A little disappointed

A3ster

A3ster

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Well,

on the way home tonight I noticed a Clio in the rear view mirrow coming up behind me a little fast, so I moved over to the slow lane expecting a chav in a 1.8 RS and let him pass. As he passed me I saw the Clio Williams colour so pulled into the fast lane for a little fun. How wrong was I, he left me for dust but not so much on acceleration but on the roundabouts, man those things handle well!!! So after I got home was on ebay looking for willams clios for sale,,,

Am I wrong, I know in a crash I would be better off, I know the build quality is better on My A3 1.8T but boy I wish my car would handle like that.

Can I improve the handling to a point where I would be happy without spending thousands?
 
I know how you feel, played with a wrx impreza new shape, well Y reg the other day, rolling start, 20mph onwards and he pulled away, was gob smacked, started clawing it back at a 100mph but went to change into 5th at 120mph and crunched, that was it lol.
When i got it straight on the internet looking for an evo and scooby haha, even though my s3s a alround better car etc etc still doesnt stop me not wanting to lose haha.
 
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Just remember your driving a piece of refined german engineering..wheras he's driving a tarted up french tin can.
 
I bet the williams weighs half what our s3's do. I had some fun with a 350z today and i think he was a bit shocked that i kept in front of him:rockwoot: haha
 
Tbh a A3's not fast at all, neither the S3 as standard!

I've got a 310 bhp mtm s3 and a golf gti mk2 16v, the golf handles much better, pretty fast in a straight line too! Small light cars are always going to handle better, good example is the mini/escorts vs big v8 battles that use to take place in the old touring cars (somewhere in the clip bellow)



[ytv]gpFdHFQEY8s[/ytv]
 
csweatherston said:
Just remember your driving a piece of refined german engineering..wheras he's driving a tarted up french tin can.
Click to expand...

Nar, still dunt cut it. Still in 2 minds wether to keep the s3, chuck a load of money at it and make it something special and unique or sod it and buy an evo!
 
Dani_B19 said:
Nar, still dunt cut it. Still in 2 minds wether to keep the s3, chuck a load of money at it and make it something special and unique or sod it and buy an evo!
Click to expand...


someone's selling a a3 thats as quick if not quicker than some evos:yes:
 
^^ Not been in a standard A3 or S3 but my S3 on Eibach suspension, 26mm Eibach anti roll bars, 20mm wider track, Performance haldex, and shod on P zero rosso's sticks like s**t to an army blanket!

I've never owned anything with more grip and it runs rings around everything I've come up against!! Corners harder than my old Cerbera on coil overs and that was quicker than an R33 GTR Skyline on the bends 'tested' :) Only place I'm getting beaten at the moment is the straight afterwards :( ! The Audi A3 can be made VERY capable indeed!
 
Dani_B19 said:
Nar, still dunt cut it. Still in 2 minds wether to keep the s3, chuck a load of money at it and make it something special and unique or sod it and buy an evo!
Click to expand...

Where is the fun in buying something like an Evo when you you can piddle off Evo/M3 drivers with a BT S3 ;P

<tuffty/>
 
Would never buy french, let alone a clio. Perhaps as a track car but not a replacement.

I have no problem sticking with my friends in their jap go fast cars but perhaps personal ability plays its part. Difference is though my car is more comfortable, better interior, quieter and much much better fuel economy.

Cant complain.

SDC11426.jpg
 
I think the word Clio Williams says it all, are they not in the top 5 of all time best handling FWD cars in more than one magazine publication? Along with DC2 Integra Type R's, Corrado VR6's and Pugeot 205 GTI's(1.6) as company.

Power is nothing without control! :racer:
 
I agree. Those old school hot hatches are cracking handlers but not as good as an all-rounder and no where near as refined or comfortable or reliable. You buy for your circumstances. A 15 yr old Clio would be useless at my 70 mile a day cross country all weather all season commute! It might 'do' me on a couple of roundabouts perhaps, but so what!

On the above mentioned commute i had some fun in my M3 against an old Astra GTE 16v. Was very impressed with it and had to drive damn hard to stay with him...!
 
