# GTO vs. RX-7



## GibsonUSA (Jan 8, 2006)

I get them revving at me all the time.
How do they compare? Modded ones?


----------



## Mickey21 (Jun 18, 2006)

Last gen RX-7 and 2005-06 GTO stock for stock, the GTO will pretty easily take it in the 1/4 but out of the hole the RX-7 is a good performer in turbo form. If I remember correctly it was something like 5.2s 0-60 and low 14's in the 1/4 mile. Modded??? No one can truely answer this as anything is possible modded, but truely the 6.0L LS2 is capable of much more with bolt ons if you are asking about possibilities. The RX-7 was a great car in its time (ending in 1995). It handled great and exterior looks were quite nice IMO.

Honestly though, you sure they are rev'ing at you? It has to rev pretty high to get any type of speed anyways, maybe they are just in a hurry...


----------



## RICKGTO (Mar 25, 2006)

:agree NO TORQUE so any speed comes from revs, but try one anyway and you will see how much faster our cars are (and so will he).


----------



## kerno (Apr 6, 2006)

My wife has a 45,000 mile 1993 RX-7. Nice car! Handles very well, easy to drift and, oh, uh - my 2006 M6 will eat it for lunch from a standing start. We have not played from a roll, but I'm sure not afraid to try. She can drive the car, so that's not the problem. The RX-7 gets really happy in the 55 - 65 area, so it could be tough there.


----------



## kwiktsi (Apr 5, 2006)

kerno said:


> My wife has a 45,000 mile 1993 RX-7. Nice car! Handles very well, easy to drift and, oh, uh - my 2006 M6 will eat it for lunch from a standing start. We have not played from a roll, but I'm sure not afraid to try. She can drive the car, so that's not the problem. The RX-7 gets really happy in the 55 - 65 area, so it could be tough there.


Not to mention, being a turbo car- they respond VERY well to simple mods like exhaust, ecu tune and boost controller (all in the $1500 range total) that will make them night and day what they were stock and may surprise a few of you- like Kerno said, from 55-65, the things really start unwinding- they really move out once modded . I just don't like the reliability of modded rotories- they hold up just fine to the power, but the slightest little "hiccup" in things and kiss an apex seal goodbye. Been there, done that .
Joe


----------



## Jeffs386 (Nov 1, 2005)

I would love for an RX-7 or RX-8 to try me.......I can NEVER get them to go


----------



## kwiktsi (Apr 5, 2006)

The RX8 has nothing for potential compared to the RX7. Stock for stock, they are close though. Lol, I know of a couple of RX7's here that would take that challenge, but you'd better bring your wallet . I know of a couple non turbo rotary cars that will take the bet also. 

The problem with a lot of the imports now is they are in the wrong hands (read- RICERS). Some have sooo much potential and were actually potent street cars in the right hands. Now that the ricers are getting their hands on them, they have more money than I make into stupid rice mods to look and sound fast, but they are junk. In the right hands, an RX7 is a brutally fast car with not a "hell" of a lot of money into it. Same with the Supras. Also, I will put a $2000 AWD talon with $800 or less in mods (again, with the *right* mods) up against a stock GTO on the street any day from a launch- roll on is another story .
Joe


----------



## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

kwiktsi said:


> Not to mention, being a turbo car- they respond VERY well to simple mods like exhaust, ecu tune and boost controller (all in the $1500 range total) that will make them night and day what they were stock and may surprise a few of you- like Kerno said, from 55-65, the things really start unwinding- they really move out once modded . I just don't like the reliability of modded rotories- they hold up just fine to the power, but the slightest little "hiccup" in things and kiss an apex seal goodbye. Been there, done that .
> Joe


My little brother had a '94 twin turbo RX7 with all of the upgrades that you mentioned except the boost controller. He never beat me in my '93 Corvette. My Vette had a K&N open filter lid, MagnaFlow mufflers and a computer chip. At the track he ran a best of 14.2. I ran consistent 13.8s. If he knew how to shift a little bit better I think it would have been even or he would have probably beaten me. On the street, we were always dead even through 3rd gear. But every time we hit 4th I easily started to pull away. 3rd, 4th and 5th were the strongest gears in my Vette. On curvy roads he never could keep up with me. Vette versus RX7 on a road course - no brainer, no contest. The massive grip I got from the wide 275 front and 315 rear BF Goodrich tires I had really made it easy. But regardless of him not beaten me or being the best driver out there, I was always impressed with his ride. Loved the interior. Oh by the way, he did blow his apex seal.


