ORIGINAL: 71RoadRunner

Because it has far more power than the others I've had, and it also has far too narrow wheels and tires for the power it has. Loss of traction on the launch is it's only problem, the rest is easy. I raced against my '88 Shelby Z that had the engine rebuilt 30 over and the Mopar Performance PCM (which bumps boost up from the stock 7.5 psi to 13 psi, but would often times peg the 15 psi boost gauge if the conditions were right) and an MSD Blaster ignition coil, it also had some weight removed from it including the A/C compressor and I filled the new motor mounts before installing them, with my SRT-4 when it only had the Mopar BOV and MSD plug wires for mods and I blew it away easily.

The Shelby Z was really quick and would fry the front tires into pillars of smoke, but it was completely different. It has less horsepower (rated at 174 hp stock) and torque (rated at 200 lb/ft stock), taller sidewall tires and a larger turbo and far stiffer/stronger clutch. The SRT-4 has much more horsepower (rated at 230 hp, but dyno proven to put that much out at the wheels or more stock) and torque (rated at 250 lb/ft, but dyno proven to put that much out at the wheels or more stock), a smaller more responsive turbo, narrower and shorter tires and softer/weaker hydraulic assisted clutch.

So, my basically stock SRT-4 blew away my lightly modified Shelby Z with ease. We were coming around the last curve into an almost full one mile straight, where the street racers often run around here, and I was just waiting for him to jump into it, so I stayed down in second, and I saw the black smoke from the tailpipe. That was what I was waiting for because I just knew he was gonna try me and my SRT-4. I did the same and jumped in the other lane to avoid putting my SRT-4 up his a** and passed him very quickly, especially when I hit 3rd.

My '99 Neon R/T had quite a bit of bolt ons and was very fun, but nothing like the Shelby Z or SRT-4. It was mainly fairly quick because of it's light weight, but you had to bring up the RPM's to really have fun with it or go through the twisties.

As you know, launching on the street is far different than at the track and I don't launch that hard on the street. Only once has someone revved at me in the SRT-4 at a light to let me know they wanted to run and it was a Ford pick up with a loud exhaust and didn't require a hard launch to destroy with ease. Everyone else just trys me without warning, so I don't launch like I'm racing. The only time that I knew for a fact someone was gonna try me without revving at me was some kid in a Jetta turbo who ran hard to catch up to me at the red light after I passed him at the previous light when it had changed as I was approaching it, I shifted when I was next to him and the BOV blew off and it was the only mod I had done to it at that time. I took off fairly normal but before him and I heard him squeel his tires and I heard his turbo as he got up beside me, that's when I left him like he was going backwards. He had an exhaust with the big dual up sweeping tips, CAI and wheels that I could tell, I don't know if he had anything else done to it. I don't know why, but I've just never practiced launching my SRT-4, I did with my Shelby Z and somewhat with my R/T.

I've only ran the R/T down the track and it was a complete waste since the pedal covers, I had the brake and clutch pedal covers on weeks before and they were fine, but the gas pedal cover was nothing but problems to try and mount, I just had to get put on before that show had worked it's way down the gas pedal and was grabbing the carpet on the exhaust tunnel keeping it from WOT. This made the launches easy and resulted in suck a** times that a crawling infant could beat. I only made 3 passes with the SRT-4 and going from the R/T to this was a big difference, especially without a pedal cover problem. It's not easy to launch at all, you have to find it's right combination to do any good. I'm gonna try and get some practice with the launching, especially with Stage 1 giving far more boost in 1st gear (stock it limits boost to around 8 psi in 1st), it was a pain in the a** before, I can't imagine how hard it's gonna be now. I need to get my 60 ft. times where they need to be, the rest of my runs were great, but the 60 ft. times can make or break you. I'm hoping to get it down somewhat on the street with the G-Tech Pro and hope it will work for the track, it's that or keep running it at the track until I get it right.

None of the Turbo II parts are interchangeable with the Turbo I except the valve cover. So if you need parts they have to be Turbo II only. There might be a few other small parts that interchange, but extremely few. I imagine the two of you already knew that, but it never hurts to repeat it. ]

ORIGINAL: SuperchargedGS

in the may edition of motor trend they compared the Neon SRT-4 to the Cobalt SS and Motor Tren had both of there 1/4 mile time exactly the same at 14.4 sec. so they are close I agree that the SRT-4 is the better car just because the topend of it if way better but that because of the choice of the turbo over the Supercharger. Also the torque of the SRT-4 is more and i believe that is the Wheel HP rating because I don't think that if the Cobalt had 205 HP that it would beable to run a 14.4 in the 1/4 without a lot less weight.