The Only Thing I Have to Show For this Year's Autocross

Aside from a pair of blown engine mounts, shifting problems going into 2nd gear at full-throttle, and mutilated tread blocks on the shoulders of new tires... Is this photo.

If we can compare music with paintings and cars, it's that they can all find a home at a museum- and it's all art. When you play a piece on the piano or splatter paint on a canvas (Never done it, but looks fun) it's the application of an acquired skill-set, then expressing it in a manner that reflects your temperament. 

Autocross is no different: For you to be competitive, it takes dedicated book-work to study things like driving technique or suspension theory. Once you've got an idea of how you can approach a corner with vigor, then it's an emphasis on seat-time, which takes years. I say with no exaggeration that practice can inadvertently involve nailing a curb, spinning out of control, or at the very least taking away thousands of usable miles from a set of tires as you sheer them away through awfully carved "racing lines." 

For me, it was about 5 years that included tributes to the solidity of many curbs and mangling several brands of tires before we set out to compete. As a group, my friends and I sought to run together and found the process of registering for an event easy in both of the leagues we participated in (SCCA and Equipe Rapide). 

It was after one of those events that I found this photo: Here's a shot on the final corner, at over forty-five miles an hour and climbing, right before passing the timing lights. Those with an experienced eye can see the weight transfer to the front of the car as I'm letting off and on the throttle. The rear-end is high and pressured by the rear sway bar to yield, taking grip from the rear in favor of the front. These elements describe my driving style in a specific situation: a subtle scoot of the rear suspension and lots of steering corrections at speed.

The photographer caught this moment between two clumps of clouds and at an angle that captures the undulated arena. Tire marks lend an impression of motion, which contrast ironically with the frozen image captured of the Sentra here in this strange moment of clarity, where you can even (Somehow) make out the spokes of the wheels. This image, expertly caught and aided by luck, is like that pivotal moment every book is supposed to have, tagged onto my timeline of ownership.

Here's my take: 110,000 miles after inheriting the Sentra, I'm working towards more.

Can we do more? I think YES.

Who's Scared of a Kia Soul?

So I think everybody's heard of the Nissan 240SX by now. If you're on the track racing, watching professional drifting, or a denizen of  "Stance Nation," then you probably know people who took this video personally.

Alright, now stack it up against the Kia Soul in any venue but drifting: Who thinks that's fair?

... Because apparently, despite Motor Trend's best efforts with the example in this video, the 240SX failed to at least keep up.

That means the model rear-wheel drive autocross wrecking machine is ailing behind a stilted, space-conscious tub.

I bring this up not to mock a cult classic- the following surely applies to my Sentra GXE- but to explore the point behind its showing. Sure, Motortrend's 240SX was not totally original and rather worn-out in a manageable "I'd still buy it" sort of way- I'd rather live with its lameness over a lemon. And we do have enough lemons for lots of sour lemonade out on the market today. Similar to gulping citrus concentrate, surfing Craigslist can distort your perfect face into a grimace. When you find an ad confirming a set of four matching wheels on your prospective car and somehow it warms your heart, you have to wonder. 

Featuring a 240SX in this "state-of-tune," then, accurately reflects the common reality of many still (somehow) surviving. The fact that they chose a realistic representation made it all the more relevant against the Kia Soul, one of the latest economy cars and almost 20 years newer. This means that a given Soul may only see one or two years of handbrake abuse when the snow is high enough.

For the many of us who drive cars like the 240SX, once glorious or commendable for their own unique and respective attributes, we now face a self-evident reality: the shadow of current advancements have without a doubt eclipsed all of the old, meaning we're justifying our outdated tech through sentimental value. This isn't of dubious value- you don't keep around an old toothbrush, do you?

Here's a classic example: a Mark 1 Golf GTI will always be heralded, forever an involved and mechanically rewarding driving experience matched only by those sharing its relative simplicity. Free from the magic of even power steering, the resulting feel is treasured even by monster drivers (Chris Harris comes to mind.). The Golf is obviously outgunned against the latest bare-bones economy cars, whose capabilities are impressive, but this is the direct result of its basic architecture. My father has owned two, and one of the standout qualities of the Volkswagen was its ease of service- the transmission was easily separable for a clutch replacement, while a single-overhead cam arrangement free from any variable valve-timing magic or fancy cam actuators would make a rebuild much less onerous...

But why put up with all that nonsense when you could put the money down and get 0% APR for 60 months?

