Cars

nismo nick

172's are cool..... I think of them as an updated R5GTT, which is not a bad thing in anyway. The only thing i find with any of the modern hot hatches, is they are getting quicker, but they've lost the edge they had back in the early 90's. I mean the 172/182 is a quicker car and more practical than say its elder brother the R5GTT, but...... the GTT is a hell of a lot more fun to drive - probably because its easier to die in one, lol.

Anyway.... Cool motor fella

realnumber 1

nismo nick wrote:

172's are cool..... I think of them as an updated R5GTT, which is not a bad thing in anyway. The only thing i find with any of the modern hot hatches, is they are getting quicker, but they've lost the edge they had back in the early 90's. I mean the 172/182 is a quicker car and more practical than say its elder brother the R5GTT, but...... the GTT is a hell of a lot more fun to drive - probably because its easier to die in one, lol.

Anyway.... Cool motor fella

True to an extent, I think the clio has more of that "edge" than most present hot hatches (especially the cup, but I wanted AC 8) ). I probably wouldn't have much trouble dying in your beast of a car
I would take a 200 over a scooby any day

Surf-Matt

Nismo - just got Sportcontact 3s all round (225/45 17s) for the Astra - bit if a wallet wilter but I rate them over any other tyre by miles - especially in the wet.

Always fancied a Clio Sport but heard too many horror stories about Renault Customer Service and reliability - most are fine but some have trouble.

I get my petrol kicks from the speed boat these days though - cheap insurance and no emissions regulations!

realnumber 1

Surf-Matt wrote:

Nismo - just got Sportcontact 3s all round (225/45 17s) for the Astra - bit if a wallet wilter but I rate them over any other tyre by miles - especially in the wet.

Always fancied a Clio Sport but heard too many horror stories about Renault Customer Service and reliability - most are fine but some have trouble.

I get my petrol kicks from the speed boat these days though - cheap insurance and no emissions regulations!

Your right about Renault Customer Service but I got mine 2nd hand out of warranty and wouldn't take it to the stealer's to be fixed any how
As for the reliability mines okay for far (touch wood!). Depends if you get one that was made on a Monday or Friday afternoon
Have you thought about mapping the Astra yet, good for 200bhp :twisted:

Surf-Matt

Real - have thought many times about a re-map but decided to leave it.

I reckon it would be too much for a standard gearbox, it already torque steers a fair bit and I'd munch tyres even quicker! Also it's a good car used to work so it needs to be uber reliable.

Would have done it a few years ago without question but have other priorities now - it goes quite well with 150bhp (and 232 lbs/ft) but not as well as my old R32

realnumber 1

You definitely can't knock the modern diesel nowadays, like you say with all that torque the do pull well. I can see my next car being one the way it is at the moment.

Surf-Matt

Real - Going from a 3.2 litre, 4x4, 260bhp (ahem - mild chipping...) car with a soundtrack from heaven to a 150bhp tractor with a tiny powerband was pretty annoying (had it for a year, moved to Bristol, suddenly it was thief target no1 and they did £3ks worth of damage trying and failing to get the 18" alloys off - it had to go ) but I soon got used to it and now actually like the turbo whistle and the hill munching ability.

I'm afraid the government are killing off the interesting petrol car thanks to emissions strangling so it's the only way forward.

My last real fun drive was in a Mitsi Evo FQ360 that I test drove - JEEEEESus that was quick! But 15mpg and a billion g/km emissions mean it's a no no. Even the insurance was quite cheap though!

spudulike

Civic Type R.

Fits 2 bikes no problem, probably would take 4 if you weren't too bothered about the interior.

Surf-Matt

Looked at the old shape CTR when I bought the R32.

Nice engine, good brakes and goes well BUT needs mercilessly thrashing to death, the back end was skittish and the steering was vague - so went for the torquey Golf instead.

Still like the CTR though but the new shape has had a bit of a pasting from journos - but I've not driven one yet.

spudulike

Surf-Matt wrote:

Looked at the old shape CTR when I bought the R32.

Nice engine, good brakes and goes well BUT needs mercilessly thrashing to death, the back end was skittish and the steering was vague - so went for the torquey Golf instead.

Still like the CTR though but the new shape has had a bit of a pasting from journos - but I've not driven one yet.

I enjoy mercilessly thrashing it to death and I found the Golf too civilised...funny how each person has their own priorities.

Not driven the R32 though- I bet the V6 is somewhat rapid...

Surf-Matt

Spud - not actually a lot quicker than a well driven CTR - it's a heavy car but the 4WD grip is amazing and it sounds awesome.

Mine had a wee bit more poke than standard - what I really liked was the free revving oomph from almost any rpm - there were no gaps in the power delivery at all so you could really concentrate on just driving it like a (safe) loon.

I used to love ragging an engine - I had a 16v mk3 GTi for ages - much less power than a CTR (150bhp) but similar delivery.

Probably just a bit old now

My Astra has the same torque as the R32 but weighs almost 200kgs less - so it goes quite well. Still not the same as the Golf though The R32 is the only mk4 Golf I liked though - all other models were poor handling and pretty pants.

jamrussell

i have in my posession a volvo 940 estate, 2ltr turbo to transport kids, wife dog and (most importantly) my bikes

and a nissan 200sx s13 with just over 200bhp for the weekends

realnumber 1

Surf Matt, part or all of you must have been gutted when you had to hand over the R32 keys. They were the only mk4 I would have had.
With a remap those things can shift, as you say they were never as quick as they should have been standard. Nice car build wise and sound ect, but I bet it drank like a fish

jamrussell another 200sx, nice!

