S3 - Take a break

S

StevieBogan

Registered User
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
144
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Central Scotland (where it rains alot)
Yes finaly got a company car! (Not before long!)

Got a Golf GT TDi PD130 3dr and my my, what a great car! Its turn of speed is extremely surprizing! The 40-50mpg isn't too bad either!

My trusty S3 can now take a break Monday - Friday rather than pelting up and down the m/ways. Mileage was becoming a bit of a worry (60K).

Thing is I'm having a dilema. I bought the S3 as it was practical for business use and fun at the weekends but now I don't really need practicality as I have the Golf. SO, I was either A) have some fun upgrading the S or by something silly fast like a Skyline (R33 GTR). Problems is, I have grown so attached to the S that I would hate to see it go, not to mention spent quite a bit of money on it and would like to have some more use out of it!

What I'm I to do!!?? HELP! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
We'll see. It takes an offal lot of cash to get an S3 flying. Trust me.

I'm not bothered about Badge, street cred or the reflection in the wine bar window.

What I want is a car that will give you a buzz, every time you sit in it, start it and hear the engine or go round a corner.

At the moment the best thing about the S is the way it looks. How it goes I'm not overly exited about. Yes it does go round corners pretty well, yes the interior is one of the finest I have sat in, yes people think they are great but this is not what I am looking for in a car now. I want a buzz from its driving experience. Which, in its current state, is lacking.
 
audi upgrades
what plate is your S3 on? mines done 53k now on a 51 plate.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Stevie S3 said:
We'll see. It takes an offal lot of cash to get an S3 flying. Trust me.

I'm not bothered about Badge, street cred or the reflection in the wine bar window.

What I want is a car that will give you a buzz, every time you sit in it, start it and hear the engine or go round a corner.

At the moment the best thing about the S is the way it looks. How it goes I'm not overly exited about. Yes it does go round corners pretty well, yes the interior is one of the finest I have sat in, yes people think they are great but this is not what I am looking for in a car now. I want a buzz from its driving experience. Which, in its current state, is lacking.

[/ QUOTE ]

Big turbo is the only way forward... It does completely transform the car! The rush you had when it was chipped aint a patch on a new turbo!

Rich
 
I'm sure it is Rich but its alot of cash. 4 grand. I mean if I sold the S for 16K or there abouts and put the 4 grand to it I could by a real nice R33 with around 500bhp.

This is the problem I'm having!

Mingblue the car is a 51 plate.
 
I see what you mean. But what about servicing costs? parts? fuel bills? insurance? bear it all in mind.

Rich
 
Rich, all this stuff I needed to worry about when I used the car on a daily basis but none of these factors matter now. This is why I'm thinking of taking the opportunity to own something radicaly fast.

I would love to have a 350bhp S3 but the costs envolved are massive.

It'll not be untill the turn of the year as I'm in the middle of buying a new house and have a 3K lawers bill to pay for so last thing I need is a new car at the mo!

I've heard from many sources that Skylines are surprizingly reliable as long as they are kept in a moderate state of tune (450bhp). This is another reason why this is the car I may go for. Have you heard anything to say otherwise?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Stevie S3 said:
Rich, all this stuff I needed to worry about when I used the car on a daily basis but none of these factors matter now. This is why I'm thinking of taking the opportunity to own something radicaly fast.

I would love to have a 350bhp S3 but the costs envolved are massive.

It'll not be untill the turn of the year as I'm in the middle of buying a new house and have a 3K lawers bill to pay for so last thing I need is a new car at the mo!

I've heard from many sources that Skylines are surprizingly reliable as long as they are kept in a moderate state of tune (450bhp). This is another reason why this is the car I may go for. Have you heard anything to say otherwise?

[/ QUOTE ]

All good points... And 450bhp in a 2.7 twin turbo is ****** FAST! Wasnt particularly referring to reliability...just general upkeep. But if mileage is going to be minimal, then it shouldnt be a problem

Rich
 
Yeah R33 skyline, or even the 3.0 twin turbo toyota Supra, they are quicker as well (0-60 4.8sec) and cheaper to buy
 
OK, it's not 4wd, but every time I got in my mate's TVR Griffith I would grin like a kid in a toyshop. You can get a good one for the money you'd get for the S3 and, if it's grin factor you are after, I cannot imagine anything getting close for the money. 5L V8 anyone?

http://www.sleepy-fish.com/sounds/griff.wav

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/1luvu.gif
 
The Skyline is a heavy car...and even with 450+ BHP it's not exactly chuckable.
I have friends with 450+ BHP R33s and R34s...neither is fit to pass the S3 on backroads, even if there was the space to do it.
OK, on open straight roads, it'd head off...but the weight counts against it - nimble, they are not.

