Message To S3 Owners - Someone Convince Me !!

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lexlooper

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Hi All in S3land

I owned the S3 8P for a couple of years and loved the wee beasty.....

Now own an Astra VXR Nurbnurgring with 280bhp, Eibach springs and LSD. The burg is savage and handles like a touring car. However I am deffo being pulled to the class of Audi once more and would appreciate some genuine petrolhead feedback on performance and sensible tuning.....

Any comments greatly appreciated....
 
S3 tuning has great gains.mine has GIAC software with flashloader, and ITG intake,was rolling roaded at 328 BHP ,just upgraded the clutch to a Sachs organic as the oem packed in and the car flies, puts the power down perfectly.
Next stage is exhaust/Hp fuel pump and that should see 360bhp +.
So great tuning potential for not earth shattering money really......
 
Thavnks for your reply...

I owned the 8L chassis S3 not the 8P as I said in my post. The VXR Burg I own is a real B road machine for the weekend. The mods are to the suspension, not the engine as I don't want to invalidate the VX warranty. How do you stand with Audi on the engine mod/warranty situation ??
 
The astra is a £21k car, the S3 is a £31k car + clutch/Stage2 exhaust etc........You pays ya money and makes you choice. I,m not a huge fan of audi's but if you want power and tunability then the S3 has got to be a better starting point.....Unless of coarse you spend the extra £10-£15k its going to cost ya on doing something really silly to the old Vauxhall :faint:
 
Goodmorning and smell the coffee Fritz......

280bhp, Remus exhaust, Eibachs, Quaiffe Diff, RARB, Stage 1 only required to see fat Audi in my RVM !!!!
 
Oh dear oh dear

Looks like all mods for your Vauxhall are on hold mate, as you have obviously blown all your money on mind altering drugs!!!

You say in an earlier post that the mods were to the suspension as you didnt want to affect your warranty, so how do you get 280 bhp out of a standard VXR???

Keep puffing the weed mate, it should make your next post quite interesting?
 
Different cars at the end of the day. Both quick, both tunable, just a different build quality.

As has been said pays yer money makes your choice.

I considered the VXR when thinking about a new car, but in the end the S3 was the one for me.

Lets see if this discussion can be had without the usual vauxhall is sh't Audis are brilliant drivel. At the end of the day theyre different. Open debate yes, but keep away from the usual way these threads go would be a refreshing change. :)
 
lexlooper said:
Goodmorning and smell the coffee Fritz......

280bhp, Remus exhaust, Eibachs, Quaiffe Diff, RARB, Stage 1 only required to see fat Audi in my RVM !!!!
Click to expand...

till it rains.:scared2:

Then of course in 5 years time you will be hoping the government still does a scrapage scheme....and The s3 guys will be trading in for £15k
 
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To put this into perspective, the VXR Nurburgring is 237 bhp out of the box, not 280 as the OP stated. What amuses me even more is that the Focus ST was quicker around the Nurburgring than the VXR namesake.

Audi and Vauxhall are 2 different classes of car, I personally wouldn't own a Vauxhall but then you have to bear in mind there is a significant price differential, so if you're looking a value for money then it's a tough call.

My advice to the OP is if you can get yourself in an S3 then do it, it's a lovely car, and it's tuneability is fantastic, for not too much money either.
 
My friends got a new VXR-Racing edition. Very nice indeed I must say. Carbon Firbre interior, chunky steering wheels, 19" black wheeks, Remus exhaust. I think they are quit good tbh. He said it's 280bhp out the box, can anyone clarify this.

It's a VXR-Racing edition in red with black bits.

David
 
DaveS3Turbo said:
My friends got a new VXR-Racing edition. Very nice indeed I must say. Carbon Firbre interior, chunky steering wheels, 19" black wheeks, Remus exhaust. I think they are quit good tbh. He said it's 280bhp out the box, can anyone clarify this.

It's a VXR-Racing edition in red with black bits.

David
Click to expand...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/222693/vauxhall_astra_vxr.html

According to Vauxhall, the "Nurburgring", the "Racing" and the normal VXR are all 237bhp.

They do come with a rather impressive standard spec though, 19" rims, nice looking Recaros etc etc, but that really isn't enough to entice me.
 
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DaveS3Turbo said:
My friends got a new VXR-Racing edition. Very nice indeed I must say. Carbon Firbre interior, chunky steering wheels, 19" black wheeks, Remus exhaust. I think they are quit good tbh. He said it's 280bhp out the box, can anyone clarify this.

It's a VXR-Racing edition in red with black bits.

David
Click to expand...

http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/vxr/index.html#/special-editions/vxracing/pressrelease/

Same 240bhp engine with the exhaust uprated to Remus giving approx 20 bhp extra so 260bhp max id say.
 
I quite like vauxhall's how they have changed there image tbh , And i would own one to but to try and compare it to an s3 well your silly s3 = nice looks very tunable, nice interior , solid build all in all a great car .

Where as vauxhall interior is like your sat in darth vader's helmet's styling just OK and silly to try compare it to an s3 ..

