As a rule, I've learned not to race people from a dig, or a roll. Not unless I'm borrowing Steve's 32 AMG...

From a dig, the 6-speed's gearing is so short that you're shifting while they're still accelerating. From a roll, the N/A motor loses steam fairly quickly. It's no dog -- not by any means -- but it's certainly not fast enough for me to antagonize (or even oblige) races on the interstate.

The good news for me is, I didn't buy the car for street racing... I bought it to be a head-turner and a car that I could stand to drive daily.

And as Franc said, the real "strength" in this car is the ability to be balanced and poised in the corners. Healthy amounts of torque low in the RPM range, and the tight turning radius yield some fun (and surprisingly quick) times in the curvy bits. I have challenged several "more powerful" cars that would walk me on the straights, to a little dance in the curvy, hilly roads in TN. And 9 times out of 10, I lose sight of them in the rear-view mirror.

I leave the interstates to the big boys... the Crossfire's home is on the Dragon, the Hellbender, Moonshiner 28, etc.

And the best part? Seven years later, it still looks like nothing else on the road. It still turns heads, counfounds the masses, and prompts questions. And people who don't know any better still think it's a $30,000+ car.

Noisy S2000's and Z-cars don't get that same mystique, regardless of their "speed".