Now this may seem a touch deafistist but I'm also a realist!

Me and two blokes at work have been having some banter about cars and speed handling etc. so we're off to Bruntingthorpe to prove matters once and for all.

Mine, MY03 UK Sti PPP
The others MY00 Audi S4 MRC mapped to 340bhp / 400lb torque
MY04 BMW M3 Coupe

I know I'm gonna get my arsed kicked but I should be alright to 60 shouldn't I???

 

I would say your gonna get your *** handed to you, assuming you can all drive to the same standard.

 

The S4 I'd imagine is a Quattro, so even to 60 I think that will leave you standing. The M3 coupe is a much more powerfull car and with rwd could be interesting to 60 depending how it's traction control works.

 

your car = insect

mates cars = windscreen

who's gonna come off better...

...i bet yours sounds the best though.

 

lol, definitely

 

I would have thought it would be closer than you make out. S4 is a heavy old thing. Anything but dry then the M3 might struggle. Certainly will be interesting to find out how you get on.

 

Imagine you'll get caned, but park all three cars next to each other and ask any 7 year old to point at the fastest one, and it'll be yours.

But who cares ? straight line racing doesnt really prove much about how GOOD a car is, just how fast it can accelerate. Fairer test would be get all 3 cars on a track, get the same person to drive, and see which gets the best lap time.

Subaru never designed the Impreza to be just a fast straight line car ( 4WD being a hinderance straight away ) - it has fast low down acceleration, and good handling which count for a lot more in the real world - same as Evos.

 

The only thing scoobs are good at is standing starts and exiting corners fast. Once moving your going to get out handled, eaten on turn in to slow corners and most certainly out braked.

Now, if your well aware of this, you can adjust your driving around these issues, and if the drivers of the other two vehicles can't do that with their own cars characteristics, then your laughing. (better driver )

For arguments sake. M3 - better handling, better brakes, better throttle response and powerband. But poor corner exit speed, less forgiving on the limit, brakes will get cooked if over-used. S4 good handling, better brakes, very forgiving on the limit, poor corner turn, in but fast exit speed.

Have fun, and try not to melt your brakes

 

Quick, get the Type 20 kit put on your scooby and don't tell em!!!

Ns04

 

you've not heard an M3 then?!

 

You may be in with a chance to 60 if you can throw caution to the wind and launch harder than the quattro. IIRC the M3 will get to 60 in a little under 5 secs, but it won't be easy getting that sort of time without a perfect launch (he won't be able to rely on the traction control).

 

Audi > Impreza > M3

To 60,

then The M3 will say auf wiedersehen to both of you.

 

M3's sound too raspy like it has a tin exhaust, granted they are fast cars but dont sound as good as they should

 

M3's sound like industrial hair dryers, the rear silencer is just soo bloody big.. sound nice with an aftermarket system though

 

Oh yes!

Heard a M3 today with a aftermarket system, looked like he had a lot of Ac schnitzer parts added (wheels, rear wing etc) so id say it was a schnitzer system, sounded really nice. .

 

I think the S4 will kick your ***!

But should be close with the BMW M3 looking at the stats.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi PPP BMW M3

0-60: 4.6/ 5.2
BHP: 301/ 343
LB/FT: 299/ 269
weight: 1470kg/ 1570kg

The torque on the M3 looks a little low!

 

that torque figures correct, they are NA remember....

to put that in perspective an NSX only has 228lbft...

 

So just take a slow cruise past the school on the way back and you will be sorted

 

Yep, turbo owners are spoilt when it comes to torque.

I anticipate that the result will be.

S4->M3-> Scooby- The battle between the Scooby and M3 should be a bit closer than the M3 and the S4; even with the S4's weight, if you look at the power and especially the torque to weight figures, it's ahead.

Ns04

 

I dont really know how BHP and lb/ft really work, so bare with me, this is what I thought.

I thought torque was what you really need on the road, and BHP was top end speed.

So the BMW has 269lb/ft and the STi has 299lb/ft and the M3 is 100kg heavier, there both side by side doing 30mph, and accelerate the same time, which car would be the fastest.

 

Dont forget its a MY00 S4 isnt that the older lighter turbocharged S4. and not the heavy 4.2 V8.

 

M3 is the fastest thing on four wheels, there is no way any car on this earth can ever be faster than a M3. Yeah right!!

 

Thats what I was thinking!

Ive been in a E46 M3 cab and didnt think it was very quick maybe because it doesnt give you that same kick as a turbo car does.

Would be intresting to hear the outcome of this little scientific experiement.

 

FYI torque is the turning force of the engine, a larger amount of torque is required to get a heavy car moving BUT this torque also needs to be transfered to the road surface a 4x4 is far better at this than a RWD but in turn the 4x4 drive train saps up power (bhp) that the engine produces effecting the top end performance (ability to overcome drag co-efficients).

The M3 has a powerful, revvy engine, pleanty of torque and no lag but it looses by the fact it will be struggling for grip off the line, once its sheer mass has got enough kentic energy its areodynamic body and powerful revvy engine means its got a fighting chance and its 50-70 sprint abilities should blow the other two away.

 

Power delivery on the M3 is very tame, especially with the SMG box. And funnilly enough its one of the only cars I've driven where the auto blows the socks off the manual!

 

Irrelevent as you're straightlining, but TG's Stig lap times give you some hope on proper circuit racing....

"37 Impreza STi WRX WR1 1.29.4...
39 Subaru Impreza STI 1.30.1...
41 Audi S4 1.30.9...
47 BMW M3 1.31.8"

 

Just go kick the granny out of your car buddy,

enjoy doing it, you never know you might supprise em

 

I reckon it will be pretty close theres no way the m3 will cane the impreza it will be an extremely close race and will come down to the quality of the launch and gearchanges. Iv been in an sti ppp on the dual carriage way and we came accross m3 and from 60- 130mph there was **** all in it- Dont undersetimate the impreza