----------



## kerno (Apr 6, 2006)

KwikTSI mentioned the Talon AWD. My son had one for several years and it was pretty quick. I don't think a stock one would be a big challenge for the GTO. But about a year ago, Hot Rod Magazine ran an article on a modded Talon. Hot Rod is about as "anti-rice" as any magazine has ever been. They have about 1 import a year. But the Talon was impressive. The short block had never been out of the car. The top end was modded beyond belief with sheetmetal manifolds and massive intercoolers. But the car ran 8.91 in the quarter - not the eighth. That, my friends, is a fast ride. They've been out of production for several years and you rarely see them anymore. But with all wheel drive (like the GTO was supposed to have), they are very strong out of the gate. A Celica Supra Turbo can also ruin your day.


----------



## kwiktsi (Apr 5, 2006)

I personally have gone [email protected] repeatedly with a 1.65 60' in a "stock" talon with just a gutted cat, used cat back, K&N and boost controller. Like I said, from a roll on a stock GTO will kill it, but light to light- that talon would have destroyed it- BAD . Turbo cars respond VERY well to the right little mods. As I have mentioned before, I have had a few of them though, I had another one that did 487 to the wheels and I would spray a 125 shot on top of that for some street races. They can be very potent little cars in the right hands. There are more than a few sub 11 second street talons out there that would ruin your day if you tried . Like I had said in another thread, my friend has one that has a big turbo, front mount, exhaust, injectors, fuel pump and standalone EMS that really put a hurting on my GTO from a 60 mph roll on- I mean, he left me like I just kept it in 6th or something- it was that bad lol.

The Supras are very fast cars, they don't always do the best in the 1/4 due to traction, but they make ridiculous MPH. Very fast cars with a few, well placed mods. Funny that you said Celica Supra- it reminded me of one other car that is very potent in the right hands, but rare- the Celica All Trac- AWD Turbo. Same potential as a DSM (talon, eclipse, laser) with the right tuner.

Bottom line, I am all for big motors, torque, etc. as much as the next guy, but there are plenty of small motor cars that will flat out destroy a GTO (with the right mods, of course) and quite a few others that will make you think... I don't want to get into the whole "apples to oranges- they are modded, we aren't" thing- I am just saying that I see a lot of GTO owners with stock cars seem that have that "they are jap crap" attitude and an Import won't touch them on the street- that isn't always the case. Although, obviously more often than not- they are usually just ricer morons in their 16 second junk box . Even with the Procharger on my car, I am curious how it would fare against my friends talon from a roll, I think it would be pretty close- no way would I race him from a launch though (on the street at least)- it would be bad lol.


----------



## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

Honestly, I'm a fan of any car that hauls ass. Like everyone else, I just prefer a certain car that I choose to go fast in. When I hit the track, I enjoy watching the drags rather than drag racing myself. Even though it's a safe environment for drag racing, anything at anytime could go wrong. And even after I make a safe pass, I always get those damn nervous shakes when it's over. And I have to admit that when I do see one of those riced out tin cans run a low ET I'm pretty impressed. But I'm not impressed when I see some of them on the wrecker after they explode during their run. So my question is, how much wrenching is done on these cars to *keep* them fast? If the price of maintenance is more than the price of the mods, is the short lived fun/speed worth it?


----------



## bluebeast (Jun 16, 2006)

*I think with turbo cars, you'll spend a lot more time under the hood tuning and looking for boost leaks.This is why I'll probably trade my srt-4 for the Camaro when it comes out.*


----------



## Subdriver (Dec 28, 2004)

GibsonUSA said:


> I get them revving at me all the time.
> How do they compare? Modded ones?


Not trying to encourage street racing, but adding my two cents...

I had a 94 RX-7 for about seven years before I sold it for an 02 Corvette Z06. As mentioned above, a stock 3rd Gen RX-7 will run low five's 0-60 and around 14 for the quarter mile, but... as also mentioned above it is really easy and fairly inexpensive to mod that car. When you see one you never know what you are getting. 

