Badju587

Is it just me, or do all Corolla/Matrix XRS drivers think they're the fastest thing on four wheels? I found one of the Corolla variety the other day revving his engine at a girl at work (I find this funny because I work at Hewlett-Packard, not too many attractive females, lol). I shake my head and keep walking to my car. He must have seen me shake my head because he pulls out right in front of me and proceeds to blip the throttle all the way to the parking lot exit. Not sure if he was trying to assert his "natural VVT-i superiority" or what.

We take a right turn out of the parking lot and both get on it. He has a 2-ish car lead at this point, which wouldn't have helped anyway, I was on his rear quarter panel by second, and put a buslength on him by the time I popped into third (I get the biggest grin every time I pull in second ).

We stop at a light and I ask what happened, I don't even get an explanation, he just said "I wasn't even on it, I'll kill you from a dig". I'm a bit heavy on the throttle from a dig (I blame a recent stage 2 install, getting used to it still), so I figure he might have a chance if I wheel-hop it too much. The light turns green, I squeaked some but for once I get a good launch and absolutely murder him. I shut down around 80 and mosey my way on over to the right lane, and I hear a whine coming up behind me, the guy flies by, flips me the bird out his window, and I shake my head again.

Whatever happened to gracefully admitting defeat? Sheesh...

Blainestang

VVTL-i

BTW, nice runs... but take it to the track next time.

CinciSS07

hahaha nice

g5mike

Some 2zzz engines are faster than anything thing on here

Slowbalt SS05

Ill tell you this you can make this cars fast, like my brothers 2003 XRS full cat back TRD Exhaust. Headers an AEM cold air and a 75 shot of wet NOS

Projekt

yeah those engines can be fast (atleast the toyota celica gt-s engine) capable of high 14's...whicked 4 cylinder engine...

but still nice kill haha i love it how people get so pissed off when they lose..when i pick a fight (most of the time with people i know will beat me cough trans ams) i give them the thumbs and am off with my day..

bryce712

those days are long gone for most people. i am one who will gracefully admit it because i know my car is no race car

Badju587

Agreed, the engine itself has mass potential for being a 4-banger, but then again, so does the 2.4 SS

The main issue I had with the Corolla XRS when it came out was that its power curve is too peaky, which is not good for driving at altitude (it takes positively forever for VVT to kick in at a mile high), and upshifts will get you a short trip out of its high-RPM cam profile, which for me defeats the purpose of having VVT at all (I never liked VVT to begin with, but at least the Civic Si will keep you in the VTEC range if you upshift right). It does, however, have an ultra-light 2700 lb. curb weight. I just didn't feel the need to have a car that requires a launch on the knife's edge of wheelspin to get off the line quickly.

I'm certain the XRS would be faster for the same price as the SS S/C if someone spent the $4k price difference to get a decent turbo, but even then I might still be a pulley swap away from evening the odds (I run a 3" now, and given that the stage 2 only pushes 12.5 lbs. up here, I could probably go to a 2.6 and be running 16-ish), the stage 2 injectors should handle that just fine since it runs rich to begin with and the boost is only a pound over what it's designed to handle at sea level. Also, the Stage 2 upgrade is almost a no-brainer to get, I don't know too many cars where a $550 set of parts nets you an 18% HP gain and a better butt-dyno experience from 3,000 RPM all the way to redline.

Anyway, just my .02, I've only experienced an XRS from the passenger seat so I can't testify 100% to how it would drive with me behind the wheel.