Dani_B19 said:
I know how you feel, played with a wrx impreza new shape, well Y reg the other day, rolling start, 20mph onwards and he pulled away, was gob smacked, started clawing it back at a 100mph but went to change into 5th at 120mph and crunched, that was it lol.
When i got it straight on the internet looking for an evo and scooby haha, even though my s3s a alround better car etc etc still doesnt stop me not wanting to lose haha.
Click to expand...

i had a evo 9 fq 300 and was moddiefied to around 350. rapid as hell. downgraded to a s3 due to commitments :( haha i love my s3 now would change it 4 the world
 
Hey, I feel no shame at all. I see 'done-up' escort drivers with huge exhausts. I just move over and let them speed into the distance. I don't feel I need to prove anything to anyone. I enjoy driving my car at any speeds at any time (within the law ofcourse) and don't feel pressured to keep up. It really does not bother me, but maybe it's because I'm a forty + year old, wiser and mature and don't give a f*** about boy/girl racers. Let them have their day, We were like that at their age.

I wish I had one of those flashy led display to show "have a nice day" as they overtook me. The speed at which most of them go ,they would still have plenty of time to read it and I would still have to hear their loud exhausts longer than I would like.
 
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I had a Clio 16v which isn't disimilar to a Williams on paper and to be honest it's the best handling car I've ever owned, if you had a remap on your car you would be quicker from 60mph onwards but no matter what you did to your suspension you would struggle...I think they are brilliant cars but when you compare it to the build quality and overall package of the Audi there is no match...
 
I got spanked by a Clio 182 Cup in some twisties.

FWD French cars :anbet:
 
audi upgrades
thing is i love Evo's which is ideally what you need to be able to get close to these weightlesss runts.... that said since changing my dogmount my S3 now feels like a rattling bucket....no Evo, jap or frenchy for me, i like my comfort and the ability to boot it...we aint that far off the pace once you get the handling sorted
 
So, realisticly how much better would new suspension, ARB etc make my standard setup and is it worth the money? Ive not driven many good handling cars so to speak so dont really have a bench mark and if starts getting too pricey I'll just get a remap. I understand that it would better to get the remap last but dont think I can afford both at the moment.

On another note its not so much about me keeping up with people its about the driving experiance, and of course I realise that ones own driving capability are always going to be a factor.
 
tufftybloke said:
Where is the fun in buying something like an Evo when you you can piddle off Evo/M3 drivers with a BT S3 ;P

<tuffty/>
Click to expand...

however, what happens when the EVO driver starts speding on his engine just like the S3 driver with the BT conversion?
 
A3ster said:
So, realisticly how much better would new suspension, ARB etc make my standard setup and is it worth the money?
Click to expand...

much much better.

Get a proper suspension setup and a rear ARB for a start.

Then you go for the engine. ;)
 
Too be fair i have just come from an DC2 integra totally standard top to bottom into a remapped s3 and handling wise the difference is massive.....the S3 would not know which way the integra went on a twisty road.....however on a straight road the integra would struggle past about 110mph due to the torque curve of the S3 and the lack of a 6th gear........take nothing away from a wee hothatch they are very capabale at what they are designed to do!!!!!!!! BUT and its a big but you try and get an integra or clio to keep up with an remapped S3 and you will spend a fortune....and run a teg on a motorway at the usual 70-80-90 and your reving at 4500rpm upwards it gets pretty annoying after a while.....hope this helps:whistle2:
 
boyrollo said:
Too be fair i have just come from an DC2 integra totally standard top to bottom into a remapped s3 and handling wise the difference is massive.....the S3 would not know which way the integra went on a twisty road.....however on a straight road the integra would struggle past about 110mph due to the torque curve of the S3 and the lack of a 6th gear........take nothing away from a wee hothatch they are very capabale at what they are designed to do!!!!!!!! BUT and its a big but you try and get an integra or clio to keep up with an remapped S3 and you will spend a fortune....and run a teg on a motorway at the usual 70-80-90 and your reving at 4500rpm upwards it gets pretty annoying after a while.....hope this helps:whistle2:
Click to expand...

