Considering a CTR

[CG13]

The best way to compare cars is to first decide what you want, what you need, and your non-negotiables. They’re so subjective they can completely change which car you prefer.

The opinions provided are often hyperbolic on internet forums so I don’t find them terribly helpful unless you’re specific about your questions (you have been with the roll race stuff).

I will often rate things for myself to provide myself with a clearer picture of my wants/needs.

Here’s a table I put together of my last 20 years of sporty cars. Depending on what I’m after at the time, different cars win out. Highest scoring is the GT3RS but it doesn’t offer a manual and I didn’t lIke the handling on track so I sold it and moved to the Lotus. The Lotus checked some of the boxes that the GT3RS missed, but then the manual gearbox was a let-down on track and parts availability was a mess. The Focus and Civic both required substantial modifications to score as highly as they do. I also rate a manual higher than a PDK. Others would score things very differently, but again that’s the point I’m making.

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[Unobtanium]

Great posts!!!
So, another question. This one is a "what if", but its realistic for ME.

I live very rural. We have animals. I once hit a raccoon and have narrowly missed many more. Often there is road kill you can't dodge due to corners and oncoming cars. You eat it, brake hard and pray, or go over it.

In a bmw m car, that means maybe kissing the oil coolers goodbye. Plus body work.

In the CTR, what does it cost? Replacing the front lower bumper, and what sensitive things besides obvious radiator and fmic live low and centerline on the car?

 

[CG13]

Great posts!!!
So, another question. This one is a "what if", but its realistic for ME.

I live very rural. We have animals. I once hit a raccoon and have narrowly missed many more. Often there is road kill you can't dodge due to corners and oncoming cars. You eat it, brake hard and pray, or go over it.

In a bmw m car, that means maybe kissing the oil coolers goodbye. Plus body work.

In the CTR, what does it cost? Replacing the front lower bumper, and what sensitive things besides obvious radiator and fmic live low and centerline on the car?

Body work, radiator, intercooler, brake ducts

 

[Unobtanium]

Body work, radiator, intercooler, brake ducts

How "replaceable" is the front end stuff. Like the 2 grills and the front air dam?

Also, side skirts?

On the Viper, and my Z06, side skirts are actually glued on and big money to replace.

An example is when my Rav4 Prime ate a steel pipe on the freeway and took out the lower grill. It cost me $350 at the dealership to have this fixed. I was shocked it was so cheap. Is the CTR this way, or is it not at all like that?

 

[lilDumpsterRat]

I am considering a CTR for my next fun car. Some background on this...


I drove an ev6 GT for a few years. It was fast as hell and boringly reliable. I crushed almost every car that had a go at me. Roll or dig. But it lacked soul. It wasnt engaging. After a few wot blasts, it was very mundane. It also is going obsolete. The work to keep it on the road in 20 years is literally impossible or impossibly stupid to pay for. Its a consumable.

I want the opposite of that. I first came to that realization when I bought a 2011 CVPI for a beater 1.5 years ago. I put 30k miles on it by the time I added another 4k to the GT. Something about being able to work on it, the rack and pinion steering, the gutless but opinionated 4.6L v8. Vibes, man.

I want a fun car like that, but with higher limits. I want a car that in 20 years will still have a place in my garage.

Cars Ive considered: nismo z manual, m2x drive, rc-f.

But everyone keeps glazing the CTR. So I went to drive one. It absolutely demolished my expectations and I couldnt stop grinning. My only concern is...Will I miss the power? Will fwd become a burden? Is it special enough?

Id like to hear from some of you who kay also have or have cross shopped similar cars to my list.

You drove it so you understand. I personally hate FWD, i also dont care four four cyl turbo engines, yet, the CTR somehow is an exception to all that. the FWD is fun in this car, and the they've dialed it in so well that it really is something else. The engine is perfect even in stock form.

on and on, i drive mine everyday and I never wish it had anything different, it is so perfectly balanced and a joy to drive.
resale values are strong also on CTR so if you change your mind you're fine.

If you want raw power from a dig, this isnt the car, but if you enjoy the way it moves I dont think youl find anything else like it short of a lotus or porsche.

 

[optronix]

You're talking about highway rolls and G80s... Me thinks you want a different car.

Let's all be honest here. This is the single biggest red flag in this whole thread.

Highway rolls are not what this car is about. Look at a G80 or Dark Horse.

 

[Unobtanium]

Let's all be honest here. This is the single biggest red flag in this whole thread.

Highway rolls are not what this car is about. Look at a G80 or Dark Horse.

Like I said, it's very far outside of its mission statement, but that doesn't mean I'm not curious about it.

 

[Stick355]

I noticed you said you were considering an RCF. I have some experience with the platform. The Lexus is a supremely comfortable car, but not an enthusiast car. For reference, this is what i had until very recently. I know its not a F car, but the drivetrain is identical.

