Shelby GT vs. Subaru Impreza STI

[ilmor]

Read this test;

 

http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/3941

 

And voice your comments!

 

Mine are:

 

1. Too bad SAI gave us a poor quality scoop, but at least they are correcting that issue.

2. That Subaru is UGLY!!!

3. In 10, 20 or even 30 years...what will be considered the best buy then? All these Subies will then be the soda cans we'll be sipping out of while cruising in our Shelbys.

3. That Subaru is UGLY!!! :barf:

[shelbymustangdan]

I was just having a discussion yeterday with a die hard Subie guy here in the office, who of course brought this to my attention.

 

Edmunds should have compared it with another tuner import......not the Shelby GT.

 

Bottom line......given the choice.......9.9 guys out of 10 would choose the Shelby GT over the Subie. That 0.1 guy out of 10 has a significant other at home that mandates him to buy a car with four doors or face sleeping on the couch each night! LOL!!

[fatboy]

I was just having a discussion yeterday with a die hard Subie guy here in the office, who of course brought this to my attention.

 

Edmunds should have compared it with another tuner import......not the Shelby GT.

 

Bottom line......given the choice.......9.9 guys out of 10 would choose the Shelby GT over the Subie. That 0.1 guy out of 10 has a significant other at home that mandates him to buy a car with four doors or face sleeping on the couch each night! LOL!!

and which one do you think you will pick up more chicks in? :bandance:

[Secondo]

Ilmor, man don't take it to heart. All those magazines and websites favor imports. I see it all the time. Who in their right mind would want the Subaru over the Mustang anyway? I agree with 'ShelbyMustangDan' and 'Fatboy.' And regarding the scoops, the Subaru is boosted while the Mustang doesn't need the boost. Add boost and you have over-the-top performance!! More than a match for the soda-can Subaru.

[ShowCar]

My offical stand on this video is, they sound jealous in the video.It seemed they just couldnt knock the Shelby enough.The technology of a 300+HP 2.5liter is awesome with all wheel drive,But thats where it stops for me.As for the STI outrunning the Shelby everywhere,Ill bet the subbie had soft compound tires on her to run those numbers.Anybody whose owned previous Mustangs know 2 tires make all the difference in ET's.Just look at the MPH in the video the Subaru barely breaks 100mph while the Shelby runs 104mph,thats horsepower. My 07 GT/CS ran 13.2 at 110mph with Drag radials, cold air,tune and a 5speed.So if you mount tires on the Shelby it will WALK the Subaru down the track.As for handling 4 tires will help.I do wish Shelbys did come with real tires though.

Im off the soapbox now.Next!!!

[JeffIsHereToo]

Guys, this is flame bait created by Subaru Fanboys looking to pick a fight in the press as they do on the highway. It's just silly! These are two VERY different cars directed at different audiences.

 

Nothin to see here move along....

[SoDakMac]

Anyone who has lived on the Planet for over 25 years and is a car guy (gal) would never consider the Subaru STI over a Shelby Mustang. I am sure Subaru makes fine cars but I would never own one of them. Give me the old Detroit iron bred, rear wheel drive, smoking tires, austere interior Mustang with its fake hood scoop (I happen to really like my hood scoop by the way) any day. Besides that STI is butt ugly. To each his own.

[mach 1 1970]

If i were blind, deaf and dumb then i might pick the Japan tin. But then who would drive it? Ugly is being kind to this" Star Trek car "beemed down one to many times.

[68fastback]

Guys, this is flame bait created by Subaru Fanboys looking to pick a fight in the press as they do on the highway. It's just silly! These are two VERY different cars directed at different audiences.

 

Nothin to see here move along....

 

+1

 

The ricers in that blog don't 'get' it -- thank God!

 

 

 

... and, yes, the Sube is UGLY! almost hard to look at

[moabman]

Standard Stupid Stereotype!

 

 

The Subaru is already at an advanced stage of modification while the Shelby still has plenty of room for improvements.

