How good a car is the S3?

R26R as daily? Never. Who in their right mind wants, harnesses, a cage, plastic windows and hard suspension when they're travelling on UK roads everyday and sitting in traffic on a wet Monday morning?

And lets not get a hard-on about how good a 'drivers car' it is, unless of course you call commuting to work everyday 'driving'....
 
Funk_Junky said:
R26R as daily? Never. Who in their right mind wants, harnesses, a cage, plastic windows and hard suspension when they're travelling on UK roads everyday and sitting in traffic on a wet Monday morning?

And lets not get a hard-on about how good a 'drivers car' it is, unless of course you call commuting to work everyday 'driving'....
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I would, I'd drive that to work daily over an S3.

I guess I'm a bit different to most people, in that I don't care about comforts AT ALL. I'm always badgering Prawn and telling him to sell daily A3 and just use the track car, for me I can think of nothing better to start my day at work than driving a car with full harnesses, a proper cage, slicks and plastic windows. Just to remind me what I go to work for. Ideal!

Our workshop manager has one, and it's AWESOME. He drives it daily, (but on T1R's) and I've caught a lift in with him a couple of times and it's epic. For me it'd just be the ultimate daily driver. I think I'd even have it over an RS4 if it came down to it. I love them :)
 
16Klappe said:
I would, I'd drive that to work daily over an S3.

I guess I'm a bit different to most people, in that I don't care about comforts AT ALL. I'm always badgering Prawn and telling him to sell daily A3 and just use the track car, for me I can think of nothing better to start my day at work than driving a car with full harnesses, a proper cage, slicks and plastic windows. Just to remind me what I go to work for. Ideal!
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I would like you to do that for 6 months and then report back to us. I'd be very surprised if you still think that way, and you're being truthful.

After my elise (which probably isn't as harsh as the Megane) I got into a 1.4 corsa and it felt like a luxury car lol. Apart from the obvious lack of power and handling it was a joy to drive and be comfy and be able to hear the radio.
 
I love my S3 as a daily... I have been driving her more than I normally do recently and since changing to TFSI coils and Bill tweaking the mapping a bit more I am enjoying her even more....

There maybe 'better' cars out there but the S3 has a character that appeals... I had an A4 before this and loved that too but the S3 is a more complete package and suits my personality well... jack of all trades, master of non ;P

<tuffty/>
 
Westy said:
I would like you to do that for 6 months and then report back to us. I'd be very surprised if you still think that way, and you're being truthful.

After my elise (which probably isn't as harsh as the Megane) I got into a 1.4 corsa and it felt like a luxury car lol. Apart from the obvious lack of power and handling it was a joy to drive and be comfy and be able to hear the radio.
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THIS was my daily driver for two years -

224506_10150267370200130_709735129_9269198_5099740_n.jpg


An R26R would be equivalent luxury.

You forget Westicles, I'm young and love impractical things.
 
16Klappe said:
I've NEVER been in a facelift 8L which didn't have SOMETHING broken, plastics being scratched off or something missing in it's interior. That isn't an over exaggeration, because I make a point of checking every facelift interior I've ever sat in.
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That's an outright lie. mine's perfect, not a single broken button, and no wear on anything. and you've been in mine many times
 
I have a tqs not an s3, but they have their similarities. Its a car forum, so most people like to mod the cars, but if they came out the factory stripped, snarling burbling and the like of a track car they wouldn't be an audi and the people that pay horrendous amounts of cash to buy them new (the posh nobby types that get conned into an S3/RS3/S4 etc because it 'has everything from the options list' despite the fact that they only need a 2.0tdi s-line) wouldn't buy them. This is why they are more tame/soft/slow IMO.
Prawn said:
That's an outright lie. mine's perfect, not a single broken button, and no wear on anything. and you've been in mine many times
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Mine's pretty damn good as well, and the only bits that were worn in this one weren't in my previous facelift so have been replaced.
 
Just to clarify, Jardo means the dodgy old ford in the above pic, not my awesome Mini :) Thanks for the pic though dude, i really must MOT mini again!
 
Prawn said:
Just to clarify, Jardo means the dodgy old ford in the above pic, not my awesome Mini :) Thanks for the pic though dude, i really must MOT mini again!
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Well I didn't want to say anything incase he used to own your old mini, but I thought that was yours.

