boring race since I only have an LS, haha. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Btw, raced another friend of mine with a new Rabbit, he's good at driving and we were dead even. Which I find funny...since the 5-speed LS does 0-60 in 7.8 and the 5-Speed Rabbit does it in 7.3.

I guess the new tires are doin their job?

 

Dear God 0-60 in the 7 second range! You poor guy.

 

Yeah....haha well put it this way. Here's all my old cars....btw, scratch the 0-60 times in the last post. apparently my car's faster, found a good source. I should win now =D

1998 BMW 318ti - 0-60, 8.3 seconds ><

1992 Pontiac Grand AM SE 0-60, 8.8 seconds ><

1991 Toyota Previa minivan DX 0-60...........10 seconds. >< >< >< >< >< ><

2008 Chevy Cobalt LS...0-60, 7.5 seconds =D

And the best part? Rabbit only does 0-60 in .1 sec less. I am going to murder my friend from a dig,

Car and Driver.com - "in fact, the Cobalt XFE sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in a very respectable 7.5 seconds, which makes it one of the quicker cars in its class. In our “Little Feet” comparison test of eight compacts, the Cobalt’s time would have placed it behind only the Mitsubishi Lancer GTS and in a tie for second with the Volkswagen Rabbit S, ahead of the Scion xD, Ford Focus, Suzuki SX4, Saturn Astra, and Toyota Corolla. "

And still gets 37mpg

 

magazine racing can be your worst enemy

 

Very true. But remember, this guy doesn't really know what he doing. I can stick by my 0-60 time, he can't. True, there are many variables to that clamied 0-60, but at least I know that they are close to compare and that it will be down to driver skill.

 

The Cobalts do surprisingly have some torque for being little cars. I raced my friend on here who has a SS/NA and it was from a light, with my SS/SC and up through 40mph we were dead even he also got a better jump off the line than I did.

Granted it's a 2.4L with a CAI but it surprised me to say at the least.

 

I concur.

 

Haha it's better than a 10 second 0-60 in a minivan...look at my previous posts, I've had some SLOW ass cars. Race is Friday, I'll let you guys know what goes down.

 

aren't the new VW's heavy as hell on top of that? plus get him on the lunch and youll do just ok shifting if you have autox exp. honestly you should scare him and give him a half car or something. usually taunting before you race screws the other driver up. especially a noob at that. he will hear your motor steady at 4k or w.e. at launch and he will ask himself why did i ask to do this. and boom you go it because as soon as you see those arms moove down BANG your out of the hole

 

pretty sure you have this one.

 

Yeah see he already has had a taste of riding in my old BMW and experiencing what I can do, haha. So he's already said I scare him. I figure I'll just spook him with a brief standing burnout, it's worked before in my van, haha.Last race we had was my 1991 Toyota rwd Previa minivan with 260,000 miles lol versus his 1998 Dodge Durango. And I won last time haha

 

Here's the result.

Rabbit launched horribly with too much wheelspin, I got a perfect launch. He held true to his rookie nameplate and shifted slowly and deliberately.

My tires chirped a few times and hooked up, and my LS never looked back. I banged 3 perfect shifts in a row, better than I had hoped.

I won by at least 4 car lengths to 60, and held him at bay all the way to 100, where the race ended.

All in all....you guys were right. It's just a porky Rabbit with a sucky driver =)

 

wow.......

how long did it take to hit 100?