Is 300 Bhp Enough For Uk Roads?

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A thought for Sunday

Bearing in mind that most of the Uk roads are congested, badly maintained and Policed 'enthusiastically' (by Police vehicles, mobile speed camera's, fixed speed camera's, static ANPR, CCTV etc etc)

Is 300bhp (specifically aimed at the S3, but any car with similar figures Golf R etc) enough for the Uk roads?

I say it is. Why the need for anymore, other than pub bragging rights IMHO

Thoughts?
 
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no, there is never enough POOOWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH :jump::jump::jump:

to bounce your arguement back to you... why 300bhp?

my runabout has 60bhp, and can sit at 70mph very happily...

So why the real need for anything more???? ;)
 
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It should be enough, although there are a few things to consider.

Given that engine sizes are reducing & you can now get high performance from smaller engines, then BHP will continue to increase.

For me, I would like an RS6 then I would be quite content.
 
the_cueball said:
no, there is never enough POOOWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH :jump::jump::jump:

to bounce your arguement back to you... why 300bhp?

my runabout has 60bhp, and can sit at 70mph very happily...

So why the real need for anything more???? ;)
Click to expand...
Very true QB :thumbs up:

Why 300bhp? Coz I said so :angrymod: (in line 3 of post #1)

You still driving that RS6 then? ;) :p :laugh:
 
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hahahaha...:p:p:p

still have the RS6.... but it's locked away on its charger for winter...

BB82EB32-A7A0-4284-A3C2-28FC5CE7D3BF_zpsy5esdl12.jpg
 
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It is and its more than enough but people will always want more..........roll on the 367 bhp RS3 next year!
 
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but to answer your question more seriously... with the MRC stage 2 upgrades, I've turned a fast car into a stupidly fast car...

you have to be looking a mile up the road before hitting the loud pedal, or you could be in trouble...

plus, hitting 140+ is far, far too easy to do... you know those times when you get the diesel middle manager **** up your backside on the motorway... and the red mist 'I'll show him' decends... well... I can't do that anymore... it's no real fun as it's like making the jump to lightspeed in Star Wars...

I guess with that, and the Ninja 12r hyperbike, I'm just trying to make up for my lack of skills, looks and having a micro penis...

:(
 
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This is a bit of a nonsense thread, nobody needs 300 bhp, ever.
There is a big difference between need and want.

300 bhp is only as good as the suspension and drive set up it goes through to get to the road.
There are better set up cars with less power that are much more rewarding and exciting to drive (thinking Fiesta ST and Renaultsport Megane).

So to answer your question, 300 bhp, when talking S3, is too much, the car doesn't do it justice.
 
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I struggle to use its full power in most situations, just a slight press and its already at speed.

Can't imagine what it's like for super cars as daily drives.
 
Having owned my S3 saloon for just four weeks and with my wife beside me 99% of the time, opportunities to 'use' the full 296bhp (300ps) are bound to be few and far between! However, I went for a solo spin to the nearest dual carriageway yesterday afternoon, just to have a little taster of what might be. S3 drivers will understand my sheer excitement as the revs built effortlessly until I was already doing well over the ton in third, so I thought it was time to behave and try a few torque tests instead!

This car pulls amazingly in any gear from about 1,500rpm - good for cruising and smart motorway overtaking. However, for a nifty hurry-up manoeuvre, dropping down a notch and standing on the loud pedal will always be what sheer motoring enjoyment is all about. And the noise in dynamic mode!

To answer the OP's question .. 300ps is more than plenty of course, but as in all things like this it's so nice to have some 'headroom'!
 
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I'll let you know after I've been around the Highlands of Scotland in June :)

Look at some of the roads :)



If you don't see me after June!!! Then you know that 300bhp was too much :D
 
Yes.
First car I've owned, where I don't want any more power.
 
S32B said:
I'll let you know after I've been around the Highlands of Scotland in June :)

Look at some of the roads :)



If you don't see me after June!!! Then you know that 300bhp was too much :D
Click to expand...


Looking forward to my first major journey in S3 on Xmas eve on these roads. Know them well, great drive as long as the numpties ain't out & about.
 
I think 300bhp is more than enough for UK roads.

However, I think how that power is applied is far more important than the numbers.

