Power and acceleration are only a small part of an equasion. Anyone, skilled or not, can go fast in a straight line. That is why the outdated, underpowered, overweight nature of the US OHV V8 is pure and simple crap. Weight balance, suspension setup, and proper brakes are completely foreign to US manufacturers. The 'standard' V8 Mustang GT still uses a live axle rear suspension setup. Thats a truck suspension, not a performance vehicle. I can't speak for the people who actually are ricers, but I'd take an FD, early Evo, or an MR2 over a US manufactured car any day. Simply put, there is a reason only a handful of US manufacturers compete in world class GT and rally competition. US auto development lags signifigantly behind the rest of the world. Give me a straight four or rotary any day.On a final note, I concour that tuning a Civic is a waste of time. All FF cars are a waste of time with regard to performance.