Man, if you cant beat Excels, you need to practice your launching better man!
Ill be the first to admit, that the car is no rocket, But I have manage to beat the following:
AU Falcon (After 120km he started pulling away)
Swift GTi (Friends car with headwork, exhaust etc, beat by half a car 3 times)\
E36 318i BMW (Easy win!!)
But yes, they feel very slow, but they arnt as bad as y ou think, maybe getting a Lightweight flywheel, will make the ngine feel more revvy.
About the SPEED cruise, as long as you have washed it, its welcome :P
Also, I can recommend this shop too.