Oh and in which case I do not see how you can even start to compare that old Ford to the Megane!!!
 
Westy said:
You saying i'm old :(
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Haha you might be old Westy, but you're still beautiful.

Prawn would like me to clarify that his car is NOT broken, and does not have any scratched of panels. No disputing that one, but funnily enough he didn't argue my point about it looking girly. :p

My old ford Pop, which I still own today...Doesn't even have self canceling indicators, it has no padding on the seats, just metal frames with plastic covers, it leaks water through the windscreen and the wipers don't work when you go uphill, it has a 20L fuel tank, no brakes and 11bhp. The electrics are positive earth, the doors and boot don't lock, you need two people to open the bonnet and it has a live rear axel so doesn't go round corners. FAR more impractical than a Megane R26R?
 
You've got to love going back to basics, loving the look of your old mini Jardo by the way.

I'm about to fit some P5 Coilovers to my MX-5, can't beat simple handling and lightweight IMO.
 
beanoir said:
You've got to love going back to basics, loving the look of your old mini Jardo by the way.

I'm about to fit some P5 Coilovers to my MX-5, can't beat simple handling and lightweight IMO.
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The Mini's Prawns, the ****ty old Ford's mine.

Here's some pics to try and motivate him to MOT it...

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LOVE Mx5's, pics?

Right then, so if we can't agree that a track/fast road car is a good alternative. What WOULD you go out of your S3's for? And please no obvious choices like RS4's etc
 
Old Skool is good... I have a Mk2 Golf I use normally in the week as I was getting fed up with the state of the roads and cost of fuel... the Golf is only a 1.3ltr but its one of the last fuel injected ones they did (1991) and has multipoint injection so is good on fuel for its age...
20100701_IMG_6787.jpg


..and of course I couldn't leave it alone ;P
IMG_20111002_161311.jpg


<tuffty/>
 
I have to come clean with this now :(

I'm about to buy a VW Bora 1.9tdi from a friend to use as a daily. I'm moving house this year and will be doing 90 miles a day to work and back so will need a derv. The S3 will live in a nice warm garage, will end up being stripped and will be a weekend/track car.
 
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16Klappe said:
LOVE Mx5's, pics?

Right then, so if we can't agree that a track/fast road car is a good alternative. What WOULD you go out of your S3's for? And please no obvious choices like RS4's etc
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I'll stick some of pics of my MX5's up when I get a chance later :)

In all honesty I have had most of teh cars I have wanted and the next on my list is an RS4 so I have to go with the obvious choice LOL ! However Id love a 911 GT2 (the one with the riveted on flared arches) I know a guy with one and its simply stunning and goes like the clappers !
 
Oh f**k sorry Prawn!! Either way, it's a lovely looking Mini. I used to love mine.

The MX5 is just a cheap toy, although it's booked in for about 4k of work in the next few weeks, i'll fit the coilies and then it's going in for a supercharger install with IC, hoping to reach the magic 200 - I'm hoping that will bring a smile to my face.

I replaced my 8P S3 with a brief spell with an E46 M3, then a slightly less brief affair with a Jag XJR (mental car) and then back to being sensible with the S3.

I'm not sure what is next on the want list, I can't really decide, i'd like an B7 RS4, i'd really like another Porker too but not sure which one...hence why i've got the Mazda to tinker with....it stops me keep wasting money on my insatiable desire to change my other car every month and it's cheap!!

Mine is the black one..

Pic4-2.jpg
 
Westy said:
Ok cars I'd quite like right now that are not out of reach dream cars:

Porsche Cayman S
8P S3
Clio sport
Megane sport (normal one ;) )
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Get the Cayman Westy, none of the others come close - well i've not had a Megane but the other 2 don't cut the mustard in comparison.
 
beanoir said:
Oh f**k sorry Prawn!! Either way, it's a lovely looking Mini. I used to love mine.

The MX5 is just a cheap toy, although it's booked in for about 4k of work in the next few weeks, i'll fit the coilies and then it's going in for a supercharger install with IC, hoping to reach the magic 200 - I'm hoping that will bring a smile to my face.

I replaced my 8P S3 with a brief spell with an E46 M3, then a slightly less brief affair with a Jag XJR (mental car) and then back to being sensible with the S3.

