What do you say to something that is not concrete?

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For the example in the OP, I would ask, "How fast?". I would then ask further questions until I could visualise its speed in relative terms to something else I could picture from my own experience. I would be enquire after the reason for the initial statement.

It is a Hyundai Tiburon GTV6. It has 172 hp/ 182tq at the crank, and according to the owner's forums it has around 145-152whp. It weighs 3048 lbs. I know the 0-60 times, but not the quarter mile. The 6spd is 7.2s, the 5spd is 7.6s, the 4spd is 8.2 seconds.

So "fast" is a relative term.

Naturally aspirated 4 cylinder cars such as the Cavalier and Celica are generally considered "average" every day cars, or to some people even "slow" cars, allthough those are all opinions. If you had a list of all cars within the last 10 years, they would be towards the end almost slowest and that would be a fact... If I could find a list and prove it.
Anyways,
Celica GT-S 6spd is 7.0s.
Cavalier 4spd is 8.3s

His 6spd Tiburon is 7.2s.
but the 4spd Tiburon is 8.2s.
So this v6 car is as fast as the typical 4cycl car.
The reason is the weight. A Celica weighs 2400 lbs, a Cavalier weighs 2670, and the Tiburon weighs 3048 lbs, but they look very similar.




I would not consider that fast.
I would also not tell him that, haha. But rather then telling him its not fast, I'd just state the facts, and with the facts try to imply that its not fast.

Last edited by unreal3x on 26 Jul 2010, 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'd say, "You can't legally drive that fast, so why does it matter?" I'll never understand people's fascination with cars.

No but you can accelerate to the speed limit. You can see how many G's your car can handle around a corner on a mountain road, or you can take it to the track. Most people don't do the latter.


Generally I'd say there are two kinds of people that are fascinated with cars.

1. The kind that:
1. Do it for the adrenaline of the speed, and breaking the law. Or for the looks (not functionality) and the sex appeal of the car with women, "oh check out my ride, baby".

2. The kind that:
Like racing physics. Like to find every aspect that contributes to the performance, not just hp. Like find exactly whats happening going around a corner, how it applies traction. Like to set there own best track time, and find any possible way to take milliseconds off that time by tweaking any aspect of the vehicle, tire pressure, camber, weight distribution, differential, etc. The kind that don't care what a car looks like, but car what the car actually does on paper or on the road (dirt? snow?). The kind that like to know all the specs of the car, whp, weight, weight distribution, power to weight ratios, gear ratios, quarter mile times, 0-60 times, shift times, etc.

That's me.

If someone said to me 'My car is fast', I would just reply 'Oh, is it?' Then they can elaborate if they wish. I'm not at all interested in fast cars, though, so I'd probably look for a way to change the subject. If someone said something vague about something I was interested in, I'd ask them questions about it, so that I could know more.