The driving style is odd too...you have to treat it like a FWD car...don't back off!
Drive it like that and it'll get round the corner with a high degree of grin inducing oversteer.
Panic, and back off...and it get's all wobbly and understeery!

I've never been in a Skyline yet that actually feels like it's got the power it has...

As an example, I was out in a 996 GT3 (series 2) the other weekend...and a R33 Skyline.
GT3 = 380BHP, R33GTR = 460+ BHP with torque to match...

The Skyline was fast...but the GT3 would have murdered it everywhere...we used the same roads...and it was wet...
(I know the prices are poles apart...but the power vs weight & 4wd vs sorted RWD argument holds up well)

The power is blunted by the weight...of that there is no doubt.

The Skyline is just a big stick...it solves the problem of going fast in a straight line and around corners...but it doesn't do it with a high degree of flair!
Not in my view, anyway.

 
Glen, you have just cheered my up no end!!

I have just checked with my insurance and its a group 20C. I have a better chance of getting insured for a space shuttle. Gutted.

After reading you educated review of the driving experience I feel a tad better.

With regards to the weight, I thought they were 1500kg which is not much heavier than the S3 (1492kg).

Looks like its either back to the drawing board OR start talking myself into the APR 340+ kit (if it ever gets here)
 
I think the Atom was about 29k with the big brake kit if I remember rightly. Looked like a lot of fun, however u'd be filthy ever time u took it out, all the dead bugs on your face, lol /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Helmet for the bugs....and as for the rain...i don't think i'd take anything so powerful out in the rain! Not the way i drive!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Wasn't there something similar with 2 motorbike engines? (it worries me the last of recall i have!! Onset of early dementia!)
 
did everyone just ignore marctwo's comments, spend tuesday in the company of about 150 tvr's down on the coast, driven there and back by my mates griffith 500, which he insists on power sliding out of every junction in - still smiling now!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif

If you want a smile on your face and practicality etc etc is not a worry, I would go test drive a griffith, I would like one, but I can't afford a second car.
 
Having worked for an investment bank. All the IT boys had TVR's - seemed like standard issue!
But every month or so...one of them would have just powerslided in to a hedge. That's if the thing was starting and not in getting fixed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
TVR's ho ho ho - £750 for the first minor service, just under a grand for the next less than 12 months later (how I laughed).

Seriously - LOVE the cars, had one for a year or two (4.0 Chimaera) but they cost an absolute packet to run - my average fuel consumption was under 10MPG.

If you can afford it definately worth trying....

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Greg is that one of the TVR's with the wooden chassis'?
My ex boss had 5 litre chimera i think. And i remember getting in to his car once and him handing me a bit of wood saying. hold on to this. it dropped out the car this morning!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Awesomely fast. Never been more scared than when i was a passenger in a Cerbera!! But as you say very costly to run. Hence the IT contractors choice of car. :)
 
Guess what job I had at the time /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

Greg
 
P.S. Nearly loosng the back end when accelerating off of a slip road at 80 was merely one of the highlights....
 
I'll know the IT contracting market is picking up when the streets of Glasgow are fully of TVRs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
and
Yeh i don't think the cerbera ever went anywhere without lighting up the rear tyres. Scary mofo of a car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Not a car i would have in the UK - but i'm just a scaredy-cat /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

foolish3uk
Dodgy S3 take a look!
Replies
6
Views
908
JohnS3
JohnS3
A
Selling my S3...take a look!
Replies
7
Views
1K
jbw
J
AS3TOM
My S3 - Please take a look!
Replies
45
Views
4K
cawood
C
S
VCDS log - Take a look?
Replies
4
Views
2K
badger5
badger5
I
Would Audi take a remapped S3 as part-ex?
Replies
10
Views
2K
JamS3
JamS3
Top
Back