So on this one im gona saaaaaaay vauxhall = HAPPY HARDCORE MUSIC AND FAIL :lmfao:
 
Such different cars to be honest mud madness to suggest a '280' VXR will leave a tuned S3, add in the usual variables like driver capability and it gets more complex by the minute.

I imagine the VXR is a great car to raise a smile, the torque steer and chuckability would make an entertaining ride but the image is pretty Chavtastic, I personally couldn't live with the interior but can see the attraction for 'younger' drivers.

The S3 should be faster in all scenarios but may at imes feel slower due to the composed way it goes about it's buisiness, personally if I saw a VXR going for it I'd probably just smile and let him get on with it.

I too would have liked to see an impartial thread but when the OP starts making comments like S3 Bye Bye he is being the antagonist, I'd suggest a lengthy test drive in an S3 as it won't set your pants on fire in 20 mins like the VXR but try a long distance cross country run and it all makes sense, throw in a track day with some 4 wheel drifting and limpet like grip out of tight corners and your budget will be raised and it will be Bye Bye VXR I want to now buy an S3 :)
 
paddy said:
till it rains.:scared2:

Then of course in 5 years time you will be hoping the government still does a scrapage scheme....and The s3 guys will be trading in for £15k
Click to expand...

LMFAO, thats funny, scrappage scheme, that for me killed it, I had my S3 for 7 years & I still sold it for 8k, Paddy says it all, coupled with 4wd even if its a lard asse, it will still run rings round the VXR in the wet IMHO, but be interested to see them playing with eachother, happy to be proved wrong though.

But without being a badge snob, the audi just is a much better car in all areas tbh, interior although 6 years old now still makes some of the newer cars look ugly, reliability for me atm is questionable, but even with knowledge of these things I still cant look at another badge except VW & say yes I'd buy that, cause although yes the VXR gives you a thrill now, give it a short while & the interior & other stuff will start to bother you IMHO, it really will, its not all about the 0-60, cause you wont be driving full throttle everywhere, sometimes its the refinements you also see that makes that extra difference.
 
audi upgrades
Put it this way the words "prestige" and "vauxhall" are never mantioned in the same sentence.
 
Not sure if I'd call Audi prestige atm these days with reliability issues, certainly better quality & design, but vauxhall if they want to gain ground need to stop designing tacky interiors, aswell as ford, I was looking at a ford fiesta new shape for missus in italy while back as she liked it (not my choice), it looked ok on ads & net, went to see & obviously as all cars dont look as good in flesh but was ok for her, then got inside & that was the end of that, it looked like toyrus new toy, the center console was horrible, was like the old Nokia Ngage handset, couldnt stand it, hence left very promptly & they wanted 15k euros for it, thought yeah on yer Fiat Cinquecento mate
 
The VXR is a pretty car, cheap too.
I can see that it would be a popular choice for the younger enthusiast.

But of I was looking for a hot hatch it would be a Golf anyway.

And if it was a non VAG fwd hot hatch, then it would be a Focus ST.

Although great bang for buck, I cant imagine either would deliver the alround `feel good` factor you get from the S3.

Each to their own of course and I am 100% unashamedy biased:icon_thumright:.
Paul
 
Absolutely nothing wrong with Vauxhalls.

Back in the day I had a Nova. Any time anything went wrong I just went a bought a recon engine, supplied and fitted for £60.
So; Timing chain goes... new engine. Head gasket goes.... new engine. It was brilliant!!
Had to carry a spare pack of spark plugs in the boot though. A set would only last 30 miles!

And, ok, it only had four gears, one wing mirror, and one front wing from a 2 door and one from a 4 door. But other than that it was 993cc's of go-faster striped orgasm.

Didn't like the frost on the inside of the windscreen on icy mornings though.

Vauxhalls...... love 'em! :wub:
 
PaulAr said:
Each to their own of course and I am 100% unashamedy biased:icon_thumright:.
Paul
Click to expand...

Depends if you're wearing this whilst driving your audi

careys_mankini.jpg
















Caymans rock btw
 
The VXR-S (Thorney Motrsport edition) puts ot 280bhp, and the VXR-R closer to 300bhp). They quote 0-60 on the VXR-R as 4.9s, but I'd love to see that on anything other than the dryest of days!!

Link to the VXR-R & VXR-S LINKY

For the money I respect them, but there is a lot of capable metal out there these days for mid £20k's. Leon Cupra R, Scirocco R, Focus RS, Megane RS250, Mazda 3 MPS, Astra VXR..... (notice I didn't say Golf R as that's mid 30's :tocktock:).

Any of the above are good, and in my eyes they are so closely matched it is more about badge preference than about an outright winner. We are talking tenths of differences between them all.

Where the S3 and to some extent to Golf R move the game on, is they add a dimension of respectability to the hot hatch for people who want some added plushness and class to bolster the outright experience. If I was after the most thrills I wouldn't buy the S3, but I have a job where I need to present an element of respectability. An acid green Focus (rather than a dull grey S3) would have the over-enthusiastic sphincters of British middle Management twitching far too uncontrollably when I turn up in their works car park. It shouldn't matter, but it does. because people are too ****** judgmental in this country!