When I lived in Hawaii I used to run a driver's education event at Hawaii Raceway Park in the RX-7 and it pretty well handled anything that came out except for one guy who had a Ferrari 355. At first I was faster than him, but over time, he got more experience and more comfortable in his car and eventually I couldn't keep up with him. :cheers


----------



## kwiktsi (Apr 5, 2006)

6QTS11OZ said:


> Honestly, I'm a fan of any car that hauls ass. Like everyone else, I just prefer a certain car that I choose to go fast in. When I hit the track, I enjoy watching the drags rather than drag racing myself. Even though it's a safe environment for drag racing, anything at anytime could go wrong. And even after I make a safe pass, I always get those damn nervous shakes when it's over. And I have to admit that when I do see one of those riced out tin cans run a low ET I'm pretty impressed. But I'm not impressed when I see some of them on the wrecker after they explode during their run. So my question is, how much wrenching is done on these cars to *keep* them fast? If the price of maintenance is more than the price of the mods, is the short lived fun/speed worth it?



I am the same way- I have never really been "brand loyal". I will like certain engine, chassis, styles, etc. of various cars. I kind of have a soft spot for the DSM cars though due to their incredible bang for the buck and the fact that they are what got my business going in the first place. As for keeping them fast reliably- it is a toss up. If you drive it "right" (there is a big difference between a skilled 1.5 60' and just a violent clutch dump  ) and keep the tune good, they actually hold up fairly well. I see a lot of people bitch about the transmissions in the DSM's- put it this way- you have an AWD car launching at 6500 rpm + with incredible traction- try that with say a stock T5 in a Stang from the same era. Yeah, they aren't as strong as a worked T56, but they are very strong for what they are. Breaking stuff is part of racing though- any time you extract 2-3X (and up) more power than stock, you are stressing things- this holds true with ANY car out there. Granted, they aren't "as" strong, but there aren't a lot of options out there either for upgraded parts. If you break an axle on a DSM- you put another stock axle back in and wait for that to go. You break an axle on a modded goat, you call BMR and upgrade. You blow a trans, you put another stock one back in- you build the snot out of a goat and break the trans- you put a built TH400 in it or something and not have that problem again. There are some upgraded items out there along the lines of FWD/AWD transmissions and such, but they are usually dogbox setups and not very streetable- but a lot still drive on the street anyway .
Joe


----------



## BostonF4$ (Jun 21, 2006)

I was never really into "I've got the fastest car" machismo crap, but I'm not backing down to a challenge now and then either. I don't see the need to pay money to take my car to a track and abuse it...but I know a few guys who do it regularly. One guy I work with has a 95? (last year made) RX7 that he tells me is putting down 11.5 second 1/4 mile times and has 600 RWHP...he's got turbos on it dialing in like 15 lbs of boost. He's put about 5 grand into the thing...this guy is really into drag racing and claims that on the street (illegally) the fastest car around is a civic si/rsx. I know all you guys will bash that fact, but up here in NE that's all I hear about its souped up hondas with turbos, nitrous, race suspension, exhaust, and every piece of non-functional weigh gutted out. RX8 is a totall different, heavier, weaker car...I've driven a few. The RX7 is a real sports car. My question for all those "riced up" civics would be, how much HP can you put down in a FWD car before it just gets undriveable? For example, an Acura TL has like 270 HP and is FWD...when driving that thing hard you must get tremendous wheel hop and torque steer, on my V6accord (220 HP) if I accelerated hard from a stand still and didn't get good traction the front end would just rattle really hard. I couldn't imagine what it's like in a 300 HP civic


----------



## batmans (Aug 16, 2007)

Am I too late to respond to this thread?

Not sure if I will have to wear a flame suit for digging up old threads.


----------



## 69bossnine (Aug 9, 2007)

There's a high-10-second last-gen RX-7 in the Orlando area that lurks I-4... Runs with my best friend's nephew's 5.0 and F-bod crowd... With boosted cars, the sky's the limit... Reliability, that's another thing, but it's a different universe with a Wankel...

RX-7's and Supras??? They're like a box of chocolates.... you never know what you're going to get.... Suffice it to say, they're another good reason not to run foolish license plates or frames on the back of your car boasting how "bad" you are.... There's so many 10 and 11 second street cars out there anymore, running stock wheels and non-descript paint jobs...


----------



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

batmans said:


> Am I too late to respond to this thread?
> 
> Not sure if I will have to wear a flame suit for digging up old threads.


