Honourable CTRA website developer types... I'd like to float a suggestion.
When I click on my National Rank in My CTRA, it takes me to the top country stats page and pops up a window which details a list of racers by country. In the US, and I am sure other countries, you also separate by state.
In the columns of the data I can sort by points, wins, fast laps etc... What i'd also like to do is sort by State (or at least filter) so I can see together all the drivers in California. I've been trying to climb position by position and it would be nice to see this data all together...
Any chance? Pretty please? With knobs on... shiney ones...
EDITED: I just realized only the US has "State", even tho i'm an ex pat, any chance still?
My favorite color in the MR. That is so sweet man. Great car.
I've been eye balling the new X GSR at our local dealer here. I used to have a Talon TSi and this is one of the only cars that could replace it for me. Plus it has child seat mounts for my 3 year old little princess of house. I've worked my way up at my job and paid off all my debt with the goal of owning a Evo. Only life throws a twist at you all the time. Instead my wife is going to quit her job be a stay home mom and go to school. So my grocery getting hot rod will have to wait. I think my 68 year old father is going to try and buy one just to spite me though. Maybe I will get to drive it.
Well a much cheaper car than the EVO is the SRT4. By far for new cars the best bang for your buck. Even makes the Evo guys nervous Seats 5, full trunk, 30MPG, LOW INSURANCE (for someone under $25 I was less than $100 a month) Even comes with child safety restraints.
The driveline is rated of over 350BHP (some people making over 500HP on stock internals)
Anything in first is a no brainer, but once your in second the SRT-4 on par with the Evo.
If money is an issue the SRT-4 would fit in nicely. Just don't get confused at what car your looking at, it's no neon. Comes muffler free from factory, enjoy =)
The SRT-4 new could be bought for 20,000, upkeep would be cheaper, well any recuring cost would be cheaper than an evo =) could pick up a used SRT-4 for 8-16k or so.
I love the SRT 4 and have considered it. I wish they still made the neon version cause now it is a caliber. New it is the best bang for the buck when it was in production. Used might be a craps shoot considering so many of the younger crowd can get their hands on one. Makes me a bit uneasy about a used one.
The best thing about the SRT is the underrated HP and since it is FWD you don't loose near as much power to the ground as you do in a AWD (the thing i dislike most about the evo). If you put a 3 inch turbo back exhaust and a AEM EMS on the SRT 4 it would be stupid fast though. I've heard of people putting a very similar mod to a evo 8 and pulling 350whp out of it.
The Evo is my kind of car. But really i would take just about any 'car' over my 1997 4x4 Chevy Tahoe at this point.
I've just read the SRT4 is FF? Chris are you sure people are putting 500hp through the front wheels? Sounds very high... i've driven cars with 300hp at the front and boy the torque steer was painful and it struggled with the grip.
They also released em in the UK I see... interesting Dodge is trying to have a go at the Evo/Scooby market.
Chris recently emigrated to the UK from the US.. and then even more recently, imported his SRT-4. During most of the STCC, he was US-based. I think he was in the UK during the last round or 2 though
Chris: Why do you never mention it's a Dodge Neon? I remember seeing commercials telling me I could lease a Neon for $199, and thinking I wouldn't take one if it was free.
I did have a rather stylish '62 Volvo at the time...
and me visa versa.. I moved from Aylesbury (shit hole) to San Francisco (culinary delight)
UK also has the FQ400 Evo, which would eat up an STR4 no problems. The guy who built my last drift/race car (http://www.ap-tuning.co.uk/gal ... ShowItem&g2_itemId=53) has recently built a 700hp Evo 7. Not sure you'd get that sort of oomph through the front wheels.
EDITED: to say, sorry Chris, hope you don't think i'm having a pop... I just am not a fan for FF cars.
Hehe Nope, it's not everyone's cup of tea but if your in the market for a cheap fast, reliable car, thats cheap to maintain (to other performance vehicles of this type) it's the best bang for your buck.
It comes factory with a quaife LSD that does an awesome job limiting the amount of torque steer these cars produce. Going strait off the start lights of a drag strip, if you have lined your car up properly, will see NO torque steer. If you get it wrong there will be some tug but nothing 1 hand couldn't control, still would suggest two.
These engines and drive lines are rated for Dodge's S3 turbo kit which makes 360BHP and 300FT-lbs. It's a sach's clutch coupled with a transmission capable of handling the torque loads. There have been some drivers making over 500BHP on stock internals, not recommended. Most guys will run 350-400 on stock internals. Once the internals are swapped out these engines are capable of over 800BHP.
There is a bore kit available that will turn this engine into a 2.6 and that will create over 1200BHP and run the 1/4 mil in less than 8 seconds, not too shabby for a fwd =) Most people are running 11's and 12's before they have huge traction issues off the line. That being said anything in the 500+ range tends to spin the tires when speeds are in the triple digits so while the engine is capable of handling that much power the FWD does have difficulties, RWD would too, but nowhere near as much as a FWD.
Dodge underrated these vehicles when they first came out at 230HP and these engine create over 270 crank HP. Since they came out in 03 other manufacturers have followed suite. Mazda has the Mazda 3 speed which creates 260 brake, the mini which makes 250, and the cobalt which also makes 250. the civic has tried to keep up, they increased HP to over 200, but had to increase compression to do it, 11/1 or in other words time bomb for most road going cars, but knowing Honda they may have found a way around it and will keep reliability high.
The suspension is done up nicely too and with a competent driver will out perform any other FWD on the market. The only vehicle that even comes close is the mini works edition.
Because it's not a Neon, it's like calling the Evo a Lancer, people just don't do it! The engine is different, almost a half a liter more than the biggest neon engine, the transmission is beefier, the suspension is more capable, seats are a ton better, gotta love Viper seats, and the bodywork is different. So I cannot call it a Neon because it isn't one =)
I used to get prickly about people calling it a Neon, but for people that have never driven one oh how little do they know I think I started another convert last week (Chris)
This all being said, it's not the 'ultimite performance' and if I had the cash I wouldn't have bought a cheap FWD car (I don't dislike FWD RWD just feels more.... natural) but if your budget is tight and want the best performance money can buy, for a newish car this is where it's at. To this date it's still the fastest production FWD in the world with the best handling capabilities.
I am from Wisconsin, but as Sam said I have moved to the UK and imported my vehicle. For you UKer's looking at vehicles these cars can be bought, imported and on a UK road for 8-10k GBP.
I realize thisnameistaken that was intended as a gentile joke, I hope I am being received as the same =)
I think my 68 year old father is going to try and buy one just to spite me though. Maybe I will get to drive it.
Seats 5, full trunk, 30MPG, LOW INSURANCE (for someone under $25 I was less than $100 a month) Even comes with child safety restraints. 
I remember seeing commercials telling me I could lease a Neon for $199, and thinking I wouldn't take one if it was free.