Surf-Matt

Mid 20s mpg - not too bad.
It was a real shame it had to go but if I'd caught the gits who were targeting it, I think I'd now be doing time Annoying when a car goes from being a bit of a dream come true to a total liability.

Clio Sports seem a sensible fun car to have - great to drive, pokey but not too bad on emissions.

Be nice if Nissan made another 200SX type car - the GT-R is a bit full on, and pricey (great value but £50k is a lot, even if it is faster than a 911T)

milkywhite

Surf-Matt wrote:

Looked at the old shape CTR when I bought the R32.

Nice engine, good brakes and goes well BUT needs mercilessly thrashing to death, the back end was skittish and the steering was vague - so went for the torquey Golf instead.

Still like the CTR though but the new shape has had a bit of a pasting from journos - but I've not driven one yet.

Engine screams like a banshee when you get above 5800 RPM...all the way to 8250RPM :evil:

I love mine. It's a pre facelift model, which suffers slightly from the vague steering you mention, but the facelift models were tweaked to get rid of that, as well as decreasing the 0-60 a bit too.

Great fun to drive. 300 quid a year tax next year :shock:

Surf-Matt

Milky - same as both our cars put together (in tax!)

nismo nick

See, thats the problem with newer cars...... My Nissan, near 400bhp, can kill a sparrow with its emissions from a mile away, and still only costs just under £200 a year to tax........... Fuel bill is steep though, lol.

As for Nissan building another 200SX type car, not likely........ Why? Because they didn't sell well over here, modern Coupe's have to be more than just a coupe now, and the 200 was never a practical car. My shape was the last of the British 200's (Silvia S14a's), and although it was on sale over here till 2000, they actually stopped making them in 1998, just could not get rid of them. When it was first released it retailed for £26000, but by the end of 2000 you could buy one from a dealer pre-owned (registered, and driven round the block a few times) for £15000!!!!!!!! After that the S15 was released in 1999, but was only available from Japan as an import, no UK spec's ever made.
If a Silvia or 200SX ever comes around again....... I think it will be more a BMW 3 series type car, rather than a strict sports coupe.

nismo nick

Maybe i was wrong, just done some digging, and look what i found!!!!!

Possibly the new 200SX....... and like i said, more BMW-AUDI'esq now.





Apparently aimed for release in 2010...... We'll see.

willy b

Ford Focus Estate
diesel

Just got back from a 120 mile trip - doing 71mpg :roll:

Surf-Matt

Nick - I helped source an s14 for a friend (often help friends look for and check out cars) so took it for a spin - great fun and shame they didn't sell more. Not the most sexy looking car but has everything you need really.

1340jas

I've got a 5 Series BMW with the straight six ali in line engine. really Old 'S' Reg which looks like a drug dealers car.
Goes really well and is built like a tank.
I use it to get to work and very little else due to the juice it drinks.

I my prefer my 1994 1400cc Harler Davidson. Not quick, but 50mpg, if I control the urge to twist and go. Sounds like the Royal Artillery playing games in Basra and looks cool as Fcuk.

If I want to have fun off road I've gor my Orange 5 pro. YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAGGGHHH

passout

Ford Focus 1.6 estate with Thule Bike Racks. Good all rounder but thoroughly boring. I cycle to work anyway.

milkywhite

Milky - same as both our cars put together (in tax!)

Don't. You'll upset me. I can't even drive the fecker at the moment. It's just sat outside my house chewing up money in tax and depreciation Not to mention the new brakes getting rusty as hell.

Surf-Matt

Is it broken or have you upset the plod?!

Rust will come off as soon as you use the brakes - looks bad but isn't.

milkywhite

Surf-Matt wrote:

Is it broken or have you upset the plod?!

Rust will come off as soon as you use the brakes - looks bad but isn't.

I'm broken http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12574987

I know the rust is nothing to worry about. I'm just a bit of a tart when it comes to my car and hate it looking crap! Obviously the disc surface will come clean, but I hate it when the centre part of the disc rusts up and looks messy. I'll have to get the Hammerite out.

Mastineo

2008 C4 Grand Picasso, 7 seats, loadsa gadgets, 40+ mpg. Totally boring. Cant get a bike rack to fit.

le_doc

cars really suck... i enjoy nothing more than blasting them all off the tarmac with my big thumper...

setting off alrms with an 3" micron end can is also a passtime of mine...



BIKES = FUTURE

willy b

le_doc wrote:

cars really suck... i enjoy nothing more than blasting them all off the tarmac with my big thumper...

setting off alrms with an 3" micron end can is also a passtime of mine...



BIKES = FUTURE

What happens when it rains and you get frost bit in your hands so your can't brake, then you crash and die :roll:

But in the summer there amazing! 8)

teaboy

Toyota Lucida people carrier as everyday wheels, great for the kids and carrying bikes etc but appauling on fuel.18 mpg aint good for a diesel

FZR1000 exup for my 2 wheel fix

ZX10r powered kitcar for the other bits of free time i get 0-60 in 3.5 secs all in first gear

HaworthBantam

I tell whoever may ask that I have a little red two seater. And then when they ask for a lift I come clean and admit that it's a Ford Escort Van - great for getting a couple of bikes in, or my fishing gear, or the bands kit, or.......