How would I do against a Celica GTS? I don't have any real performance mods. I do have 18" rims w/Nitto 555ZR tires, and a Focuz universal exhaust. Not exactly performance. Anyway, this guy that my friend knows seem like he wants to race me. Somehow I think I will lose if I race him. Specially since my car is an automatic. Would I stand a better chance if I race him from a dead stop than a rolling start? From a dead stop, I can powerbrake, and manually shift my car. However, if it is a rolling race, I can't really do much. That's what I hate about an automatic, if I try to race on a highway, I can't really downshift like a stick shift. Sure, I know you still can downshift with an automatic, but it's just not the same. Also, whether I try to downshift by stomping on the gas on the highway, or if I leave the car on Drive, I can't seem to go to redline. Highest I went to was 6k. Am I doing something wrong?

 

That's what I thought. Would a 5spd. make a difference?

 

What year celica is it? I test drove a 2000 Celica GTS 6spd. The car was not that fast on the take off, even though it has 6 gears, it doesnt really do all that much for the car. If that person may have modded the car, it may give you a good run for your money, I think the maxima would prevail. I used to own a 88 Celica GT (auto) and that thing was slow, I know the GTS has a little more "oomph" but still not enough to do anything. The max has more power, more torque at lower rpm's than the 2000 celica does, but the car wieghs about 500lb more. Even with a auto, I still think you would win.

2000 Celica GTS
180 @7600rpm
133 @6800rpm
2,500 lbs.

1996 Maxima SE
190 @5600rpm
205 @4000rpm
3,010 lbs

 

It's a new Celica GTS. He's pushing it pretty hard even though it's stil kind of new. I heard the dealer just sent him the license plate.

 

Well no matter how hard you push it... it can only do so much. Give it a go, with your given mods (tires and exhaust) you have a excellent chance at winning. Give it a go and let us now how it went.

 

why the Celica should win? 500lbs is plenty.

It should be close. We know that the Celica GT-S 6spd does 0-60 in 6.6 and the 1/4 mi in 15.2 according to M/T. Sound familiar? That's also what M/T got with the 95/96 Maxima SE 5-spd. So a race between a those two cars should be VERY close, obviously.
Since Cumalot's car is Nissan's crappy auto, tack on another 0.5 to 1.0 seconds. The Celica will have to be driven properly to extract every bit of power that it has...drive it like you hate it. I've seen times from the 6.6 to low 7s for the GTS. However, I still give the nod to the GT-S in this one, granted the driver knows what to do.
Good luck.

 

The fastest 0-60 time for the Celica 5spd I've seen is 7.2 seconds. The fastest I've seen for a 96 5spd Max is 6.8 seconds. The best time I've seen for the 96 Auto Max is 7.6 seconds. My friend has that Celica, and I bust his *** all the time at lights with my 96 5spd. He's a good buddy of mine, but I told him before he bought the Celica, It aint gonna beat a Maxima. He swore it was faster than I, untill we had our first race. I beat him, and now he's on the I love the way my car looks and handles kick. Anyway, I'm off subject, I think he will beat you at a light, but your Max's V-6 should bust him on the highway. I also race many Honda Vtech cars around Baltimore, and on at least two instances after I won a race, the Honda guy would say, "I didn't hit my Vtech rpm right, that's why you beat me". Bull****! The Celica has the same kind of high reving rpm band, so don't be suprised if you beat him, and he cry's about not hitting his Vtech right, or what ever Toyota calls their version. Good luck!

 

VVTI-L in the GTS =P

 

180 hp w/ a 500 pound weight difference.. the celica would win

 

It would be close you would have him up to about 35mhp but because of the rims, Auto, and weight he would then begin to pull on you and win but not by very much but this still depends on the skill of the driver...

