You can upgrade my chip, intake my air, make any modifications you like but unless you get in my car and drive it you ain't gonna make the real difference in the car's driving performance.
The way people drive is a bigger determining factor in performance than the car itself. If you don't believe me, you should have been on the October 9 Best Roads drive. Gadi in his 2.3 automatic and Pete in his 1.9 blew my doors off at very respectable speeds and were gone in a flash. :::::poof::::
JohnH had no trouble staying in front in his M, but JohnM and Dar felt comfy sweeping in their M coupe.

Today's trip was about trying the "Best Roads" in our area and yes indeed we got our fix. It was only 3 roads in New York State actually, 97, 10 and 28.
97 and 10 are recommended as Car and Driver's best roads- 97 is compared as # 2 to California's famous highway 101. (Isn't it funny how the English Countryside looks nothing like California?...) 28 is just a road I found to get home. Or so I thought until I drove it. This road has a whole thick book written about it, it not only sports gorgeous curves and scenery but also everything from a Zen monastery to one of "America's Castles", Mohonk.

As a Mercedes owner and club member I have a clear conscience when I say that perhaps the roads on the Car and Driver site are skewed more to the Mercedes luxury ride than to a "driving experience". Mercedes is the heavy handed sponsor of the Car and Driver's Best Road's Page.