 

To see what the S197 platform is capable of, check out the Koni Grand Am circuit. The Mustang came in 2nd in the top Grand Sport division beating the Porsche GT3s, while Subaru came in 5th overall in the slower street tuner division.

[kellyjs]

2 TOTALLY different cars! If I was looking for a Japanese performance car the STI might be my choice, but thankfully I do not live in that alternate reality where a perfomance Japanese car is even part of my vocab.

 

From a heritage / legacy stand point lets compare the 2 just for fun.

 

Shelby GT

American Sports Car roots > meets Racing Legend Carroll Shelby > La Mans racing > Shelby GT350 and so on and so on... = Shelby GT

Timess legacy, collector cars with a proven perfomace heritage, long term investment opportunity

 

 

Subaru STI

Japanese grocery getter roots > meets a WRX performance package > Road Rally races > meets an STI package = REALLY fast, all wheel drive Grocery getter! (RED BULL sponsorships are a must!)

-It's lots of fun to be the boy racer that beats the moms in the mini vans to the store! The wagon hatch back is handy for those big trips to Sams Club too! Neon light packages are also considerd an upgrade.

 

Good times!

[jaydub Mach1]

A non-real world comparision created to generate web-site hits from outraged Mustang owners, IMHO. :burnout:

 

This reminds me of the comparion test that Car and Driver did with the SGT, Audi TT, Nissian 350Z and the Mazada RX-8. Yes, I'm sure that there are some that cross shopped these cars, but you either want a Mustang or don't.

 

All of these are totally different from the Mustang and SGT.

 

But, what others cars would potential Shelby GT buyers cross shop? I mean, until the Camero and Challenger come out???

[twicebitten]

what a bashing . that subarat is only good if you live in the swiss alps as far i am concerned . no camaro or chellenger or gto to compare to right now.

[SGT]

Standard Stupid Stereotype!

 

 

The Subaru is already at an advanced stage of modification while the Shelby still has plenty of room for improvements.

 

To see what the S197 platform is capable of, check out the Koni Grand Am circuit. The Mustang came in 2nd in the top Grand Sport division beating the Porsche GT3s, while Subaru came in 5th overall in the slower street tuner division.

+1

[AFBLUE2]

This topic was also discussed over on TMS, but many on that site are downright anti SGT for whatever reason. http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=74851

[CMCVette]

Chill, dudes- apples vs. oranges. Which one would make you feel better to drive, all other things being = ? Though I must say, if I lived in snow country & wanted a hot daily driver, I might consider it. Just like the Evo, they've got great technolody & are very fast cars. Different species, though. Vive la difference!

[stump_breaker2]

What a silly, one sided report. Subaru vs. Shelby? How stupid.

Some teenager is reading that report right now saying "oooohhh, I want one of those". Let them have their rice and we will see in ten years which car is worth more. A few tenths lost is worth a few thousand gained IMO.

Silly rabbit. Shelby's are for grown-up's.

[SoDakMac]

This topic was also discussed over on TMS, but many on that site are downright anti SGT for whatever reason. http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=74851

 

After reading these forums and talking to some local car guys for the past 9 months or so I still do not understand why some folks really like to trash the Shelby GT. Perhaps I paid too much over the standard GT but I figure an extra $7,300 was not totally unreasonable (not sure why gas guzzler tax added but that was not Ford’s idea) – shipping it to Las Vegas, parts and labor to convert it and then shipping it to me in a closed truck. Besides, it is my money so stuff it. They bad mouth the nonfunctional scoops, taped stripes, moderate HP increase, yada, yada, yada. Well, then don’t buy one. I happen to love mine just the way it is and if the Carroll Shelby outfit made a few bucks that is OK by me.

