Interesting, and cool.
I had a kill this morning on the way into work.
A bright-red, recent-model Subaru WRX STi. His spoiler was about 18 inches high as I pulled up next to him at the stop light. I would estimate he was pushing high-200 HP, if perhaps not a bit more. Mid to late 30s, he was looking over at me while revving his fart-can-equipped motor four or 5 times. Very casually, I ungripped two fingers from the edge of my steering wheel and flipped on the N2O activation switch & bottle blanket switch located just inboard of the headlight switch. With my right hand, I dropped my fingers down to the middle of the console and clicked the BergWerks FGS activation switch located between the rear windows switches on, and then slid the E/S switch on the shift gate rearward to the "E" position. A quick blast of the purge valve (didn't want him to see or hear the cloud escaping) to clear out & fill up the pipes, and a couple of revs in neutral got the car ready for the grim task ahead. SOMEBODY had to do it.
I waited as the two left-hand turn lanes took their turns at the green arrows ... waiting and watching the local Texas soccer moms in their Range Rovers and Yukons and ML350s and the workmen in their jacked-up F350 Super Dutys and old GMC 2500s sliding by into the intersection, guided by the green arrow overhead. I was planning my move, tensing, waiting for the right moment to spring into action. My right foot was poised above the go-pedal, my left foot on the brake just barely holding the car into place with a light touch of my Allen-Edmonds wingtips.
The dual lights for the straight-ahead lanes turned green. And we were off for the 1/4 mile to the next stoplight. This was heading due south at the intersection of Kuykendahl Rd. and The Woodlands Parkway in The Woodlands, TX.
It was no contest. As soon as the light went green, I mashed the throttle to the floor. My senses felt the click of the switch beneath the gas pedal as the car surged forward. He was even with me for about the first 100 feet, until the E500 upshifted from its extended hold on first gear. After slamming into second, I began to feel the nitrous come on line. The sensation triggered a quick thought from when I was six years old, and on the operating table at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma, Washington, commencing some major surgery. For some reason, he feeling of the nitrous coming online in the car reminded me of the feeling of the gas I was inhaling from a rubber mask over my nose and mouth on the operating table, as the anesthesiologist put me to sleep as part of the surgery process. It was a feeling of calmness, tranquility and absolutely no fear. It was amazing to have that same sensation triggered some 37 years later.
The car plunged forward and I could feel the boost just push me more deeply in my seat. The E500's exhaust note got audibly louder, but it got louder at a much faster clip than usual. I watched the speedometer and the tachometer wind around their dials in amazement, keeping the car in the lane through my peripheral vision. Only too soon, the stoplight and intersection at Kuykendahl and Flintridge Dr., just blocks from my neighborhood, loomed ever closer. I began to apply my brakes and coast back into reality. I looked around me. No cars, anywhere. I couldn't even find the Subaru. Finally, I heard his fart can as he came up on my left to the stoplight. I had beat him by at least four of five car-lengths.
He refused to look at me. I smirked.
Just a block after the stoplight, on the other side of the intersection, the two lanes of Kuykendahl traveling southbound turn into one lane -- the four-lane road turning into a two-lane country road over Spring Creek from Montgomery County into Harris County. I was sort of anticipating another quick sprint with the Subaru driver to get the pole position at the merge point. At the last second, as I applied throttle to go through the intersection, I decided to just proceed at a normal speed.
The Subaru? He drove like a dog with his tail between his legs. He didn't even try. He knew he was beaten. When I arrived at the merge to the single lane, the Subaru was following me at the same distance I beat him to the stoplight by.
Finally, if only temporarily, he was in his place.
Cheers,
Gerry
I had a kill this morning on the way into work.
A bright-red, recent-model Subaru WRX STi. His spoiler was about 18 inches high as I pulled up next to him at the stop light. I would estimate he was pushing high-200 HP, if perhaps not a bit more. Mid to late 30s, he was looking over at me while revving his fart-can-equipped motor four or 5 times. Very casually, I ungripped two fingers from the edge of my steering wheel and flipped on the N2O activation switch & bottle blanket switch located just inboard of the headlight switch. With my right hand, I dropped my fingers down to the middle of the console and clicked the BergWerks FGS activation switch located between the rear windows switches on, and then slid the E/S switch on the shift gate rearward to the "E" position. A quick blast of the purge valve (didn't want him to see or hear the cloud escaping) to clear out & fill up the pipes, and a couple of revs in neutral got the car ready for the grim task ahead. SOMEBODY had to do it.
I waited as the two left-hand turn lanes took their turns at the green arrows ... waiting and watching the local Texas soccer moms in their Range Rovers and Yukons and ML350s and the workmen in their jacked-up F350 Super Dutys and old GMC 2500s sliding by into the intersection, guided by the green arrow overhead. I was planning my move, tensing, waiting for the right moment to spring into action. My right foot was poised above the go-pedal, my left foot on the brake just barely holding the car into place with a light touch of my Allen-Edmonds wingtips.
The dual lights for the straight-ahead lanes turned green. And we were off for the 1/4 mile to the next stoplight. This was heading due south at the intersection of Kuykendahl Rd. and The Woodlands Parkway in The Woodlands, TX.
It was no contest. As soon as the light went green, I mashed the throttle to the floor. My senses felt the click of the switch beneath the gas pedal as the car surged forward. He was even with me for about the first 100 feet, until the E500 upshifted from its extended hold on first gear. After slamming into second, I began to feel the nitrous come on line. The sensation triggered a quick thought from when I was six years old, and on the operating table at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma, Washington, commencing some major surgery. For some reason, he feeling of the nitrous coming online in the car reminded me of the feeling of the gas I was inhaling from a rubber mask over my nose and mouth on the operating table, as the anesthesiologist put me to sleep as part of the surgery process. It was a feeling of calmness, tranquility and absolutely no fear. It was amazing to have that same sensation triggered some 37 years later.
The car plunged forward and I could feel the boost just push me more deeply in my seat. The E500's exhaust note got audibly louder, but it got louder at a much faster clip than usual. I watched the speedometer and the tachometer wind around their dials in amazement, keeping the car in the lane through my peripheral vision. Only too soon, the stoplight and intersection at Kuykendahl and Flintridge Dr., just blocks from my neighborhood, loomed ever closer. I began to apply my brakes and coast back into reality. I looked around me. No cars, anywhere. I couldn't even find the Subaru. Finally, I heard his fart can as he came up on my left to the stoplight. I had beat him by at least four of five car-lengths.
He refused to look at me. I smirked.
Just a block after the stoplight, on the other side of the intersection, the two lanes of Kuykendahl traveling southbound turn into one lane -- the four-lane road turning into a two-lane country road over Spring Creek from Montgomery County into Harris County. I was sort of anticipating another quick sprint with the Subaru driver to get the pole position at the merge point. At the last second, as I applied throttle to go through the intersection, I decided to just proceed at a normal speed.
The Subaru? He drove like a dog with his tail between his legs. He didn't even try. He knew he was beaten. When I arrived at the merge to the single lane, the Subaru was following me at the same distance I beat him to the stoplight by.
Finally, if only temporarily, he was in his place.
Cheers,
Gerry
, would easily take the E500, however the acceleration of the Benz at highway speeds is something no EVO or STI owner has ever experienced. I was stunned 
the first time I hammered the Benz on the highway......the acceleration from 70mph to 120mph was just awesome.
. The E500 suits me much better as a daily driver. And the gas mileage is very similar between the two 
