OldGuy

You know all of us probably get tired of ragging on the STUPID STUPID STUPID,
tests they run in car mags, but this one was even MORE STUPID!!!!
In the latest issue of a C&D they tested a Porsche TT, a GT-R and a M3. A pretty good group of cars to test but in the FIRST column of scoring they use these IMPORTANT categories:
Trunk space!!!!!
Rear-Seat Space!!!!!!!!
Rear-Seat Comfort!!!!!!!
I mean GAWD DAMMIT!!!!!!!!! HOW freaking STUPID. Those may be the LAST three things I think about or three things I NEVER think about when buying a car in this class. BUT C&D uses these STUPID category to bury the TT. They gave the TT one point in each of the above categories and 5 for the BMW. thats 12 points MORE for the M3 in a test where the M3 won by 14 points!!!!!!! Thats 85%!!!!!! of the winning margin!!!!!!! in 3 categories that dont matter one IOTA to an enthusiast when buying these cars. Its beyond rediculous beyond stupidity beyond reason. These guys get PAID to do this. Over the last 2 years I have been in a position to gather data for the customer in testing. If I used anything remotely that stupid in my data package I would be fired in about 3 micro seconds. I am sorry but this is just freaking stupid. I am amazed they are not embarrassed into the next decade for publishing this crap.

Carrera GT

People have been beating C&D on this review and their bizarre "comparisons" but keep in mind that review (however specious it may be) started on the premise of "fitting the GTR into the landscape" so they chose a similarly price car (the V8 M3) which a buyer might reasonably choose given the same budget and the 997 Turbo, which Nissan repeatedly cites as their target.

Sadly, the comparison starts out badly and just gets worse. The pages of negative comments on their site point out the contradictions and stupidity of the comparison and the baseless "conclusions." It's a woeful magazine, but I'm not sure it warrants the numbers of all CAPS in your post. : )

OldGuy

Adam youre right. I just keep thinking there is nothing more they can do to overcome the stupidity in the last issue and yet they top it again.

Carrera GT

I just can't read the general car magazines anymore. Other than Excellence and the UK Porsche specialist magazines (Total 911, etc.) if I have time to kill at the book store, I would rather be seen thumbing through Dwell than any of the car rags.

mooty

i dont know. i read magazine only when i am on the can. i used them to wipe you know what. that's what they are good for.... if they are that good.

i do my own comparisons. and what i cannot afford, i dont want to read about and be sad anyways.

Carrera GT

Thanks for raising the conversation Moot. : )

Forget the print media: here's some good reading for the weekend -- best of luck for Flying Lizard and the other Porsche teams.

http://www.porsche.com/microsite/lem...rnational.aspx

http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans...ccueil_gb.html

stules

I'm with Mooty-san.
I usually do my relaxed reading in the smallest room in the house. If I don't like what I read, I just put it behind me.

340Elise

You are absolutely correct, but I don't mind. I have driven the latest iteration of the turbo and I am not impressed. Driving it back to back with my GT3 made me pretty much decide to never ever consider the turbo unless I read that they finally bring it back to where it should be. I am actually quite disgusted by Porsche's latest turbo and think it deserves any type of negative press whether it is true or not.

If my GT3 went away for some reason and I could not get another one, i would immediately jump into a new Exige S and not even give the turbo a courtesy glance as I walk out the Porsche dealership.

However, I probably have to say the same about the new M3, and I like M3's. I say probably because it too has become a bloated river barge and is now over 3,600 lbs, but I have not driven one. If it has the same sissy feel and sloppy suspension as the turbo, then it too is on my **** list. They can shove their 410 hp up their kiesters if they have lost what the M3 was originally supposed to be. I loved the E36 the best (never got to drive the original); the E46 I mostly liked and the 333 hp did help it tremendously as a succesor to the 240 E36. But I have a feeling that this new fat boy is going to **** me off just like my drive in the 997 turbo.

Have any of these comparo tests added an overweight column yet? I know they have a "fun to drive" column, and I would make that one worth at least 50% of the total possible points.

The VW GTI did exactly the same thing, I know because I followed the downward trend of this cars fun to drive factor during my lower income years. One day I stopped buying them and ended up with a Ford Focus SVT (excellent car for the money, and my new GTI); actually 2 of them because it was such a good car and so much fun to drive. Now that I buy cars in another price class, I can't personally speak for the new GTI, but I hear it has gone back to its roots and is once again a driver's car. Maybe I will pick one up to replace my '88 Toyota Tercel as my snow and seedy part of town driver.

The turbo should be what the GT3 is with at most 3,300 lbs, but even that much weight is unnessary as far as I am concerned. And although I love my GT3, it should technically be even sharper and more track oriented, and it should weigh at least no more than 2,900 lbs (which I am proving is not that difficult to do, even without gutting the interior). But with the help of GMG, and some carefully selected lightweight parts and other weight reduction measures, I will have the reall 997 GT3 soon. And it will still be an extremely comfortable daily driver.

Anyone who thinks the current GT3 is too rough for daily driving duties, and thinks the turbo is the real daily driver, is definetely a modern, soft, sissy American and obviously not an old school enthusiast. This does not apply to those who need a tiptronic because of a physical condition, or who truely have a bad back and need the soft Lexus ride of the new turbo.

OG, I know you have back problems, yet you still drive a GT3; but you can't do the track days that you would like to because of your back; correct? OG is a good example of old school.

WalkerInTN

You could always quit buying their lousy magazine. I have. They'll eventually learn that they can't keep running this type of BS.
C&D went straight to the toilet when they got rid of Brock Yates.

AllanJ

It sounds like C&D is being staffed by folks from Consumer Reports.

OldGuy

Stephen Yea I still have the bad back. I am looking for a solution but surgery is a risky option.
2 herniated disks make multilevel solution not easy.
I Got this subscription free so I had to pick between Car & Driver and Womens Home Jornal.

Looks like I made the wrong choice!!

stout

Oh for the budget, staff, and access of one of the big magazines...

...without the limiting elements.

pete

OldGuy

Exmag,
I get more out of one editorial in your mag than all the others put together.

Carnerd

YES!!! Great links.