[SGT2666]

Guys don't take this wrong I love my car, but that is due in part to my early experiences with Shelby. Our family car in 70 was a 69 GT500 drag pack so my love affair started pretty young. I've always loved the look and feel of the mustangs in general and consequently I've owned a few. The reality though is that Ford in their infinite wisdom attempted to capture this market with the s197 by getting back to their roots. They wanted the price point on the mustang to be reasonable and the car itself to be a simple light attractive car that was fun to drive and affordable to the masses just as the original was in 64. I mourn some of the decisions made by Ford like going backward with the rear suspension and taking us back to a live axle but what can you do. Our cars are comparitively low tech but if you love the cars for what they are as we do then its just the price you pay. I actually semi considered an EVO or STI but couldn't get past the small size and fairly homely looks not to mention the farm implement sounds that come from the Sube motor. The Corvette is arguably more car for the same money but its not the one that swung my head around everytime I passed one.

 

Every time I walk out to the garage and see my car it brings a smile to my face and I can't ask for much more then that from a car. I love the look, I love the sound and the stiff suspension takes me back to my childhood and the many Shelbys I spent time in. The young man looking for a car trying to get the most for his buck undoubttedly doesn't understand these things. Sorry I'm rambling

[SGT/SC#0471]

So aside from the obvious. I noticed that Motor Trend said .91g skid pad to .89g skidpad on this comparison. Which is correct? Speaking of ugly have you guys seen the new Nissan GTR? The thread on the TMS site was full of SGT bashers. Funny, they never mention driving a GT and a SGT back to back, big difference. The extra charge made total sense to me, no BS for me to have a great car and a real Shelby with a csm # to boot.

 

I have had many Japanese bikes in the past (and still have one) and only one HD. The HD is fast for what it is, but it ain't no race bike. I still have my first HD and it will never go away. Kinda like a Subaru and a Shelby. If it needs to be explained..... Now if anybodys got a Datsun 2000 roadster they want to sell cheap I am in, Impreza, Wrx, no dice, pretty as a K-Car to me.

 

BTW Know why you cannot drive a Subaru in the rain, beacause rice swells when it gets wet.....haha (bad Harley joke, I know).

[SGT/SC#0471]

As an added note Shelby himself campaigned Toyota for a year or so racing, any trivia buffs out there remember the details?

[ilmor]

This topic was also discussed over on TMS, but many on that site are downright anti SGT for whatever reason. http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=74851

 

Some folks, unfortunately, have a tendency to try and tear down things they don't own.

[Secondo]

For such a favored comparison, the writer did have some very good things to say about the Shelby, though:

 

"Plant your right foot to the Shelby's floorboard and you're rewarded with an engine note so patriotic you'd swear Francis Scott Key tuned the car's dual exhaust. It's a deep, powerful sound that perfectly accompanies the thrust that comes with it. It'll take $800 in custom exhaust to get this much aural reward from the STI and even then it will only be pleasing if you happen to like the off-kilter thrum of a flat-4."

 

"What's more, a dip of the clutch and jab at the throttle is a sure key to the best powerslides this side of a GT500. The Shelby GT's balance on smooth surfaces is good and the information it offers a driver through its chassis is encouraging enough that we found ourselves with ample confidence to drive it very hard. Its steering is light but responsive and communicative enough to inspire reasonable confidence. There are few rewards in life greater than executing a perfect, tire-smoking powerslide, gathering it up and pulling up confidently at the next signal. This happens often in the Shelby GT. It's the kind of fun you can't have in any Subaru. "

 

"If drag racing is your thing, the Mustang is your car. Slap on some drag radials and it'll likely run with the STI. Plus, it feels a hell of a lot less likely to self-destruct during a day of redline launches. Subarus have always proven durable during our testing, but the physical load on the STI's drivetrain during a hard launch is unquestionably violent."

 

"Around the skid pad, however, the Shelby was surprisingly close, circling at 0.88g vs. the STI's 0.90g. It once again demonstrated the always-engaging ability to drive in never-ending sideways circles with a white haze pouring off its rear tires. Did we mention that this is fun? Or that it can't be done in a Subaru?"

