8l to 8p s3

[Ryan s3]

Hi,
Proud owner of 8l s3, car hit 160k and looking to get an 8p s3 in the near future.
Anybody else done this route and any feedback.
Love the 8l just getting too old now and just generally want a newer car.
Just looking for any feedback really and any experience of both cars.
Thanks all

 

[Bloxham]

The 8L is based on the old Golf mk4 platform - you'll find the 8P feels more modern & better to drive, based on the Golf 5 design underneath.

 

[prt57]

I have a tuned Mk 4 GTi 1.8T and a tuned S3 8P. Difficult to put thoughts down but the 8P platform definitely feels more sprightly. The S3 8P has a shorter stroke engine and so revs more freely. Most things seem heavier on the Golf and in a sense it feels more industrial.
If you want to go past 300 BHP in the 1.8 20v engine you will need new rods. This isn’t needed until maybe 450 BHP in the S3 8P. A simple custom remap will see you well over 300 BHP in the newer car.
You can tell they are from the same ancestor but a big leap in evolution has taken place.

 

[samuelh_888]

We have both in the family - I have the 8P which is like a new/modern car. Very different in every facet to the 8L and a car you could drive every day.

The 8L however is a future classic and one of the first hot hatches - still a great car to drive and I personally think less issues to be had.

Given a choice, I’d part with the 8P for an 8V but keep the 8L.

 

[Ryan s3]

Thanks for the feedback, I made a mistake when buying the 8l and rushed in to buying it.
I spent years sorting all the problems and now its finally behaving I'm boared.
If anybody hears of a good example for sale I'd be interested

 

[45bvtc]

Hi,
Proud owner of 8l s3, car hit 160k and looking to get an 8p s3 in the near future.
Anybody else done this route and any feedback.
Love the 8l just getting too old now and just generally want a newer car.
Just looking for any feedback really and any experience of both cars.
Thanks all

I had 2001 8L S3, a wonderful car I thought I'd never sell:

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And then we visited Stafford Audi on 10th October 2011 and I was "persuaded" into an 8P RS3 demonstrator and 3-days later we'd found and purchased one of only two available (all of the UK assigned 250-8P RS3's had already been sold) here in the UK:

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Going back to the S3 was not as nice as I recalled...

PS: 9-years on we still have our 8P RS3 and it remains in regular use:

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