Trivia

The latest Porsche 911 Turbo can go from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and then back to 0 in 2.6 seconds. That's 0-60-0 in 6.8 seconds...close to the performance of many "sport" coupes and four door sedans.

The following is a list of recommended cars for varying price ranges.

Less than $30,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

$75,000

$90,000

$100,000+

Comments

The 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX is finally here. Boasting over 200 horsepower from a four cylinder engine in a boxer configuration, this car will put all other cars in its class to shame when it comes to handling on dry, wet, snowy, dirt, and mud roads. With tuning possibilities available from Subaru Tenica International (STi), you would be wise to watch out for these on the road before thinking you can easily overtake one.

Specialty cars that are currently only available in Europe and Japan

As subaru likes to say, these cars are race proven, not inspired. In the world of rally racing, the Impreza WRX Turbo and Evo VII are hardcore competitors. Each car has numerous specialty series, such as the 22B and P1 for Subaru and the Evo VII for the Mitsubishi. With 0-60 times in the 4 second range, ferocious grip in wet, dry, dirt, snow, ice, due to their rallying heritage, these cars will accelerate faster and handle better than almost every street legal car in the U.S. In fact, a Top Gear (a British TV show) test drive of the Nissan Skyline GT-R (rumored to be coming to the U.S.) is rated for pulling 0.94g on the skidpad and over 1.5g on cornering. Videos showcasing these car's performance are available at Taner's Videos.

0-60 and Quarter Mile times for various car brands

It's what all North Americans are concerned with...in Europe, they are concerned with top speed.
Car Statistics

Cool places to drive in the United States

All 50 states
Texas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Laguna Seca Raceway
Lime Rock Park

There are many more raceways in the U.S. Check Google by searching for your state and raceway. Before renting time at a track, enroll in a high performance driving course so you won't wreck your car. In fact, you should be taking a modified "beater car" (old sports car you can modify for cheap, ex, Mazda RX-7) so you don't ruin your nicer car.

Instructional Racing Schools

If you want to learn how to control your new car (or cars in general) better, check out the following schools of driving:

Open Track
Trac Quest
Touring Car Club

Beginners should enroll in any of the following schools:
Russell Racing
Skip Barber
Bondurant
Jim Hart Kart Racing

Rally Racing!

So, you've bought a WRX, imported a WRX STi, or imported a Mitsubishi Evo VII? Check out SCCA for information on local amateur "parking lot" racing and rally racing events.