The S3 is a classy work horse that enables me to 'shift' with stealth (in any weather).
 
warrencox said:
If I was after the most thrills I wouldn't buy the S3, but I have a job where I need to present an element of respectability. An acid green Focus (rather than a dull grey S3) would have the over-enthusiastic sphincters of British middle Management twitching far too uncontrollably when I turn up in their works car park. It shouldn't matter, but it does. because people are too ****** judgmental in this country!
Click to expand...

100% behind that, a salesmen turning up at a business in a respectable car is taken alot more seriously than a guy with a lime green focus or a Lamborgini, call it snobbery or whatever, its human nature, focus being no disrespect but tacky salesmen & lambo being this guys way to rich to need my money, hope you understand the analogy, as from real world experience is very true.

Mate of mine had 2 cars for this very same purpose, great salesmen, but had a 3 series basic for sales visits & a 600bhp porsche for personal if you get me.
 
^^^^^ couldnt agree more, People have even commented on my mate turning up to a customer in an A4. I also know someone that has a Vauxhall and as he said nice when new appalling after a couple of years due to it falling to pieces.
 
NHN said:
100% behind that, a salesmen turning up at a business in a respectable car is taken alot more seriously than a guy with a lime green focus or a Lamborgini, call it snobbery or whatever, its human nature, focus being no disrespect but tacky salesmen & lambo being this guys way to rich to need my money, hope you understand the analogy, as from real world experience is very true.

Mate of mine had 2 cars for this very same purpose, great salesmen, but had a 3 series basic for sales visits & a 600bhp porsche for personal if you get me.
Click to expand...

We had this convo a little while back didn't we

Hense why i went from a Corsa that i'd spent £££'s on kitting it out into a show car, coz i loved spending time on it and making it how i wanted to make it, to an executive looking Audi A3

And audi commands more respect than a kitted out Vauxhall
 
i owned a corsa vxr running 260bhp (regal tuned/forged engine/hybrid turbo) stripped to 1000kg on kw coilovers and lsd... got rid for of it for the s3.. and obviously my 1st thought was im going to be dissapointed with the performance from the audi! as anyone would expect when they read 265bhp 1450kg from the s3! my s3 has got a forge cai/cat back and about 50kg lighter got rid of abit of unecessary weight! and it absouletly eat the vxr after 3rd gear and from 1st ofcourse if from a dig and i have friends on vxronline who will vouch for this!

now my brother has a vxracing astra running thorney stage2 around 280+.. lsd, arb, springs and its the same again mate the s3 just beats it in everyway! it can keep up if theres not any bends involved.. but its still not as quick as the s3

im not hating on the vxr mate i love them and sometimes miss mine! but at the end of the day its leagues ahead of vxr's a standard s3 runs around 280+ out of the box aswell.. but its not just hp what wins over them imo.. gear ratios, the way it puts the power down etc etc
 
VXR looks nice, goes like hell but the S3 looks nicer and goes even quicker!!!

But lets be honest gents the only reason we drive S3's and we're even on this forum is cause we have tunnel vision about our cars and we will defend our cars even if they're 2nd best!!!:s3addict:
 
audi upgrades
BOSSS3 said:
But lets be honest gents the only reason we drive S3's and we're even on this forum is cause we have tunnel vision about our cars and we will defend our cars even if they're 2nd best!!!
Click to expand...

Maybe you have tunnel vision mate, but if the 8P is ***** with something, I'd say it, havnt got time for this badge snobbery, many things on the 8P I could rant about anyday of the week, just ask & I'll roll of 3-4 now, no cars perfect, but Audi do tend to do it a little more closer to perfect than most.
 
Very good thread and some good points, for me i have drove nearly all of the above mention, but not owned all, i left the golf behind due to untuneability of the car, to tune the mk4 platform with good results you had to spend big to get very little out, the vxr is a very capeable car and you will have to look hard to find much wrong with it, i use to work for vauxhall as there master tech and know how much they put into there name.
The focus st which some one mention is again on the same path as the vxr, but far easier to tune at very low cost, but for me not as well built as the vxr.
The s3 is is 10k more so you have too say they are in the premier league, with all manufactuer's they have there problems but for me dont attend to them as much as say vauxhall, but are a long way ahead, i said this last night on a post and will say again ' Audi are the leading manufacturer now in both diesel and petrol engine's right across the board, and the rest are chasing
 
S3 all the way!

2 of my friends Have the VXR Burg and most of the time it back at the dealers problems after problems. The build isnt up by Audi's leage!

I wont slate the VXR to much as handling and power ratio is good PLUS the sweet tone it makes! I think the noise that the VXR makes is the biggest selling point to the younger side of the owners!

The build, quality and class of an Audi wins hands down!! Enough said lol
 
NHN said:
Maybe you have tunnel vision mate, but if the 8P is ***** with something, I'd say it, havnt got time for this badge snobbery, many things on the 8P I could rant about anyday of the week, just ask & I'll roll of 3-4 now, no cars perfect, but Audi do tend to do it a little more closer to perfect than most.
Click to expand...
So you're saying you not biast to audi at all bro?
 
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