*Welcome aboard Batmans.....Never too late..... Post away. :cheers *


----------



## BustersJudge (May 26, 2007)

bluebeast said:


> *I think with turbo cars, you'll spend a lot more time under the hood tuning and looking for boost leaks.This is why I'll probably trade my srt-4 for the Camaro when it comes out.*


I think that is the smartest thing you have ever said on this forum Blue there might be hope for you yet:lol: All in good fun "YOUR MY BOY BLUE!"


----------



## batmans (Aug 16, 2007)

u guys seem pretty cool, like the Syclone/TYphoon folks.

Know ur stuff, minimize the smelly brain farts.


----------



## 06BLUEGTO (Feb 27, 2007)

Lets put it this way guys....a 400HP rx7 smoked an 800HP Supra :-D Look it up on Streetfire hehe


----------



## MonaroGuy06 (Feb 1, 2007)

kwiktsi said:


> Not to mention, being a turbo car- they respond VERY well to simple mods like exhaust, ecu tune and boost controller (all in the $1500 range total) that will make them night and day what they were stock and may surprise a few of you- like Kerno said, from 55-65, the things really start unwinding- they really move out once modded . I just don't like the reliability of modded rotories- they hold up just fine to the power, but the slightest little "hiccup" in things and kiss an apex seal goodbye. Been there, done that .
> Joe


:agree Couldn't agree with you more man...Had my share of mishaps with a rotary engine...Nice cars, great handling, fun to drive..but I think I had enough rotary engine mishaps for a great while...Oh and BTW, stock for stock....We'll eat those cars alive! :cool


----------



## batmans (Aug 16, 2007)

just curious, what's the best ET the 400 GOAT has been documented at?

stock tires or something stickier? I suspect that the stock tires have been giving it higher times than what it's capable of.

The best stock times a FD (twin turbo RX7) is 13.5 at right around 100-105 if memory serves me right.


----------



## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

batmans said:


> just curious, what's the best ET the 400 GOAT has been documented at?
> 
> stock tires or something stickier? I suspect that the stock tires have been giving it higher times than what it's capable of.
> 
> The best stock times a FD (twin turbo RX7) is 13.5 at right around 100-105 if memory serves me right.


I believe Fergyflyer has run a 12.89 in his stock GTO. Maybe he'll chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.


----------



## cpowell (Mar 1, 2007)

*rx-7*

a buddy of mine from college had a '94. he was putting dow if i recall 333rwhp. the car was super clean too. you would never have known it was that fast. his brother also had a subaru rs 2.5(with sti block and custom turbo/intercooler/exhaust setup, among other things) that was pushing around 350hp to the wheels(all 4).


----------



## batmans (Aug 16, 2007)

6QTS11OZ said:


> I believe Fergyflyer has run a 12.89 in his stock GTO. Maybe he'll chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.


Stock as in 100% stock, including OEM tires?

BTW, 5-spd FDs come with 4.10 and the auto run 3.9.

Japanese FDs run a 4.33 and there are 4.77 diffs out there.

Factory differential are Torsen, which are better for track than drag use.


----------



## fergyflyer (Apr 18, 2005)

6QTS11OZ said:


> I believe Fergyflyer has run a 12.89 in his stock GTO. Maybe he'll chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.


I have a 12.895 in my GTO. It was stock as in under 2000 miles, stock 17" tires and a paper air filter. I had done one small mod. I had drilled 2 holes in the air box, towards the front of it, to let more air into the air box, if that counts as a mod.

I think a couple of people went 12.7 on LS1 gto forum with their car stock. I remember thinking that there were at least 3 people that have run faster with their GTO's stock than I did.


----------



## banshee (Jun 7, 2006)

I have personally raced a talon with a turbo 4 months ago. don't know the year. this was at Sacramento raceway. my diff housing was bone dry (i just found out the pinion seal was leaking). I pulled 13.1 consistently although I was having launch problems and pulled a 12.77 with a leaking slave cylinder and revved high in 3rd gear (never made it to 4th.) anyway, I beat the Talon all three times although it gave me a scare up until 3rd gear. by the way, I took it from a dead start with a soft launch to avoid traction problems and the banging noise coming from my rear diff. the Talons are only competition to novice drivers. anyone who goes to Sac raceway know who the green Talon belongs to?


----------



## Zulu (Jan 21, 2005)

RX-7?

I dunno...lemme scrape this one offa my intercooler, and I'll tell you if it is fast.

Now, an LS1 RX-7 ain't no joke at all.
:willy:


----------