 

I appreciate you guys' help. I tell you though, if a race he wants, he'll get it. Even though my car is an auto, I usually don't back down from a challenge, win or lose. However, I am not one to make a challenge(rev at people.) Problem is that I don't really have much racing experience. For some reason, I don't get much challenges. My car isn't fast, so don't know why I don't get people reving at me. Only ones that do are domestics with V8. And honestly, I raced them too. Of course I lost. Dumbest question from one of the domestic I raced, "Wow, you're pretty fast for a 4 cyclinder."

Btw, I might be able to get some dough later on. When I do, I will mod this car to it's limit, or the limit of the money. Plan to get: y-pipe, ecu, cai, fstb, rstb, rsb, and some of the other basic bolt ons that I forgot. Oh yeah, I might even add a 50-shot of NO2. Yeah Baby!

 

Almost forgot the most important upgrades to my car when I get my dough. A VB upgrade! How could I forget?!

 

I have a automatic Civic with a turbo on it and a 98 Maxima GLE, and can beat a Celica GT-S in either. On the honda, if they float around saying they didnt hit their Vtec right thats utter BS.... you dont hit Vtec,it kicks in automatically at higher RPM's, its not a button to press or anything like that. My civic beats a maxima GLE easy and races the SE hard and close. You should be ok with your maxima but I do only street racing for the most part. Your torque will get you off the line faster than the Celica by far (I burn out with my auto when I floor it, it only has minor mods too) Just get your jump and he wont beat you. Plus a 6 speed has to be driven perfect, if they dont shift all their gears right, then he will slow himself down rather than quicken his pace (more chances for a bad shift in a 6 speed too).
Just have fun and see what ride prevails in the end!

 

and put on some light ones...that should give you some edge

by the way
turn off your a/c when racing

have you ever weigh your wheels....maybe they are light...if not you are in trouble...should keep it under 40 lb if you can per whee+tire combo

 

Just race his a**!! I put my money on the max even if the Celica has wings!! (bout $5)


Late

 

my homeboy has a new gts....i have 95se 5spd, from a dead start he jumps about half a car in first gear, in second i will overtake him to where the front of his car is about at my rear door....it seems in third he will catch up to about even with me..and eventually start pulling....at speeds about 80-85 i will start coming back and pull on him pretty much from there.....i think with your car being auto,even if you "drive it like you hate it" you will not be able to hang.....it is a pretty quick little car.

 

Maybe you have a chance if the GTS was auto too. But a 6-speed? Sorry. Unless he misses his 1-2 shift. Its gonna be tough for ya..

ZuM

 

Then you should be able to take him. In the new SCC, they tested a Focus with 16s(they run 15s stock) and the 0-60 went up from 9.1 to 9.7. And that was just a +1 size upgrade.
Now imagine how much of a difference a +3 sizing does to your Max. You have to take into account the greater rolling mass and weight, which requires more power before you can get moving. Sure the 18s help in top-end, but how long do you spend there?
So when you wanna run, get yourself some cheap 15s with some sticky tires or something. Then put the 18s when you go profilin.'

 

i raced a GT-S awhile back and i beat him by more than a car length. while we were waiting for the light, he was revving like he was going to drop the clutch at 6000rpm or something. i was like ok... so when the light changed, i just took off normally and he sat there spinning for awhile. then i floored it when i saw him get traction. oh get this... in addition to the GT-S badge, he had a GT-R badge also - on the other side, haha.

 

actually, for the GTS, dropping it from 6k might not be that bad of an idea. the VVTi system (or whatever) doesn't even kick in until 5000+... like Vtech, it needs higher RPM to have the engine engage the system..

anyhoo... a maxima would beat down on an auto maxima, but 5 speed maxima:no way. max would surely win...

 

well whatever he did, he sat there spinning the tires forever.

 

Ive heard that the celica does kick much ***, but that is only with a good driver. They say that you have to work hard to keep it movin quickly. So if the guy doesnt really know how to drive the celica then i would think that you would have a chance.

SEE YA

 

If you had a 5speed I would bet on the driver but since its and auto I have to go with the celica