A friend and I had a little dalliance on the way to the bar tonight. Three times we pulled up to stoplights side by side and three times when the light turned green I'd let him go then trounce on it at about 5mph. I could put 1.5 cars on him til about the end of first gear then he'd start to catch up. By the time I was at shift-point in 2nd he go by me like I was standing still when I'd shift to third. So 0-60 I'd kill him but anything longer than that and he'll clean my clock seven ways to Sunday.

He's 230 HP (chipped with some other AMG goodies), supercharged/auto and I'm who-knows-what HP and manual. But I have the 6,000ft elevation negative 18% penalty to contend with and he makes almost the same power in Denver as if he were at sea level. But we weigh virtually the same.

Least now I know how to race em if they aren't stock: Taunt em at a redlight then shut it down right after shifting to 2nd, act bored and oh so put-out at their audacity and not give em the pleasure of a re-match. I'm evil!

Hmmm UrS4... Always wanted one of the UrS6 wagons, came close once!!! Ultimate car as far as I'm concerned... well the B5 S4 avant and M5 avants are both great too. But an S6 would be sweet!!

Any forced induction at altitude (esp. 6000 feet) is going to spank any naturally aspirated car. There's only so much vacuum can do to bring in oxygen into the motor. Now to make-up for the lack of available atmospheric oxygen content, had you used Nitrous Oxide, I think that would have been comparing "apples to apples." (It's another oxygen "adder" like the supercharger is for the C230.)

Another example: At sea level, my Mustang SVO (modified) would barely keep even with a 1997-2002 Mustang Cobra. But at Willow Springs Raceway (about 2500 foot elevation), I simply walk away from these cars because of my intercooled turbo (and 18 lbs of boost doesn't hurt either!)

I'm sure on a sea-level shoot-out with the same C230 the results would have been a little different.

Bob K.

take him on the twisties next time!