I was just thinking....

I've just seen an ad for a 565bhp Evo, someone aiming for 400bhp in thier Scoob, the new RS6 having 560bhp (ish?) and many other cars having massive power figures.

WHY..? Am I missing the point..?

I picked up an STi in March and I rarely have the opportunity to stretch it's legs on the road with its sub 300bhp.
So unless these cars are being bought as trackday specials (which they're not) how the hell can you use 500bhp....?

Are we losing the fun from driving..?

I can go round corners like I'm on rails in the Scoob and I'm starting to think it's taking the fun of driving away. Now this might sound mental, but I have a crappy mid '90's Clio diesel with galactic mileage on to run about in. I actually enjoy driving it to within an inch of it's life because I can. And every day. On normal roads. 165 section tyres gripping for dear life on roundabouts, feeling it sliding slightly in bends, braking properly myself so the wheels don't lock up. I actually enjoy driving it because my driving skills limits exceed the cars limits.

Don't get me wrong, I love the feeling of going fast and zipping round the bends, but I can't help thinking that the fun has gone with all the electronics and monster bhp taking over.

So have we forgotten the fun of driving...?

 

Big power is for pub (meet or 'net) bragging rights. My old WRX PPP with T20 suspension set-up would monster many of the big power cars on a challenging road as they struggled to control too much power for the handling balance of the car. On track recently I overtook a 500+ Scoob in my Fabia diesel, TWICE, as he faught the slides and silliness. I was catching most of the others, and was close to a supercharged Integra. The most fun I ever had on track was in a Pug 309 diesel that me and three mates bought for £98.05 off eBay with the sole intention of destroying it, and we did I fully agree with your comment on the Clio, it's the reason cars like the Elise exist. Significantly slower than a Ferrari, but every bit as much fun to a real driver. I've lost count of how many people I've seen on here tune a car to stupid power, only to sell it with a few thousand miles on the clock. The worst ones are those who lose interest half way through the job having hardly driven the car at all

 

Agreed. If you want 'fun' go and buy a 205gti, R5, etc. Or even go and discover driving again with something RWD, like a mk2 Escort, Opel Manta etc, something to 'feel' the road and have fun at sensible speeds.

 

recently talking to a respected local engine tuner and he said around here that 300bhp is plenty but more importantly decent brakes and suspension
he'd just driven a 500bhp+ supra back to its owner after more tuning said it was hard work and not much fun
people do seem to love being able to quote huge bhp but remember

"power is nothing without control!"

 

Opinions on the Elise are divided. If you like to be involved, then yes its great. But if you like to slide a little, then I don't get them. They just have far too much grip compared to the amount of power they make for it to be entertaining....unless its wet

 

Totally gree with you all - my Clio 172 Cup that I sold (wish i never) 3 years ago was the most fun car i have ever had. Quite quick, handled amazing and was so much fun and scary at the same time as no abs.

 

sounds exactly how id describe an sti typeR.No abs and an open centre diff in the wet is an experience in itself

 

Know where you are coming from. I miss my standard 350z sometimes as it was great fun catching the back sliding out around bends and really feeling like you are connected when driving. Put some ice and/or water on the road though and these drivers cars can be a handful and hard work when you don't want them to be too.

 

Yeah know the feeling, I had two cars that were great fun, my Renault 5 GT Turbo and an RX7 Efini (mostly standard).

The R5 was nuts, just felt like a go kart and could throw it around at any speed and enjoy it. The RX7 was a sideways monster, I loved pulled out into right or left hand turns with a quick blast of the turbo's to whip the back round and drive off.

Personally I am not after big power gains, I want a reasonably fun STi but I believe handling is more important than out right power.

 

what is fun in a car, is it speed, is it control, is it both, many scoob drivers on here would slate the above comments, as irresponsible, if you had 100bhp and drove with the back out, or sideways, you would get slated as unsafe, but why do we drive these cars, do you want control of the car or a car thats fast a to b.too much bhp can hinder both which is when the fun factor goes. i suppose its all down to personal preference and what gives you the grin factor, personally my standard 01 has plenty of speed and handling for me, living in london its hard to use either as im sure the fq340 driver we played with yesterday would agree.

