S3 facelift or not??

[wibble111]

As you may know i'm looking for an S3, one has ome up near me on a W reg in imola yellow, it was registered on 08/06/01 and has the older badges on the outside, but does anyone know if it will have the facelift aircon etc. Thanks

 

[jojo]

It should be a facelift model if registered in 2001, maybe the previous owner(s) preferred the old style badge?

 

[benr]

im no expert but have read that around the facelift changeover time there were a few mix and match ones so possibly. Best off going to see it

also what jojo said

 

[wibble111]

It also has the strut brace which i thought was only on the facelift but if there were some mix & match ones then i guess this would explain it. Thanks guys :icon_thumright:

e2a: I'm going saturday to see it, then off to leeds to look at another

 

[1animal1]

W plate was 2000 mate...... X,Y and 51 plate were 2001

 

[ash_s3]

Yep W - 2000 Prefacelift
Will have the old style centre console and headlights etc..

If your not sure if the owner has changed the badges, look at the S3 logo on the dials, would have to be serious to change that one!

 

[jojo]

I'm pretty sure that all facelift models have the facelift dash, the only thing that changed during the facelift model is the engine going from 210 to 225 bhp, though I stand to be corrected.

 

[Nilz]

Im pretty sure the W was never available as a facelift, im sure it was only released X onwards...

 

[jonS3]

mine's an X and is pre facelift, there's no way it was registered in 2001 and given a W plate

 

[alijames]

Jon is right. If it was 1st registered in June 01, then it should be a 'Y' Plate, and must be a Facelift. Are you sure the 'W' is not a private plate?

I think a very thorough check of it's history is called for, but you knew that with an S3 anyway...

Cheers,

 

[markyp2002]

Have you got the full registration number? Ive got some HPI checks left on Autotrader and im not going to be using them. I can send you the verdict through pm

 

[themanthatcan]

Jon is right. If it was 1st registered in June 01, then it should be a 'Y' Plate, and must be a Facelift.

The date it was registered is not a reliable way of telling if a car is facelift or not. A cars manufactured date and it's registration date can be years apart in some circumstances. Manufacturers/dealers will often have leftover stock of pre-facelift cars after release of the facelift models. These cars get sold off cheaply to dealers who will then pass that saving down to the consumer. What you end up with is an older car with a newer registration

 

[alijames]

That would be pretty poor, nearly a year after the facelift came out... I'd be well upset if I'd bought that new if it was the case!! A bit like the 8P S3 boys who've bought new this spring!!

Cheers,

 

[themanthatcan]

That would be pretty poor, nearly a year after the facelift came out... I'd be well upset if I'd bought that new if it was the case!! A bit like the 8P S3 boys who've bought new this spring!!

Cheers,

The buyer would have been rewarded with a hefty discount for buying an old model.

As jojo says, probably the best way of telling if a car is a proper facelift is by checking the S3 badge on the dials. Pre-facelift the badge is on the right, and facelift the badge is on the left.