I wouldn't under estimate a DC2's performance, but you really neelly need to rev the ****** out of them to get the performance! I nearly lost to one in a straight line in my remapped S3, I could see it passing me when the vtec cam came in 2nd gear, and it was only when I hit 3rd gear onwards could I pull away slightly. Their lack of torque is countered with the use of short gearing, but I didn't exactly blow it away, it was still behind me until we ran out of road and both cooled it down. :respekt:
 
I had a 306 GTi6 before my S3 and the handling was far superior!
So don't feel too bad,I enjoy the rattle/squeek free enviroment that my Audi gives me now. Don't under-estimate french tin cans!
 
My mate has a DC5 Integra and it flies. Awesome on the twisties too. I've driven it to Germany and while it was great fun it was not very relaxing. Unfortunately it didn't come back with us on that occasion :( He got T-boned at a wet junction as he sat there wheel spinning and couldn't get out of the way of a closing Merc...BANG!

The M3 slid beautifully sideways out of the junction and out of trouble!

To the OP. I'd get the remap first. The most performance per pound and will give you the biggest grin. Suspension and brakes are sensible but costly and often a compromise.

I wouldn't go spending too much though. Change car instead if you're that bothered!
 
No shame in being shown a clean set of heels by a Williams :) Awesome little cars.

Standard A3 suspension is CRAP at best. The best thing I ever did to my car was springs, shocks and chunky antiroll bars. All done pre remap and it transformed the car more than the (later) remamp did. Worth every penny, changes a saggy, rolly dull car to drive into a nice tidy unit. In the twisty bits its the best handling car I've owned for sure.

T
 
Does it not make it more harsh, hence my comment about compromise.

Out of interest, what else have you owned?
 
Just having 18's instead of the standard 17s and you'll notice it's harsher. Dread to think what it's like all stiffened up. True it will handle well, if you don't mind your head bobbing up and down like a yo-yo and that's what you want and s*d your occasional passengers.

Yes, you guessed it I'm not a rally driver like most here :laugh:.
 
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1animal1 said:
thing is i love Evo's which is ideally what you need to be able to get close to these weightlesss runts.... that said since changing my dogmount my S3 now feels like a rattling bucket....no Evo, jap or frenchy for me, i like my comfort and the ability to boot it...we aint that far off the pace once you get the handling sorted
Click to expand...


Are you regretting putting the dog mount on then ? are you going to see if it settles down ? thats one thing that does put me off with any sort of mod that can compromise the S3's comfort, when i did my A3 i know its slighty different as i put coilovers on it and though it handled brilliantly the ride was ruined which in my opinion is not what you want from an Audi, as soon as i drove the car i knew it was a mistake...
 
Mine handles fine. The antiroll bars dont make it crashy at all.... Cheap shocks and springs will but the kit i have is really smooth. The 18s make the ride harsher but its still ok all things considered.

T
 
I've got KW dampers and springs with H&R ARBs on my S3 and it's still just as comfortable as before,it handles like a different car though!
 
abdus said:
however, what happens when the EVO driver starts speding on his engine just like the S3 driver with the BT conversion?
Click to expand...


to be fair, everyone expects a evo to be quick, but not many people would expect a A3 or S3 to have a big turbo and 350+bhp
 
abdus said:
however, what happens when the EVO driver starts speding on his engine just like the S3 driver with the BT conversion?
Click to expand...


He gets cheesed off when its not as easy as he thought it was to loose a little german hatchback LOL

<tuffty/>
 
i Have owned 2 x 206 gti 180's and i wont lie the handling is far from anything on the a3 i have coilovers on my a3 i have had the car just over a week and hate them.

the coilovers will be coming off and a spring and damper combo put in place. Then at minimum new antiroll bars other things i have noticed is the undirct feel of steering but i am sure this can be messed with.

But the audi feels such higher quality even with coilovers no rattles, no knocks ( except stupid coilovers springs ). i love the audi on motorway runs too where the 180 used to be sitting at 3700-4000 ******* me off.
 
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