 When I first took this car out, I was a little disappointed by its lack of pep.  Supposedly this car has the same engine that they put into the VW GTI that year, the same GTI that my friend has.  My friend's GTI definitely had more go-power, especially in 3rd gear.  This car lacked that "mean" mentality even after dropping down from 4th to 3rd to get that extra rev boost. After coming off of a Honda Prelude, shifting seemed a bit sticky and lacked smooth transitions from 1st to 2nd especially. The car's handling was phenomenal even on wet roads and felt glued to the ground the entire way.  I love this car because of its head-turning design, handling and ability to amuse!