Damn that WRX top-end (or lackthereof)

***Verdugo*** · 03-23-2002 01:11 AM

I was coming home last night with my cousin and 3 of my friends from Blade 2...I'm casually (as in POT) getting on the freeway onramp and I notice that the car behind me is tailgating me. I punch it and I'm a good 3-4 car lengths ahead, but the guy behind me is still keeping up with me. We hit the freeway and I keep the pedal on the floor...70...80...90...100...by the time I look down to at my speedometer, I'm at 110 and I see the car behind me pulling on me hard. My little stock turbo just can't push it much more so as I hit 115, the car behind me finally passes me and gets a good 2-3 car lengths ahead. It's a stock '98-'00 Nissan Maxima, with 3 passengers in the car! I figure that Maximas have a good top end (still had 260 hp in that MY if I'm not mistaken and my mods are probably still under 250 hp) so I didn't feel so bad.

We get to a red light, and he's weaving around traffic so we can get side to side. I pull up next to him and my cousin riding shotgun looks over at them. Instead of a friendly racer, he sees the driver giving me the finger!!! My cousin flicks him off in return, the light turns green, and all he sees after that is my tail lights. He then turns off a street and it's all over.

This really made me mad. My cousin doesn't think I should take it too seriously but it's the first time I've had someone flick me off because of a race. What was the guy's deal?! Arrrrggh!!!

**slin02** · 03-23-2002 02:15 AM

I think it is a 3.0L 225 Hp maxima. Maxima is a quick car. the 260hp is the new 3.5L and that is a monster which is 02. anyways, don't under estimated Maxima. My non-SC Stillen Maxima can pretty much run with my catless and chipped WRX on the highway. the maxima is just like the WRX--" not a family sedan "

***Verdugo*** · 03-23-2002 02:29 AM

Yeah you're right I forgot they didn't have the 260 hp engine until lately. I've never underestimated Maximas...always loved those cars

This particular driver sucks though...hehe

**RNN14** · 03-23-2002 10:09 AM

Don't feel bad at all. A few years ago a mag tested a Lotus against a delivery truck. At the time it didn't seem fair. The Lotus smoked its ass and took off. A few miles down the road when the Lotus ran out of gearing and steam the delivery truck rolled on by. Your AWD, weight and gearing just aren't built for a high end only race. If that was the case you'd be driving a Supra, 300Z, R33 GTS-T Skyline, RX7, Chaser, Soarer, Verossa or another RWD turbo car.
One extra liter of displacement, better gearing, less drivetrain loss and better aerodynamics make it kind of unfair.

**TristineLim** · 03-23-2002 11:02 AM

Some guy in a Maxima gave me a thumb down before! And he was on the other side of the road going the opposite direction. And I was just confused for a sec until I realized that he was pointing at me.

**masanz1** · 03-23-2002 11:48 AM

as I said b4. Try the top end speed on snow vs that Maxima. The WRX is a rally car not a quarter-mile beast(even though it does well in that also).

**bayWRX** · 03-23-2002 03:40 PM

I also had an encounter with a Maxima tonight. if it makes you feel any better.. I pulled on the same year model maxima you encountered on the freeway tonight at speeds over 100. Then again I have Turbo XS stage 2 and up-pipe. The guy thought he can take me and came up from behind but I downshifted and pulled on him like mad. Later, because of traffic, he wound up ahead of me when I slowed down for safteys sake. He definately knew he couldn't pull on me so he did something girly like slowing down to 40 in the fast lane, then tried to speed up to leave me behind but it's no use when he speeds up I always start reeling him in quick. Then as I saw an opening ,tired of his 40mph in the fast lane sh!t, I changed lanes to pass him. Well guess what?! The little f*ck tried to sideswipe me as I was about to pass and purposely swirved into my lane almost hitting me!!! This was on a rain slicked night too! So I had to brake hard and swirve a little too.. Then I kinda let him go cuz he seemed like a frickin retard mad man p!ssed off that he is the inferior one tonight. He proceeded to drive crazily down the freeway almost killing himself when he almost hit a corrolla, and gave me the flashing hazzards to prove I dont know what. Eventually I passed him again and I returned the favor with the hazzards, thought about flipping him off too but decided not to since this pr!ck was nuts.. who knows what he might do if I did that.. He'd prolly try to ram me from behind or something!

**PlatinumWRX** · 03-23-2002 04:23 PM

Verdugo,

You aren't the first one to "complain" about the "lack of top end" in the WRX, but I think we are all forgetting something very important: The WRX has A TWO LITER ENGINE!!! Furthermore, the Mitsu turbo that comes stock couldn't be better matched for the engine size, valve area (with lack of variable valve timing), and emissions requirements. For a 3100lb. car that is pushed and pulled over the road by a complicated powertrain and a relatively small motor, I think the WRX does great.

This isn't a secret and many have figured this out already:
If you want the WRX to pull hard all the way to redline purchase the following items:

1) K&N airfilter <$50
2) Joe P MBC $48 delivered
3) Godspeed, Vishnu, or Perrin US market uppipe <$250
4) 3" bell-mouth, turbo-back exahust ~$1200

Do the following things.
1) Install the K&N Filter
2) Leave the "snorkel" and resonator intact to import high pressure air at speed.
3) Install the uppipe, make sure it doesn't leak
4) Install the MBC, set it to 16psi in 3rd, it will reach 16.5psi in 4th and 5th.
5) Install the 3" turbo-back exhaust

I give my personal guarantee that this will make the WRX pull to the top of third gear like a mofo. Shifting to 4th should no longer give the feeling of coming off peak torque either.

If this isn't enough for you, spend another $700 and get a unichip.

Sorry guys, the WRX has THREE catalytic converters, it's the price we pay as US consumers for poorly written federal emissions standards. Ideally run her catless. More realistically, Cobb Tuning turbo-back.

As an aside, low-end "grunt" is much more useful in a rally car than top-end. As masanz1 said, the WRX is a rally car. If you want hella top end, get a Z-28 SS. I've never seen one of those at an SCCA road rally, but it'll get to 150mpg pretty quick!

-Jim

**JDMario** · 03-23-2002 11:59 PM

what kind of power would one expect from only a turbo back exhaust?

***Verdugo*** · 03-24-2002 12:59 AM

I hear ya Plat

Short of the BC and turbo back, I'm right along that list of mods. I'm not really complaining that I lost in the top end though (despite what my subject line says)...I'm most pissed because the driver was such a punk...hehe

**BamBooI** · 03-24-2002 03:35 AM

You may have gotten pulled on because you are a 4 speed automatic, but the wrx does suck after 3rd gear at or mt.

**bayWRX** · 03-24-2002 04:38 AM

Like I said above, I pulled on that maxima no problem on the freeway past 100mph and mine is also AT. All you need is a unichip with full turboback. If you want you can even throw in an MBC to keep the boost fixed but I haven't done that for reliablilitys sake. I really think all of us who really are interested in getting the best performance out of our cars really shouldn't be on stock ecu since it negates our mods over time by adapting. The turbo xs unichip isn't too expensive only 700 bucks less than a turboback and is easy to install yourself.

AL