Well guys, I have to part company with the enthusiasts on this one and
say I just can't personally justify $6K more into this car, which at best,
is worth $14K used. The new Subaru WRX with 220 AWD horsepower
will hit the shores in the spring and chipped, you're looking at darn near
280hp (with the usual intake, exhaust, etc). This is a car with an established
track record of being able to handle that amount of power whereas the SHM
to me, on the Contour, is a crapshoot. I'm not prepared to be a $6K guinea
pig for Mr. Hyland. I think a few grand into the car is certainly justifiable, if
only to squeeze the most naturally aspirated power out of an otherwise, finely
tuned engine, but I've never really been a fan of dumping large sums of money
into items that depreciate. I suppose it's because of my age, and I have less
years left to recover from the folley of such financial decisions. If I had $6K
lying around for mods, I'd probably invest it. This is entirely my own decision
and I say for those with the $$$, "go for it," but in these parts, there isn't much
competition out there to race with, short of the occasional ricer, and to spend
so much more when the current level of performance is sufficent enough to
humble 8 out of 10 cars I come in contact with (this isn't tuner country), makes
about as much sense as a 200mph car parked at Key West. Again, not to offend others choices, but I'll pass on this one and opt for showroom performance (re: Ford Lightning, Audi S4, new WRX, etc...IOW, something
with a warranty).
