As an American muscle car in the early 70s, the Dodge Super Bee isn't a very difficult car to wrap one's head around: soft metallic mounts that can barely be considered "suspension", heavy, bias ply tyres, ABS–less brakes, open diff, big NA V8 up front with abysmal specific power figures and even more horrifying fuel economy numbers, rear wheel drive, and four short forward gears that would pull for exactly 402.3 metres before running out of breath on a straight, level road. So far, so very typical of the beehive that is vintage American muscle then. Been there, done that. Twice.
Far bee it for me to be part of the hive mind who appreciate the sweetness muscle cars, but if the in–game description is to be believed, the Super Bee is supposed to be a performance focused muscle car, which sounds to me as practical as gluing a 10x zoom scope onto a sawn–off shotgun. To this pointy end, the Super Bee that is chosen to represent in this game actually has the smallest engine that was offered for it: a MICROSCOPIC 6.3L Magnum Bee 8 (please don't sue me, Dodge), to create a car that's not just a whopping 191kg (421lbs) lighter than its Challenger R/T sibling, but one that also feels stiffer as a result, all while possessing better balance. So then, could it bee that we have a vintage muscle car that handles well this week?
Well... you'd probably do well to steer well clear of the honey trap of beelieving that the Super Bee will handle well, because it's still a front heavy car on what is ultimately still soft suspension, which means it will exhibit typical muscle car beehaviour if you decide to push it. But while this car is still floaty like a butterfly, it for sure has the proper sting of a bee. In comparison to the aforementioned Challenger, the Super Bee feels markedly more taut and consistent when faced with a slight bend on the road, which makes the typical showboaty, explosive power of American muscle really rather fun to toss around a track, given that it offers you some semblance of control over the chaos. Better being a busy bee trying to correct the car than dying a gruesome death trying to pull your stinger out a sand trap, spilling your innards out in the process.
Yep, look at how much fun I'm having, totally not overcooking T1 on cold tyres and a full tank of fuel after a long practice stint with a horrifically depleting tank!
It'd probably be a lot cooler to see one of these cars in real life, especially in export markets, because of the glimpses in history and culture it brings, the stories that they carry in their aged chassis, and how it might actually help you earn a chance to pollinate someone. In digital form however, it's just a crap car that tops out at an EV–esque 195km/h drag limited, that would just about hold its own against an utter pig of a stock first gen Mitsubishi GTO when given proper gearing, locking diffs, and ABS. As such, I really cannot fathom why in the heck a rational, sane human being would ever find themselves wondering which vintage muscle car to get, and if the Super Bee is any good. But, if, say, you find yourself in a very exacting scenario wherein Arn Anderson has his Glock to your head and is demanding you to choose a vintage muscle car to drive, effectively forcing you to contemplate the age old existential question of, "To Bee or not to Bee", I'd say that the Super Bee can catch many cars of its class and era out by surprise with its (comparatively...) taut handling, and its slightly higher gearing that gives it an undisputed advantage along any track not named "Horse Thief Mile". Me personally though, "not to Bee" is the obvious choice, as I'd take a Camaro Z/28 any day, simply because it's much, much lighter than even the bee, and actually handles well. Well worth the 20k credit price hike over the bee, I feel. Or you know, you could just get a C2 Corvette, which will give you a lot more performance for not that much more money.
Unfortunately, the Super Bee isn't quite the queen bee among its class, let alone my garage. It's therefore a Super Beeter.
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