That's why I got a remap, and I am delighted with the way it behaves now - it feels much closer my expectation of how an S3 should be.

It feels more urgent, more keen to please, less laggy when pulling away (no delays between pressing the go button and getting on your way) yet is still impeccably behaved around town.

Of course that's just my opinion though!
 
well having been in cars with a lot more power to weight than the S3 I'm talking Lotus Elise's 330hp and R500 Caterhams, so no not really it just how you use it, I think fun is more about acceleration/cornering than top speed as that's where you get points/court summons for speeding! If It were not warranty voiding I would be mapping and gearbox mapping my S3 when I get it!
 
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rikia93 said:
well having been in cars with a lot more power to weight than the S3 I'm talking Lotus Elise's 330hp and R500 Caterhams, so no not really it just how you use it, I think fun is more about acceleration/cornering than top speed as that's where you get points/court summons for speeding! If It were not warranty voiding I would be mapping and gearbox mapping my S3 when I get it!
Click to expand...

some nice cars there... you're going to find a S3 soooo slow and boring I fear....

I totally agree with you about how you use the power... hence why I have my bikes for more 'fun' and actually looking at getting rid of the RS6 for something like a little "slow" lotus... ;)
 
the_cueball said:
some nice cars there... you're going to find a S3 soooo slow and boring I fear....

I totally agree with you about how you use the power... hence why I have my bikes for more 'fun' and actually looking at getting rid of the RS6 for something like a little "slow" lotus... ;)
Click to expand...

more like a little slow RS6!!! yeah my fathers seven will make it seem a lot slower than it actually is as I've been used to going out for drives in that for 10+years! however a little bit of a drag race will show just how slow the S3 really is, cant wait for that plus being able to drive when going out on Sunday morning runs aswell!

I wouldn't know about the bikes but the feeling of having the wind in your face and so low to the ground definitely is a buzz maybe one day for me!
 
Caterhams and the likes are a totally different car type to any Audi so no comparison is there for me.
Just saying like
 
audi upgrades
300 is more then enough for the UK. Not so for Germany.
 
Depends on the car and the road

300bhp in a 1980s fiesta would be too much and it would be a lunatic car

300bhp in a modern car is dumbed down a lot by the sheer weight of a modern car!


Power to weight is very very important I think cars like the s3 would suit around 380bhp think that would be quite nice
 
Image
My last car before the Audi, a GB270 wagon (1 of only 100 built) tweaked to 303bhp, very rapid off the mark with good midrange was IMO the perfect all rounder (if fuel consumption and tax band is not an issue)
 
The most powerful car I've owned (and still do) is somewhere in the region of 190 BHP and 220nm of torque. Yes, I'd like to have a little more poke but it's pretty much there. I suppose there's the viewpoints that you don't miss what you haven't had and equally that you'll always get used to an amount of power and want more, but I can't realistically see that I'd need or (more realistically) want more than 300 BHP.
 
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It's enough until you get used to it. Then the desire for a bit more kicks in. It really doesn't matter what the starting figure is, it's always the case once the honeymoon period is over.

However for the starting figure it also depends what the vehicle is. Whilst adequate in a small family hatchback it is a different story having a big German 4x4.
 
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You bunch of lightweights.....

Of course it's not enough...

(Please accept that offering in the spirit of fun....my first car had a mighty 50bhp,and I've been trying to make up for it ever since!)
 
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Haha Alex, I wondered when you would make an appearance on this topic ;)

Although I'm very much a kinda OE+ kinda guy, I do like your car :p
 
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S3Alex said:
You bunch of lightweights.....

Of course it's not enough...

(Please accept that offering in the spirit of fun....my first car had a mighty 50bhp,and I've been trying to make up for it ever since!)
Click to expand...

I almost thought I was in the Toyota Camry forum here for a minute......
 
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A few years back I had a VXR Corsa with 190bhp and thought that was quick enough, the S3 has over 50% more again! So I'm sure I'll be happy with that.

