If you haven’t been to the projects section in the last couple weeks, you haven’t noticed that it is in the midst of an overhaul. I’m having fun. First of all, I am somewhat of an otaku. Not like Mike Garret is an otaku, although I am there as well, but I am an otaku in the traditional sense. That means I watch cartoons and play video games. Shame. Anyways… attribute charts are a pretty common thing in the world of real otaku, so I decided to make one for our cars.
Accel. – I was thinking straight up in terms of 0-100km/h. Four seconds at the top.
Power – just peak hp, I didn’t think about torque or area under the curve at all.
Lightness – the inverse of weight. 900kg at the top.
Roadholding – sustainable lateral acceleration. I’m not saying I’ve measured this for all cars. We have data on some and experience fills in the holes.
Balance – defined as how well the car reacts to drive input. Throttle response, cornering prowess and overall drivability when it matters.
Amenities – luxuries and comforts. How much do you want to take this car on a long road trip with your whiny girlfriend?
Fit/Finish – full marks would be equivalent to new condition.
Offroad – a few of our vehicles see offroad use, but more than that, I thought it would be an interesting way to show how some of our “sports” cars have strayed from practicality. Zero means the car is practically banned from all but glassy smooth asphalt.
Durability – call it the general lack of concern that something is going to break.
My disclaimer is this: it’s for fun. Ease the hell up. I tried hard to accommodate all cars but of course there are limits. Of the nine attributes listed, only four are actually measurable. The rest is all subjective, and I’m the judge. However, the objective is to visually show how all of our cars compare. At the very least, I hope that other otaku will get tight pants over it like I do.
Hiya,
I stumbled across your site a fair few years ago when you still were in possession of the GZ20, while I myself was feverishly searching the net for any information I could find about my new purchase/build. I was somewhat disappointed when you sold this car on and actually stopped viewing your blog for a number of years. Recently I have found my way back to it and am once again captivated by your thoughts, views and builds. I still have my Z20 (now with a 1JZ-GTE and other substantial mods) and have been hankereing for an AE86 for nearly as many years. So I figure you would be the best people to answer the question that continually plagues me… Which do you feel is the better car? And for what reasons?
I note in your graphs that you have attributed the GZ20 with better fit/finish and amenities, which is to be expected, but your AE86 (your latest) blows it out of the water with regards to lightness, roadholding and balance. Also there doesn’t seem to be significant difference in your ratings of acceleration and power which surprises me somewhat.
Is this an indication of the old adage that lightweight sports cars are more fun than luxury GT’s cum sports cars?
The reason I ask is I have recently purchased a JZX91 also (2JZ-GE Toyota Mark2) and have found the handling in this to be a great improvement over the Z20 and A70 I used to regularly drive.. and it has rekindled my thoughts about the AE86 perhaps being a more fun, and greater bang for buck vehicle to be building/driving/modifying than the Z20 Soarer.
Your thoughts, views and opinions would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers
Dave
wow. Now that’s a comment.
My initial response is that not to much value can be placed on the charts when comparing two models of cars in general. The charts shows more, the directions and extent of modifications, and since I believe that any car can be a great car, I don’t know how many conclusions we can actually draw about GZ20 or AE86 etc etc.
Certainly, I would not call the AE86 a great bang for the buck vehicle anymore. It certainly was in the late nineties, IF a light tune was your intention. Recently the influx of Japanese imports to Canada, and the aging of S13, S14, X83 and more have effectively levelled the playing field as far as costs.
The reason I drive AE86 is history and familiarity, and it’s ultimately why I have returned to it again and again. I do believe I could have just as much fun in a GZ20 if I modified it in a similar manner (footwork and balance as top priority). That happens to be what turns me on most.