Carl Lassiter

Driving back from Pasadena at 6.30pm tonight. I'm just lolloping along in quite heavy traffic doing 75mph and minding my business. From nowhere, up pops a convertible Carrera S, freshly cleaned that day. The driver plagues me by speeding up and slowing down. "I've been through this before," I think to myself. After two miles I finally turn his way, a look of puzzlement on my face. Maybe he just wants to see how many bus lengths I'll put on him, like I did when I was a Golf-driving teenager who happened upon a souped-up STi. Nope, guy in his 40s with slicked back hair. He looks back with a cocky/vacant smirk (no Maverick/Iceman references or lines from "Playing with the Boys" please, I'm just setting the mood).

He does his little speed up slow down routine one more time but who am I to judge, whatever floats his boat I guess. However, he then cuts inside and begins darting through the traffic. I watch on as he cuts from right to left all the time hoping he leaves himself just enough room and that, on this one day, the SoCal drivers look in their mirrors.

So that's it. No great end to the story where the road magically cleared and I got to stomp his cheesy grin into the asphalt. Not this time. However, the episode did again have me wishing there was a universal symbol for, "even if the road were clear, you're out of your league my man."

Deuuuce

Um.....yours!

But no automatics in any sanctioned race series, or less than .01%.

TemjinX2

i agree manuals are more fun. But most pro race series don't even use the third pedal anymore. F1 uses a form of DSG and WRC uses tip tronic shifting.

Only real race series that still uses the traditional manual is NASCAR. Thats because they haven't changed the tech in those cars in over 20yrs.

Manuals are fun for weekend cars, but your left leg starts hurting after driving through an hr of stop and go LA traffic for the daily driver.

aznAMG07

^^^Well, you better start working out your left leg some more, so it doesn't hurt! :P

TemjinX2

Eh, it just gets annoying. Its fun on the freeway ramps though.

Deuuuce

Actually real-world is the thousands of cars in NASA, SCCA and of course televised/semi-pro series like Speed GT, Touring, Grand-Am GT and Koni Challenge, IMSA GT3.

All using clutch gearboxes (manuals, sequentials, DCTs and SMGs), NO torque converters. That's the difference.

But ultimately we agree and thats why I didn't buy an E39 M5 or CTS-V - daily driver use!

Val678

Very NICE!!!!

I should bought an e55...lol..or a used one but I love the look when 335i drivers get smoked by my GS but i only beat them by 1-2 car length's and not one has looked over to acknowledge what has happened and 2 have done a ricer flyby, One of them I tried to do a 3 honk race and he boned out on the 1st honk, 335i drivers, i duno!!!!

Then one fine day a silver e55 in Walnut, CA ruined my killing spree, wonder if he is on this forum, happened a week ago.

Nice kill!!!!

Deuuuce

Umm..... I don't see forced induction in your signature. Or GS400/GS430.

Dude, come on. If you really believe you're beating 335is in a GS350 you've got a serious depth perception issue. Here's a possible hint - they didn't know they were racing you? And the 3 honk drop-out? He didn't want to waste his gas on a GS350.

I mean, let's be realistic. If its a guy who doesn't want to go WOT (and there are a LOT of drivers that never do), sure, you beat them.

But your car might run a 14.0 on it's best day. You're not killing routine mid-13sec cars that trap 5-7mph higher than you.

Jbizzy21

HLG600

You sure those drivers in the 335 were racing?

TemjinX2

i agree no way a gs350 can beat a 335i.

3800lbs with 303hp vs 3600lbs with 300hp.

Even the gearing goes to the bmw.

it was probably a 328 with the 230hp.

e1000

that's not considering the fact that the 335 is underrated. Stock for stock, GS350 has no chance against a 335i.

ex-BenzDriver9

Throw a couple of fat chicks in the back and you got a race my friend.

55fanatic

come on... lets all be honest... who wants to buy a ghey lexus...

uh sorry Xbd9

e1000

the guy in the 335 can definitely have the fat chicks. I'll take the skinny ones

ex-BenzDriver9

Just remember...most 3 Series drivers have egos so big, there might not be room for a fat chick. Just them and their needle dicks.

Val678

I've raced about 6 335i's and two I did lose to where chipped for sure but the ones that I raced that where bone stock I did beat but I beat one of them from 1/2 car and the other 3 from 1-2 car and in my book if a GS did that its a win but the one where did go 120+ the 335i will pull hard on the GS, the fi on the 335i at those higher speeds is to much for a any GS modded or stock to take on or even a IS350.

The specs on my GS not stock, it has a catback exhaust with a Tanabe axleback and K&N CAI, with TOMS external ecu tune and is getting 336hp at the crank and 271 wheel hp and ran a 8.7 on 1/8 mile and a 13.7 best on the 1/4.

There might be other varibles in the ones I beat but I beat those 4 for sure but over 125mph I don't stand a chance.

LOL and maybe one of them was a rebadged 335i with a rear body kit and aftermarket exhaust, hahahahaah, it is so cal.

and 2 of them I remember had 3 people in the car when I had 0 or my skinny friend so maybe I was lucky but c'mon let me keep my high for a couple more months until I run into a chipped vishnu 335i...lol

I was also using sportshift and dowshifted on each race and not sure if 335i's come stick or I just raced bad drivers, alot of variables, maybe they didn't launch right, maybe they accelerated later or maybe I was lucky. Stock to Stock 335i is faster car but the GS isn't a slouch either with the right driver.

335i Curb weight is - 3561
Lexus GS350 Curb weight is- 3710 = 200 pounds maybe I was skinner than the 335i drivers, I really don't know, lol, 335i are real fast cars I have seen stock ones get 13.1 at the track and even 12.9 but thats driver again and traction.

When I raced my friends c32 I passed it, kept 1/2 car lead but at 40mph it passed me was on his bumper till 90-100 and then he pulled hard on me after that.

but the 4 335i's I did beat the drivers always had a sad look on there face!!!!

Deuuuce

That's good data so I can definitely see it happening, driver and weight dependent, etc.

Is your car pulling timing at triple digits? Seems like it falls off above 100mph. Or is that when you're into an OD gear?

Val678

The GS350 Traps at 103.610mph but yeah It falls off when hitting 5th gear at around 105-110mph.

Stock for stock the GS350 is faster than the GS430 a reason I choosed it over the 2007 GS430, its gearing is better from 1-4 than the 430 and lighter!!!!

Hopefully in a couple years I will be back on the Benz side with a AMG, lol, or might go on the darkside with a BMW M. The GS is a great car but lacks a certain feel!!!!

Yardspeed

Ran a GS350 twice (short impromptu runs) with my Z4M a few months ago. The first time I was loafing because I didn't take him seriously. We ran pretty even through 2nd gear. Now that he had my attention, we ran again and I pulled him... However it was MUCH closer than I would have predicted esp. considering the 2nd time I was shifting at redline... Looks like they may be stronger from a slow roll than would be anticipated... A bolt on Gs350 vs a stock 335i may be a fairly competietive race

Air Marshall Eldritch

So what if an E55 may have beat a stock 335?

If you take it to the twisties, the E55 is toast.
















(This post mandated by the forum TOU)

c32used

Hey nice kill..but look for something worthwhile unless you were hoping it was a modded one.

dpavid

so true... the sad reality with hawaii though if that if you know somebody, then.....

360_iti

+1.
+2

Saprissa

so the guy was in a hurry, got off at an off-ramp, and this is another boring kill story !!

yawn ! move along... nothing to see here....