 

i have a scoob which is lightly modded running 280bhp.and a 106 rallye with 106bhp.both good fun. i'm happy with the power but a bit more would be nice.but the rallye is more fun on the sh*t back roads out my way

 

I agree with you mate. Im even tempted to get rid of scooby for something that you can drive at full chant but not go to prison for
I've got works van and i love drivin it to within an inch of its life but im still not goin very fast. Makes you feel alive and really drivin i guess. No computers lookin after you.

But you know what they say- you dont realise what you got until its gone!

 

Exactly why i miss my old rwd cossies, no computers and no gimiks either, loved driving that on the track, the impreza is quicker through the corners but very predictable and does take some of the fun and skill away.

 

Thank **** for that...!!!

I really did think I was due to be carried off by people in white coats when I started thinking this...

At least I'm not alone and some of you understand what I mean.

**breathes a sigh of relief**

 

Again, agree completely. You tend to get dragged into
the 'need more power' game a bit with these cars.
You read what someone else has done and instantly you think,
'I need 500 bhp', you know you don't but to see what can be achieved
with these cars and it pushes you into this frame of mind. Best car I owned
was a 1.3 SR nova, bloody loved that car. Would own another one, maybe
one with a bit more grunt tho. Just like wee go karts, it just made you smile
when you took corners without having to brake - certainly not complaining
about what I have now tho

 

Everything said above is true. However, from another point of view, i went from a 200sx to an MX5, and although i loved the go kart feel of the '5, you soon start feeling like everyone is racing you beacuse you simply do not have the oomph required.
Having a fun car is important, but i think having a fair degree of power is required to make a car fun (unless you really do have a massive *****).

 

Gotta agree on this one - ive had 2 scoobies (WRx & currently an STi with 300+BHP).... and the most fun ive had in a car ..... my v.first one - an MG metro 'turbo' - like driving a go-cart only better !!! best car have ever owned ... shame it fell to bits !! Am lookin at buying another as a project but are pretty rare now methinks !

 

Mates got one in his garage gathering dust! Funny as **** to spank through the gears, light as a feather!

 

Agreed, I used to have an XR2i on spax adjustables - now that was fun. Felt a lot more 'raw' and you could really push that thing. It was getting a little unreliable so I moved on... shame.

 

I'd have to agree, though the process of tuning is just as satisfying as driving the car.

I can see why people often sell soon after finishing these projects as that's half the fun gone.

 

I know exactly what you mean but tbh its horses for courses isnt it...My STI is TSL mapped to about 340bhp, to get the sti to misbehave you have to break the speed limit essentially or be on ice, use it on a track it's great as you can do this legally. I still get a buzz from the STI though, braking late, hugging round roundabouts in the wet, its suredness, its responsive feel etc more than most cars i have driven and I have driven a lot.

My best car for driving within the speed limit and having your sort of fun was the nissan 200sx s14a, I had that modded to 280bhp and it was seriously twitchy lol with very little effort! It was a cracking car and to me will go down as a classic of its day. But still if I had to chose it would be the STI everytime for the experience, the nissan great as it is to twitch about can be ludicrously dangerous.

Having ridden bikes though for a while there is no substitute for that experience, you get all the feel of the road and the 'driving experience', and no I dont thrash my bike breaking the speed limits.. you dont have to on a bike, doing the speed limit specially the national speed limit in the back lanes is a rush no car will ever give you.

So in answer to your experience I certainly would not get outta of my scoob and drive a van or some naff bucket of sick diesel or 1100 baby hatch for a 'driving on the edge experience' LOL, I had a 106gti peugeot yeah great it er 'handled' er well but just didnt do it for me im afraid... I more than love my scoobs drive way more fun that the 106 and if I did want something different I'd simply get on my motorbike you can keep yer 'pocket rocket' diesels/vans/clios etc thanks