I leave the 300bhp club in the next few weeks
Looking to upgrade to a Z4M Roadster. Currently waiting for a nice specced Interlagos blue on AUC to pop up. To save derailing this thread, there is a "spec me" thread I made a few weeks back.
I join the 300bhp club next week.
- Thread starter Princey
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Looking to upgrade to a Z4M Roadster. Currently waiting for a nice specced Interlagos blue on AUC to pop up. To save derailing this thread, there is a "spec me" thread I made a few weeks back.
Soldato
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The thread is titled "I JOIN THE 300 BHP CLUB NEXT WEEK" tbh i don't think the op is worried if we think its a bad idea to tune the car to 300+ bhp, i can see both side of the argument, as 300+ bhp in a fwd is a lot
but, as the op has said, it currently runs 285bhp, so i'm guessing he knows how to pedal it, and enjoys it.
I'd say go for it
but, as the op has said, it currently runs 285bhp, so i'm guessing he knows how to pedal it, and enjoys it.I'd say go for it
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is that a dual map setup m8?
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Just cant see the point in 300+bhp FWD. I put a couple of thousand miles on a high powered FWD car in July and the compromised drivetrain layout was a real shame and made the car quite frustrating. Executing any sort of quick getaway was fundamentally pointless as you just shook the dash to death with wheelspin.
As for the OP, if he has a company car and his own car is simply a toy why not buy just that - a toy? Not a Vauxhall Astra. Surely a Lotus Elise or something is better?
As for the OP, if he has a company car and his own car is simply a toy why not buy just that - a toy? Not a Vauxhall Astra. Surely a Lotus Elise or something is better?
Soldato
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As some one said earlier in this thread the Vxr is compromised, not by power though but by the total lack of an rarb. a lot of people jump on the "oh it's a vauxhall,it must be pants" band wagon, the fact is it isn't pants at all the interior materials are supirior to some other hot hatches, more powerful than most hot hatches and for a car with no rear anti roll bar it handles well.
People seem to forget this compromised car was the fastest fwd hatch around the ring untill the uber hatches came along, with an rarb the car would have been quite a bit quicker but as it makes the rear more playful and drasticaly reduces understeer I can kind of understand why it was ommited from the spec , mainly due to chavs and lift of oversteer equaling death.
As for 300bhp even Evo (infact I believe most of the magazines of that ilk) praised how well the chassis copes with the extra power providing a rarb is fitted and LSD. Clarkson is an entertaining sensationalist who drove a pre production car on Sri spec suspension. Oh and yeah I do own a Vxr lol
People seem to forget this compromised car was the fastest fwd hatch around the ring untill the uber hatches came along, with an rarb the car would have been quite a bit quicker but as it makes the rear more playful and drasticaly reduces understeer I can kind of understand why it was ommited from the spec , mainly due to chavs and lift of oversteer equaling death.
As for 300bhp even Evo (infact I believe most of the magazines of that ilk) praised how well the chassis copes with the extra power providing a rarb is fitted and LSD. Clarkson is an entertaining sensationalist who drove a pre production car on Sri spec suspension. Oh and yeah I do own a Vxr lol
Soldato
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Oh and the dual map question above, the sport button on these cars reduces the throttle sensitivity and max throttle position circa 75% max while it is off making the car very easy to drive around town, also it lightens the steering and makes the dampers softer with the active damper option
edit: yeah a bit eggface lol but I have driven/owned quite a few hot hatches and whilst it the greatest it's nowhere near as bad as some make out
edit: yeah a bit eggface lol but I have driven/owned quite a few hot hatches and whilst it the greatest it's nowhere near as bad as some make out
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I see the 'Scrabble-Wagon' protection team are out in force.
What you mean is that you can attempt to drive around its shortcomings.
Yea, you can. Or you can just buy a car without these shortcomings.
Strange, I've been running 285bhp for the past month or so and I've had to pull out of a junction and a rather brisk pace many a time and I've never lit the tyres up before. Maybe in the wet but even a RWD will do that.
These shortcomings would still leave my car a fair way ahead of your car without such "shortcomings" in any situation that I can imagine.
Of course you are driving to suit the car, but the same principle applies to driving a car that is RWD.
Just because he hasn't tried, isn't to say it isn't possible - but like most people who own a powerful FWD car, he has obviously learnt how to drive it without suffering from such a "shortcoming".
Of course you are driving to suit the car, but the same principle applies to driving a car that is RWD.
[TW]Fox;15831926 said:
Just because he hasn't tried, isn't to say it isn't possible - but like most people who own a powerful FWD car, he has obviously learnt how to drive it without suffering from such a "shortcoming".
Defending a FWD on take off, This should be interesting. 
Also if you are not effected by Torque steer enough to ease off then you aren't pushing that car hard enough, If you have eased off to combat Torque steer then you need a RWD.
You're in to deep now at three & a half large though so defend away.
Also if you are not effected by Torque steer enough to ease off then you aren't pushing that car hard enough, If you have eased off to combat Torque steer then you need a RWD.
You're in to deep now at three & a half large though so defend away.
Really? Fancy that. And you dont think thats because you've got 50bhp more and a good 200-300kg less weight?
As is always the case with these threads people tend to go to extremes to make their points missing the more subtle bits in between. It's still going to be relatively easy to drive, it's still going to be quick and relatively sharp and it's going to make many cars look slow, we can take that as read. However, moving all this to one side the fact is the 300bhp going through the front wheels (actually any power going through the front wheels) will not be as nice as a well set up 300bhp RWD car when pushing on. Now if all you are used to is FWD I can appreciate how you might miss this (which I don't believe our OP is actually, perhaps some of the other VXR masseeeev and nay sayers are however) and if this is a B car then perhaps, it could be suggested that more money thrown at it to simply make it a bit quicker is wasted when selling up and getting something more sporty might deliver even more fun. Of course that may mean sod all to our OP as he might, well, just like his Astra just fine and like the fact he can take it out at the weekend with his buddies/bird whatever and appreciate that fact its still a mundane saloon car underneath all the power and event.
I don't need to drive a 300bhp FWD car to know it will be a compromise, I have driven the normal one and that had torque steer and lag, as did the Golf GTi and every other turbo FWD car. Does it make them undriveable well no, does it make them no fun well no, does it mean a level of compromise well yes, to me it does. Nice E46 M3 is a MUCH nicer car TO ME than any turbo'd FWD car, but then that's just me. We are all different at the end of the day and though I wouldn't take this route if it were my money/car it's up to our man if this what he wants to do.
I don't need to drive a 300bhp FWD car to know it will be a compromise, I have driven the normal one and that had torque steer and lag, as did the Golf GTi and every other turbo FWD car. Does it make them undriveable well no, does it make them no fun well no, does it mean a level of compromise well yes, to me it does. Nice E46 M3 is a MUCH nicer car TO ME than any turbo'd FWD car, but then that's just me. We are all different at the end of the day and though I wouldn't take this route if it were my money/car it's up to our man if this what he wants to do.