I'm not sure what is next on the want list, I can't really decide, i'd like an B7 RS4, i'd really like another Porker too but not sure which one...hence why i've got the Mazda to tinker with....it stops me keep wasting money on my insatiable desire to change my other car every month and it's cheap!!

Mine is the black one..

Pic4-2.jpg
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Dude, trust me, go turbo I have built 2 for myself and about 4 others so have had experience LOL I also done a SC one but you get much better results with the turbo and also its far cheaper !
 
sideways steve said:
Dude, trust me, go turbo I have built 2 for myself and about 4 others so have had experience LOL I also done a SC one but you get much better results with the turbo and also its far cheaper !
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Ha! Don't start that debate please! It took me ages to decide which way to go with it...

Did you do yours yourself or have it done somewhere? Mine's going in to Tim Lane, i've found him pretty good in the past.
 
Westy said:
Cant even consider this car as a daily driver due to the fact its stripped and caged as standard. I've done a year of daily driving in a Lotus Elise and that was enough to put me off anything that doesn't have proper seats and doors for a daily.
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I had a mate with a S1 Elise that did MK to London every day for a number of years. It was about his most fuel friendly car though, as at the age of 23 he had the Elise, an E500 Merc and a 355 spider. Damn rich computer programmer type people :(

Pretty sure he still used it as his daily when the BAM engine went in it too.
 
beanoir said:
Ha! Don't start that debate please! It took me ages to decide which way to go with it...

Did you do yours yourself or have it done somewhere? Mine's going in to Tim Lane, i've found him pretty good in the past.
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All myself mate. I was one of the first people in the uk to do a turbo mx5, now there common as muck LOL I was also one of the first to use a greddy emanage piggyback on one and actually spoke alot with Phil at P5 helping him with doing some installs back when P5 had just started up !

But to get back on topic, as I said above it will take an RS4 to get me out of my S3 :)
 
beanoir said:
I still can't get over Prawn's mini, its' the shizzle!
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You could get a couple of second hand 8P S3's for what that thing cost!

Value for money, cost effective motoring that thing is not!
 
16Klappe said:
You could get a couple of second hand 8P S3's for what that thing cost!

Value for money, cost effective motoring that thing is not!
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Or a deposit on a really nice house :(

Still, it's so much fun, and makes the best noise of any 4 pot on earth!
 
beanoir said:
the A series sounds like a real engine, have you gone for the full monty 1480?
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Prawns is a 1380, with a midget bottom end, MED 30x37 race head, lairy cam, roller rockers, jack knight straight cut box and drops, with a jack knight cross pin diff. That's the basics people would want to know, but it's pretty mental full spec. I love Mini, used to go out with Prawn in it two or three times a week when I lived at home. Spent most Sundays working on it in one way or another. Drove it too, it's pretty special to drive :)

Here's a quick video we made a couple of years ago -



The valves are so large they have their own gravity haha! The head work is beautiful, but you'd expect it to be for over a grand.

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Last edited by a moderator:
I test drove an 8p for a mate and the drive is totally different. The steering on an 8l is soo much harder and the car feels more planted for some reason and feels heavier!

I think the recaros and the steering wheel itself are nicer on 8l!
 
<tuffty/> said:
Liquid Gauge is in the vent and boost gauge is on the piller...
20100213_IMG_4005.jpg



<tuffty/>
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What boost gauge do you use tuffty? I can't quite make it out, but it looks awesome! Matches the standard gauges perfectly! Also, what's a "Liquid Gauge"?

Ben
 
Going back to the s3 question, I have to say I'm on my second 8L, regretted selling the 1st one however pacified myself for a while with an s4 avant. However the itch wouldn't go away and I ended up buying my second s3.

I think for the money and the spec/performance(with a remap) you can't go far wrong. I didn't see myself owning a 11 year old car however they have aged well and do not look out of place against more modern machinery...

I love mine to bits and the only car that will force me out of her is a B5 RS4
 
So... lets have a list ( should be fun) of the 8L S3 short falls...
to me...
Too heavy for the stock power
Under steer as standard
comfy but not supportive seats
No sporty noise,

What do you people think??
 
No simple bolt on bigger turbo with a map for big bhp.. Always seems lots of work to achieve mid 300's
 
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