New cars do continue to get faster, despite bad press about wacky new gadgets, delayed-gratification electronic throttle input controls or bloated styling. It may not get acknowledged often in our circles as we tend to look at and not up to the latest crop of machines, but it’s there. I think it's easy to forget or turn away from the reality of "today," since the cars that would humiliate us the most are now “everyday” and unassuming. No one ever thinks to be intimidated by a Soul- especially not when you imagine being rolled into a racing bucket seat by the livened rear wheels of a 240SX. One represents everyday driving while the other has the potential to become a tried-and-true race car, which means that the latter hamsters wear helmets and spin four wheels really fast.

Mercifully, it just so happens that the down-tempo demographic of everyday commuters won't care to to prove my point. Our egos will remain preserved provided that we stay low-key and don't underestimate new-car potential. Believe me- nothing is more humbling than your side-mirrors reminding you that "objects are closer than they appear" during an impromptu stand-off that should have ended quickly. How we categorize cars has stayed the same and doesn't account for or suggest how close the gap has become. Sporting pretensions through decals and body work that once stood as a warning to lesser models are markers of prey for the latest sports cars. In the world of late-model muscle, your reign of terror has ended when the base V6 successor can silently make its way past your ruckus. On your nighttime cruise, a light ahead of you changes to red and you think "How about we go right, instead?.."

When I first got into a Sentra in 2007, the 2002 year/model still wasn't a barn-burner or stand-out by any means, but I could at least relate its capabilities to the Corolla, Civic, and others of its class. Against each other, it was a driver's race, since all of the generations in the running were very similar.

That was then. 

Compared to the Kia and Hyundai of today, the Sentra sits beneath their mighty shadow. While I was surprised to keep up with the Spectra, I don't stand a chance against the all-new Forte, which makes 170 HP from 2 coke bottles' worth of air. (Early Fox-Body Mustangs made about that much power from 5 liters and 8 cylinders) There's no consolation in chasing an Elantra either, seeing as how its 1.8L is making 148 HP- a figure that used to be 2.0L territory and sometimes part of a sporty package. (Like the Sentra SE or early SE-Rs) My only contender has a six-speed transmission and a 138 HP 1.6L, which means the Accent brings me to 0/4 against the Korean line-up. Try to explain in awe how remarkable these increases in power-per-liter are to your brothers in high-school without letting them phase out and prepare to be rewarded for your elaborate efforts with a yawn. "I get it: your car is slow!" Sigh.

Both the Accent and Sentra have McPherson front struts, rear beam axles, and roll off the lot with wimpy tires. Looks fair enough so far, right? But then there's the real-world performance disparity between the two. Far as handling tests go, Car and Driver pulled 0.74 g's from a 2003 Sentra GXE during their instrumented skidpad testing. The current generation Accent can do up to 0.80. If a mini-van on the market today does 0.74 g's, I have to wonder if their safety rating suffers.

While that whole technical discussion can commence comfortably over a deck of Yugi- OH! cards, it's my 1998 Mustang 150 HP 3.8L and the current crowd of V6 Pony cars that sum the gap in short. (Anybody can share my pain as they read along) With half the muscle (Most late-models pumping 300 HP), a fundamentally basic and long-running platform, and the rear suspension balanced by a four-link live axle I'm forced to endure constant war with Team Elantra or take up dirt track racing for competition. Organize the numbers on a bar graph and, sorry, but that Mustang is too short for this ride. 

The toughest part to accept about all this is the naturally diminishing athleticism older cars face as time continues to reveal the wear inflicted from continual service. This is, of course, unless you've been diligently replacing parts as soon as they make more noise than your i-Pod can channel through your speakers. You and I may do that, but that would be optimistic to expect from the previous owner of that prospective car with only 3 matching wheels. 

So where does that leave us and our outdated machines?

Well, I don't think it matters if all shapes of Prius lay us all to waste. The sense that you're doing something special comes with the territory of achieving lofty goals in a machine relying on your most dedicated effort. If my idea of fun holds any weight, a nonchalant effort at the track or autocross event for a fast time will never make for more laughs or unexpected silliness than trying your damnedest against the will of a mass that conspires against you. Short-comings can make driving memorable. Call it the narrative of the underdog, but there's something inspiring about the old police car that's running over cones as the driver fights to keep it straight on an autocross course that captures more of the imagination than Corvettes competing over tenths of a second.

And from my impressions, for whatever they may be worth, the 1st-generation Kia Soul I had the pleasure of riding along passenger-side went through the rounds confidently and delivered on what Motortrend said. For that, it would get my money over the Cube I drove as a rental, as I can say with certainty that it is nothing to be afraid of. (Can’t leave it in the dust entirely: our cruise was kooky fun and entertained five hamsters)

Should we be daunted by the Kia Soul? Depends on what you drive, but if it resonates then this one's for you. (And me) Ask yourself: What if?

Only one way to find out, I'd say.