Spec Sheets and Lap Times are Over Rated | The Fine Print

Most people cling to spec sheets, marketing fluff, and internet info to judge what car is best. In the modern age, there is too much information available to make a car buying decision. No car brand is getting a pass from scrutiny, Ford, BMW, Honda everyone wants to know what is best before driving them. This is the fine print of spec sheets and laps times.

SavageGeese is:
Mr. Goose

Index:
00:00 - 00:25 Intro
00:25 - 1:22 Driving Skill, Track, Street and Race
1:22 - 2:25 The Obsession with Numbers
2:25 - 3:50 Media Generated Laptime Marketing, Nurburgring, and VIR
3:50 - 4:51 Breaking Down the Realities of Over Hyped Cars
4:51 - 6:53 Conclusion

[justin]

Savagegeese keeps it real as always. I never have to worry about this guy selling out or being influenced by OEMs to “say nice things” about press cars.

[mteske]

More fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.

[jackreacher]

And to me, this is the argument for a good manual transmission- it connects you to the car, you have to be involved in driving. People say “modern automatic transmissions shift faster than humanly possible and have more gears, ” and I say “I’m the driver, not the passenger, ”

[dannoyes]

Thanks! This needed to be said. A good car transcends the numbers because they're just that... numbers. What about the feeling? experience? the connection? It can't be measured but you know it when you see it.

Score - 9.1

[IceTeaMan]

this is why i drive mazda they actually care about driving, dynamics in multi environments and the "feel" of driving, they may not have hell cat engines, and yes all of their engines could use more hp / turbos but in terms of driving feel and dynamics per i think they win hands down.

[HandsomeAlex]

I've been driving a bunch of cars recently after my BRZ was killed in a crash, and I completely agree. The spec sheets say that I should love extra power of a V8 Mustang, but I found out that it just wasn't for me. An Audi S4 is supposed to be so fast and capable, but felt completely inert, even when doing amazing things with mid-corner bumps. Golf GTI's are considered the perfect blend of usability and sportiness, but I found it was similar to the Audi, and that it was better without the upgraded adjustable dampers - it felt more real in basic form. Drove a Civic Si for jokes and actually really liked the handling and power delivery, but hated the rev hang. I still have much to drive, but there are so many different feelings and sensations to each car. The search continues for a replacement, but I no longer look at numbers, and when salespeople say "performance" I just sort of glaze over. Let me drive, and I'll find things I like and don't like.

[jasonalagna]

Thanks for this - this is something lots of people fail to realize... This is addressing the "Dodge Demon" phenomenon... whereas the real enthusiasts have been enjoying cars like the Mazda Miata for YEARS

[karlol]

Keep making such a real world videos! Thank you so much for that. That you bring all this stuff that most car reviews don't talk to larger audience! To make people think a bit more about cars they drive, going to purchase or just observe from screens or on streets.

[GrandMasta]

I think this debate taps into the pricing predicament. I compare numbers to assess value in some capacity. I own a 2015 brz, 2 years and change driving 90 miles a day with it in NYC and I am still in love with it.

I had just gotten a good job and I was 25 and I wanted to buy a sports car that is fairly sensible on pricing. I looked at v6 mustangs, the ecoboost that had just come out, the new wrx revision, hyundai genesis coupe, dodge challenger sxt, camaro v6, that whole lot. I had never driven a manual transmission in my life but I knew i wanted to learn and what better than to do it on my car.

I couldn't stop comparing numbers because I wanted to get the most I could for the money which was obviously 25-30k ish.
A coworker of mine who owned a 2003 porsche boxster said it isn't all about the numbers. Went and saw the brz and fell in it even though i stalled it like 3 times during my test drive. The cockpit seating style, the rev happiness, the look, I was in love even though it was slower. Also nothing some light tuning couldn't help. I learned to love it even more with the reward for good driving nature it has. I get 26.6 mpg to boot even though I rip on it like nuts so its a happy relationship.

It taught me about what I like in a car and the sad end is that the next step up from a brz to another car with the same formula is outside the price range of the average person and is a maintenance money pit if used(talking cayman, 911, maybe corvette, last place for m2).

That leaves you in a predicament where you must settle for the best you can get even though it doesn't fit your ideal. That's where spec sheets come in. I can say that if I am ready to step up from the brz, to something in the 45k range, I have to settle for the best I can get, and that is the most power/weight ratio, best lap time, best bargain as a consolation for not being able to afford a cayman, etc.

[chron]

This reminds me of the Nissan GT-R. I believe Hiroshi Tamura said part of the reason the GT-R carries the weight that it does is to help with stability, thus providing a way to make the car more accessible to customers who don't have a lot of experience with high horsepower automobiles. I think the main complaint against new sports cars are all the electronic nannys. As you mentioned in the video, you can go fast but you feel disconnected from the driving experience.

[mountainhobo]

Amen. Long ago I owned cars that were way less powerful than cars today, had no power assist anything, RWD, but boy were they fun to drive. There were even FWD cars where you felt the connection to the road. I had one that cornered like cat on velcro, even though it was slower and less powerful than cars today (although it was lighter). It was fun, though. And the standard transmission was still, well, standard. I miss them.

[spartacus]

This person has many under rated videos like his whole channel, but this has to be one of the most. If some day he gets the popularity he deserves we (his fans) should be ready to protect him.

[TheAdventureAuto]

Im totally with you on this one. I say people get more excited over horsepower numbers on paper over actual performance. I drove a C6 corvette with 400hp and then a Miata with 133. I have way more fun in the one with 133. Spec sheets dont make for a great driving experience. Like you said, find the car for you.

[KJ-iqfm]

Sales of used Cobalt SS cars (as well as Kobalt Stainless Steel tool boxes) to skyrocket in the next few months because of this video. 😜🚀

[StirlingMossDrives]

Savage Geese is the real nigga car enthusiast!

[Chironex_Fleckeri]

Your reviews are all about putting your viewers in the driver seat in an honest and relatable way, and I think that's why your 30+ minute reviews fly by. Scott's always got something (usually hilarious) to say, and you guys make great co-hosts bouncing lines off each other in those segments. The camerawork and production quality are so far above and beyond what qualifies as "good" content here on YT that it feels like you truly must never sleep. The countless hours you've spent making everything just right on each of your reviews definitely doesn't go unnoticed.

[limjjxj]

It's like some people bashing the LC or the RCF for being slower 0-60 than a GT350 but guess which cars I'd rather sit in.

[brandonharlow]

This is all common sense to me but there are so many "car" people out there that are so focused on numbers it cracks me up

Edit: Where do I get one of those inflatable rainbows you have :)

[jameskelsey]

Totally with you. Not so long ago i was worried about the numbers and all that... Then i rode in and drove an old 97 mx5 and a "slow" frs and absolutely loved the experience. Everything about the specs said that i wouldnt enjoy that, but i truly did. Love your fine print series. Thanks for doing these.

[matthewmain]

Appreciate this piece. I drive a '11 Honda CR-Z. A car widely panned by the automotive press, but on real roads, in the real world, is a great dart about.