Wonder what 1.7 seconds quicker to 60 looks like in distance from 1st-2nd place in a drag???
 
dejongj said:
Whilst adequate in a small family hatchback it is a different story having a big German 4x4.
Click to expand...
We have a diesel 245PS VW Touareg (i.e. the same engine that is in the 245PS Audi cars). That's a nice amount in a car that big (it is allegedly 7.6s to 62). It's a really nice, comfortable and relatively fast drive. As it's based on the same chassis as the Cayenne, you can actually throw it into corners and not be expecting it to tip over - it really drives far more like a car than you'd expect for a big 4x4. Whilst 300PS would be nicer, I wouldn't trade the low down torque of the diesel (500NM @ 1400-3250rpm) for a higher performance petrol that delivered max power at 5k+rpm. Nor would I trade the cost of fuel needed to run it on petrol either (unladen it is 2150kg and has a frontal area the size of a small house)!

As an aside, they used to do it in a 4.2l V8 version which ran at 340HP and 800NM of torque. Fuel consumption was about 20% higher and this was dropped at the last model refresh (the 245 is the most performant Touareg you can get today). I guess the general public felt the 245PS model "powerful enough"
 
veeeight said:
Haha Alex, I wondered when you would make an appearance on this topic ;)

Although I'm very much a kinda OE+ kinda guy, I do like your car :p
Click to expand...

Thank you!

I couldn't help myself



A car is just fast enough when you stand in front of it in the morning and are afraid to unlock it"
Walter Rohrl
 
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Prefer higher torque nowadays. I find personally that 0-60 times are irrelevant. In gear overtaking more important.
Going back to the original question though, with my daily commute 50Bhp would be just as quick as 300 :welcoming:
 
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Was discussing this in the pub last night with my mate who owns an m135i. We are both of the same opinion, having both owned faster cars I think these (circa 300bhp) are the perfect balance of what you need on UK roads. Ive got a DTUK box sat ready to be installed but I'm in two minds really. I'm intrigued to see what it does to the car, but at the same time not really bothered as it's quick enough already. It's only the fact that i had it in my GTI, I certainly wouldn't have bothered buying one for my s3, it was only £10 to get it reprogrammed for my car
 
300 is too much,but you have to consider what comes along with the 300 bhp the badge/kudos for a start, the engine noise.
200-240 bhp is a great comprises,l wouldn't have a car with any less power than around 240 bhp
 
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A good question.
T
I think the answer really is
1/ power to weight ratio
2/ Bhp
3/ Torque
4/ gear ratio's

In fact when I was racing getting 4/ correct was the most important.
We could find even a change in wind direction from practice in the morning to the race would mean a quick change of ratios.

I think the future will be hybrid. Not the Prius type . More like a economic engine (like the COD) augmented by "boost on demand" like kers in F1.
 
Having now owned a 300bhp car for 6 months I can safely say yes and no. Yes it's too much to use all the time, but 300bhp is fun when you get some git at the lights in his crappy car who tries to get past :)

I had a Mercedes Vito van of all things try to burn me off at the lights the other day! I pulled alongside him and as soon as the other lights went to red he started to creep forward, when ours went to green he floored it...I was going to let him go, but the big kid in me said F-it, so I showed him my 4 pipes lol.

That's the thing I love about the S3, when you pull alongside someone it just looks like a normal A3 and they haven't a clue how fast it is unless they know what to look for.
 
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Great topic!

Personally, for UK roads I don't think I would ever need anymore. When I want to put power down its there and in copious amounts. The issue I have as others have mentioned is how the car puts it down; straight line off the mark is great and point to point between corners, but it does loose some of its drivability in tight, quick bending roads to me!

Saying that my first car which was a Clio MTV edition had a whopping 82bhp and managed to get me around and up to 75mph on the motorway! :p
 
Have had as much as 450bhp and as little as 100bhp.
There are many variables as mentioned.

The most fun was a Clio V6. A rather modest 230bhp, but manual, mid-engined and RWD which made it absolutely exhilarating. Wouldn't want any more than that in that car.
The best to drive, another Renault with 250bhp. The Chasis built with one aim - driving well on UK roads. No more power required, as it could corner quicker than many cars with huge amounts more power.

I think sporty Audi's require more oomph to make up for the lack of excitement, although 450 bhp V8 was never without occassion!
 
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The 265bhp my current car has is enough for the roads where I live, but not enough for Germany! Hence the upcoming RS3...
 
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