They are great cars, but there were 4 main issues I personally had with it.
1. The transmission. If you research the Lexus platform, you will find that the trans is a common area for complaint. It works fairly well when fully heated up (full hot), but prior to that, it is very sluggish on upshifts, and slips horribly on downshifts. AT full temp, it shifted solid and frankly was quick enough for a road car. If you live in a cold climate or just cold winters, the car could take up to 30 min to get fully up to temp, most times the drive ending prior to full warm up. This left me with a trans that didn't want to work properly for almost all my seat time from December to April.
2. The rear end. I had 2 issues in this area. The first being the suspension. The rear feels disconnected from the front. Sweepers and corners, the rear moved around a lot, and in quite an un nerving way. It could be fixed through the aftermarket but... the second issue was the rear gear. 3.13's are way to tall. the car needs a 3.73 or shorter, but this would take away from what that car really is, a boulevard cruiser with Lexus comfort. The gear ratio was a big one for me, as it turned the car into a 2 or 3 speed auto for anything on local public roads.
3. The size. It was a small car inside. My 2 boys, 16 and 19, couldn't fit in the back comfortably. That left us using the wife's Tahoe for anything that was family related. I'm not gonna say it was unusable, but for anything longer than 30mins, I just couldn't look out the mirror and see 2 heads tilted at a 45 so there head wouldn't hit the roof.
4. The engine. The 5.0 in the Lexus is maybe the best engine I've ever driven. It revs quick and is silky smooth. Not a truckload of torque, but brilliant on the top end. This would seem like a positive, until you add the other issues. The car constantly felt like it was letting the engine down. Such a great powerplant, and no way to utilize it without spending a bunch on suspension upgrades.

I picked this up last week, and have to say, it utterly fantastic!!
I have always been a Mustang (owned 4) and muscle car guy. Always laughed at these things and the noises they make. My 16 year old talked me into driving the CTR, and I owned it 2 hours later. Such a composed car. One that was clearly designed to be a drivers car. It is just so much more usable on a daily basis than the Lexus was. I do not regret letting a 1 of 150 car go after driving this. In my short time of ownership, I'm realizing what kind of package Honda was going for, and they nailed it.

 

[Unobtanium]

I noticed you said you were considering an RCF. I have some experience with the platform. The Lexus is a supremely comfortable car, but not an enthusiast car. For reference, this is what i had until very recently. I know its not a F car, but the drivetrain is identical.

They are great cars, but there were 4 main issues I personally had with it.
1. The transmission. If you research the Lexus platform, you will find that the trans is a common area for complaint. It works fairly well when fully heated up (full hot), but prior to that, it is very sluggish on upshifts, and slips horribly on downshifts. AT full temp, it shifted solid and frankly was quick enough for a road car. If you live in a cold climate or just cold winters, the car could take up to 30 min to get fully up to temp, most times the drive ending prior to full warm up. This left me with a trans that didn't want to work properly for almost all my seat time from December to April.
2. The rear end. I had 2 issues in this area. The first being the suspension. The rear feels disconnected from the front. Sweepers and corners, the rear moved around a lot, and in quite an un nerving way. It could be fixed through the aftermarket but... the second issue was the rear gear. 3.13's are way to tall. the car needs a 3.73 or shorter, but this would take away from what that car really is, a boulevard cruiser with Lexus comfort. The gear ratio was a big one for me, as it turned the car into a 2 or 3 speed auto for anything on local public roads.
3. The size. It was a small car inside. My 2 boys, 16 and 19, couldn't fit in the back comfortably. That left us using the wife's Tahoe for anything that was family related. I'm not gonna say it was unusable, but for anything longer than 30mins, I just couldn't look out the mirror and see 2 heads tilted at a 45 so there head wouldn't hit the roof.
4. The engine. The 5.0 in the Lexus is maybe the best engine I've ever driven. It revs quick and is silky smooth. Not a truckload of torque, but brilliant on the top end. This would seem like a positive, until you add the other issues. The car constantly felt like it was letting the engine down. Such a great powerplant, and no way to utilize it without spending a bunch on suspension upgrades.

I picked this up last week, and have to say, it utterly fantastic!!
I have always been a Mustang (owned 4) and muscle car guy. Always laughed at these things and the noises they make. My 16 year old talked me into driving the CTR, and I owned it 2 hours later. Such a composed car. One that was clearly designed to be a drivers car. It is just so much more usable on a daily basis than the Lexus was. I do not regret letting a 1 of 150 car go after driving this. In my short time of ownership, I'm realizing what kind of package Honda was going for, and they nailed it.

Thanks! This is the kind of info that I am looking for. I would quickly get bored of the Lexus from what you're saying.

 

[chopsuey34]

1) Buy CTR
2) Keep CTR stock
3) Sell CTR for same / similar price 1 year from now if you don't like it

 

[Stick355]

Thanks! This is the kind of info that I am looking for. I would quickly get bored of the Lexus from what you're saying.

I did, that's why it only lasted a little over a year.

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