Chris Walton wrote:
<snip>
First off, I was wondering if anyone out there has an opinion on the 2000
Celica GT-S. I read that the SCCA has classified it in G Stock. I recently
drove one of these things, and I think this car is going to kick *ss and
take names in GS.
<snip>
Hi Chris,
Welcome to the sometimes interesting, sometimes enlightening, often cranky
:-) world of Team.net. Glad to have you with us!!
I just picked up my '00 Phoenix Yellow Type-R and boy, I sure hope you're
wrong about the Celica :-) )) Seriously though, I did test drive a '00 GTS
and I thought it was impressive but I don't think its going to really kick
a** in GS. Here's why -
1) Torque - Although Honda/Acura cars are criticized for being torqueless
wonders the Celica seemed worse at low RPMs then even the Integra GSR. If
you look at the dyno curves in Sports Compact Car (I forget the month)
you'll notice that ALL of the Celica's HP advantage over a GSR is above 6000
RPM. Why? Because the torque curve is fairly peaky. End result is the Celica
is going to have a tough time accelerating out of turns compared to the
DSMs, Type Rs and even GSRs - It's only going to work well at high RPM and
the tranny, even though its a 6 speed is not close ratio enough to keep it
there
2) Big stock wheels - those 16" wheels are going to weigh more than the
Type-Rs 15" further exacerbating the torque deficit. They are wider but it
remains to be seen if anyone will be able to fit bigger than 225s in the
wheel wells (the Type R can get 225s on the front with stock-legal 1/4"
spacers. I think the DSMs can go bigger.
3) Limited head room - Without a helmet, 5'8" me was brushing my head
against the roof. The car I tested had a sunroof so maybe there'll be
another 1" clearance but still not enough to sit fully upright for anyone
5'10" and up. But good luck finding a non-sunroof GTS this first year. The
dealer I spoke with said the GTS models are all coming in loaded.
4) Outward Visibility - The GTS was not terrible but front corner visibility
was not as good as the Teg
5) A possible engine glitch? Two magazines have reported a significant dip
in HP curve at the cam crossover point on the GTS. When I test drove the car
I only went up there once and did not notice a dip but I also did not notice
a real kick when the second cam profiles took over like you do with Honda's
VTEC. I would be concerned that when I jumped on it, it wouldn't be there.
All that said, I was extremely impressed with the GTS handling. Turn-in was
GREAT. and the car was pretty darn neutral for FWD. It did not seem as quick
to take a set as the Type R but that may be a tire thing. Overall I think
the GTS will give the Type R and DSMs a good run but I do not believe it
will dominate.
Regards,
Alan
'00 GS Phoenix Yellow Type-R in the garage and waiting for spring :-)
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