[SFM6S006]

They are absolutely right ..... but I still chose the Shelby

[kaiserkreb]

Coming up next, a delorean vs, oh, I don't know, um, a Dodge durango with an aftermarket flux capacitor.

 

So silly comparing these 2 cars...

[mciarochi]

Coming up next, a delorean vs, oh, I don't know, um, a Dodge durango with an aftermarket flux capacitor.

 

So silly comparing these 2 cars...

Can you get a Hemi with the flux capacitor?

 

I know what you mean. Subaru v. Shelby. The concept makes my head hurt.

 

"Let's compare a baseball bat with a tennis racket, they cost about the same! When playing tennis, the slugger is a bit less accurate, but when you connect, it's like, wow! When we put the tennis racket up against Roger Clemens, we could connect with just about anything he threw. Of course, it just knocked the webbing right out of it after three hits, and we never actually got a base hit. So if baseball is your thing, you may want to stick with the bat."

 

I mean, it's not like I was thinking, "gee, do I want a Shelby, or a Subaru?"

[39Mustang]

Read this test;

 

http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/3941

 

And voice your comments!

 

Mine are:

 

1. Too bad SAI gave us a poor quality scoop, but at least they are correcting that issue.

2. That Subaru is UGLY!!!

3. In 10, 20 or even 30 years...what will be considered the best buy then? All these Subies will then be the soda cans we'll be sipping out of while cruising in our Shelbys.

3. That Subaru is UGLY!!! :barf:

 

Yes, but there is no subsitute for all-wheel drive in racing!

[krdale]

As an added note Shelby himself campaigned Toyota for a year or so racing, any trivia buffs out there remember the details?

Shelby did some development work on the Toyota 3000 GT, back in the day, but like all things Toyota, it didn't have any success on the race course . . . as seen in Formula 1 today . . . 1B a year and a back marker!!!

 

As far as the Subaru thing . . . they could have compared in to an 89 Escort Cosworth AWD . . . the Cossie would have handed the subi its ass . . . even though its 20 years old. There are AWD Cosworth Fords today prowling the streets in Britain making 600 plus at the wheels on pump gas . . . 0-60 under 3 secs and capable of 200 mph.

[AstroDan]

As to the comparison, I see these ricers all the time. They'll speed up to pull alonside with a grin on their faces, ask if I'm fast and want to go... I don't even look over!

I never pull up to them.

A friend of mine has a 350Z. Nice car. He asks if I like my Ford and says his can whoop mine. I just laugh!

I also see 50-60 yr olds pull up and give me the big thumbs-up! I'm 47 and I simply say thank you. To each his own... I knew exactly what I was getting. I'm basically a Mopar guy on the list for the new Challenger. I know the 1st time I see one on the road there will be some regrets, but no way can a car that heavy touch my simple SGT, and with a SC; forget abouyt it.

Sorry for the ramble, I just get tired of Americans going to such lengths to bash a Great American Classic. I've been to Japan, and trust me, they would rather have the Shelby there than the Sub.

[DDT]

As to the comparison, I see these ricers all the time. They'll speed up to pull alonside with a grin on their faces, ask if I'm fast and want to go... I don't even look over!

I never pull up to them.

A friend of mine has a 350Z. Nice car. He asks if I like my Ford and says his can whoop mine. I just laugh!

I also see 50-60 yr olds pull up and give me the big thumbs-up! I'm 47 and I simply say thank you. To each his own... I knew exactly what I was getting. I'm basically a Mopar guy on the list for the new Challenger. I know the 1st time I see one on the road there will be some regrets, but no way can a car that heavy touch my simple SGT, and with a SC; forget abouyt it.

Sorry for the ramble, I just get tired of Americans going to such lengths to bash a Great American Classic. I've been to Japan, and trust me, they would rather have the Shelby there than the Sub.

 

 

EXACTLY !!!!!!!!!!!

It doesn't matter to win a race if the car looks like a