New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Yeah, but top speed is boring (and will get you into trouble with the law quickly), pretty much anything will have a good stab at 130mph these days, which isn't hanging around. It's cornering and accelleration, braking and that makes things interesting and these usually happen up to the NSL, which, as I've said before, scoobies/evos and the like get to much quicker.

BTW I've just put a 320bhp 4wd car against a 320 FWD car of the same weight in LetsTorqueBHP - Home and -as I predicted- The AWD achieved an advantage the FWD car could never recoup over the qtr mile, posting lower std qtr times

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Why, when you want to save money?

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

And also, on the subject of real world performance, how often do you get to drive foot flat to the floor in 5th 6th. Which is where the lower transmission losses of the FWD would pay dividens?


Ns04

VXRBOY

I guess that lets torque thing was from a standstill?
You keep saying you are an advocate of driving ***** out until NSL, thats probably from a safety point (i am all for that) but racing from lights is just as dangerous, as well as being pointless, i never have and never will. I do most of my driving on m'ways and dual carriage ways and the lack of transmission loss is better in all gears not just 5th and 6th.
Who said i wanted to save money?

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

You are on a subaru forum trying to say the vxr is better. What response did you expect?

VXRBOY

Just responded to the very first post about the exhausts and tried to determine if it was a real VXR, then it went the same way as usual that all cars are poo if their not Subaru. You can use that moto by the way, it rhymes you see.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Subaru = U r a bus backwards!
We're all for taking the micky out of ourselves, but you're actually taking the MICKY!

PPP Wagon

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

If you wanted a car that'd be good on the motorways, then a TDi would have been better would it not! If you're not exceeding the speed limit by any great margin, you'd hardly get beyond 3000 in 5th. 6th is only for cruising. Sounds like a bit of a waste to me.

I'm not a street racer, not by a long shot; I don't approve of caining it in built up areas! The fact, however, is that if you were to use your car's performance to gain a strategical advantage on the road, most of that will occur in 1st and 2nd gear, due to the speed limits. Given a good A, B road, I enjoy and nice squirt throught the gears and getting up to the NSL quickly. If I didn't, I'd save myself a fortune on insurance etc.. and get a runabout.

I'm afraid FWD doesn't have as big an advantage over 4wd as you might expect. Look at the 60-100 times (where 4 wheel traction is irrelevant and transmissions losses favour the FWD car) for a FWD car with 320 and a 4wd car and there is only a few tenths in it. 4WD more than compensates for this deficit by being all weather/all road capable and having more traction out of bends. You said a few tenths wasn't much when comparing a STAGE 3 tuned Astra VXR to a STD Sti!!

As for the hung upon being able to use all the power all the time; it's not a case of caning it everywhere, it's just the fact that if I ask something of my car, it delivers, without the need for something to reign the engine's power in for fear of shredding the tyres. When it rains, I can still use the power. When the road surface is rubiish, the car is unfazed. Torque steer, what's that??

As a complete real world performance car, FWDs will always be found wanting. Simple physics if nothing else!

I think your name says it all! Astra for the boys, Scoobies and Evos for the men!

ns04

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

I have to admit NS04, the torque steer in my old 190bhp integra type r, was the verge of being 'dangerous'!
The steering in the Impreza is always very neutral, weighting up nicely when it comes to cornering. The steering wheel size does make a difference though. The smaller 'Nardi' wheel in my sti 3 is much better than the 'momo dinner plate' in my old uk turbo. I think the steering rate is slightly lower in the sti aswell.

Mikkel

That's what I was saying earlier about my 190BHP Astra Coupe Turbo, it was on the limit of what a FWD car should do IMO.

The 300BHP VXR I tested was not fun to drive.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

They can be a giggle (sometimes a rather scary one) because of their wayward antics, but as I keep saying FWD IS NOT an effective way of deploying above 200bhp!

It is, however, cheap, which is the clincher for most manufacturers and customers alike!

I wouldn't count on the Astra retaining good residuals either. Give a bit of time for the scallys to be able to afford them and they'll drop faster than a tarts knickers after a 6 pack of White Lightning!

Ns04

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

No. Tom F.

TX.

Deano_P1

What do you mean by a 'real' VXR?

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

He reckons that the one they tested on top gear was only a pre-production model with only 100bhp or something.

VXRBOY

That is right the one they tested on top gear did not have the full VXR running gear, hench the torque steer Clarkson got. But that was not my point the very first post was talking about a guy who had a little blast with an astra, but from the colour he described it may not have been a VXR just a sporthatch with exterior bits on, thats what i was talking about.
New Scooby04, i have owned 2 imprezas before and diven others, so i am not just making stuff up, its from driving them day in day out i am stating an opinion on. Not websites, not magazines, not tv shows, not word of mouth and definately not on older models.
Early residuals are looking quite good actually, some have paid 18K for one new and more then a year later are still selling for 15k, i lost 7k in 13 months on my last scoob.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Fine, then except our opinion that an sti is a better 'all-rounder' than the VXR. Ok?

VXRBOY

Fairy muff, just cant except that people that have not driven the cars seem to think they can dismiss it. I have not driven a t25 or the evo400 so it would be daft for me to comment on either.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

That's fine. I was comparing the VXR to my standard STI 3.

tomfraser

NO WAY !!!!!! i had a sti and i would never have one again
its got to be one of the worst cars i have owned.......after all i have had about 15 new cars in 3 years!!! total waist of money

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

I think it's about time this debate was put to bed!

You drive what you want, we'll drive what we want.

Just don't be surprised if you come onto a Subaru forum find that Subaru owners prefer Subarus to VXs!

tomfraser

i was just saying the bhp i was getting with my vxr
yes i can say the vxr is better than the sti that i had cos i have owned one.
scooby owners always think there cars are the fastest and no one can beat them.all im saying is mine is faster than the sti and that was whenit was standard cos me and a mate did diff races. once the vxr was rolling it beat it. the sti only got away at 1st cos of the awd.
its a diff storry now i got a stage 3

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

15 new cars in 3 years? Some would argue that you're not very efficent with your cash, others would argue that you're very hard to please.

Either way, I wouldn't believe I thing you said.

Mikkel

I concur, he is probably 10 and is referring to the cars he has owned via his xbox game

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Where did I say that scoobies are the fastest cars; they are certainly not!

I'm glad you're getting on well with the VXR, but if you think you'll be giving a similarly tuned Impreza a spanking then you're deluding yourself!

Apart from the higher speed rolling stuff, a high performance FWD car is not going to be as effective as a 4WD/RWD (I've drive all the major players in the FWD market). The Std Astra is too powerful for FWD, the stage 3 is just a handful!


Ns04

Mikkel

Actually, good question from this rather pointless debate... what standard cars are faster than an STI with the exception of your super cars of course?

Say limit of around £60k value.

PPP Wagon

& sum wud say he's talkin bollockz

Shailan

iTrader: (1)

I test drove one last year - Vauxhall do fantastic test drive options, 3 day test drive. I had a silver Astra VXR, and yes it does sound great. Raspy and rather airy sound from the exhaust. When driving the VXR is does feel quite quick, but with all that torque steer i really struggled over 100mph, it felt very intimidating.
I also drove the Vectra VXR, big car, this one had 255bhp, felt more progressive but very comfortable cruising speeds. 140mph felt like 90mph!

Nice cars, sound great, look great but not quite as cool as the scooby (drive, performance, handling etc.), hence me getting one