mmmm an M3 at 7000 rpm is a joy to listen too! I love them, little bit too heavy for me but gorgeous. I would love a very fast hatch e.g. Audi RS3 (if they ever do one) or a 340 bhp 1 series... serious power in small cars!!

 

My mate had a R32. It was the first performance car I 'raced' with my S2000. I was behind him at the lights and he pulled quickly as expected, he was also pulling until my car hit VTEC in second. As we hit the motorway the gap started to close and I easily passed him at 80mph at which point we backed off.

Hardly a shock result and as a point to point car I'd expect I could drive the R32 faster as the extra torque makes it easier to drive quick.

I found the car to be quite souless. I am a VW fan and my last car was a Corrado VR6. It had 190hp but the power was very usable and it was a quick car. The numbers don't always tell the full story.

Nice cars but not for me..

 

I gave a VXT an unpleasant surprise this morning

Saw this thing hacking along and decided to sneak up on it - knowing we were coming to a roundabout followed by a long d/c drag

I was interested because lots of people seem to rate them as a bit of missile

He was baulked by traffic on exit, which was where I expected to fall back, but then within 50yds the road cleared and he was going for it

I needed most of the power in 2nd, but in 3rd and 4th I was just holding station

He did pull over at xxx at which point I wafted serenely past

He did look rather stoney-faced so I imagine he had been impressing the passenger up to that point......

Verdict - they get slower as the speed rises

But very nice toy



(ps I was in the M)

 

Thought I'd give my opinion on the matter as I have a mate with an R32 and we had a good afternoon messing around together last summer.

Parked side by side on a straight road from a standing start we set off together from a countdown from 3, and he immediately pulled out just over a car length with the 4WD traction.

By the time I hit VTEC in first, and wound upto 9k, I pulled back my nose to his passenger door (prob due to the fact the R32 only hits 30 in 1st)

continuing through 2nd I pulled level and just past (prob again due to the fact that the R32 can't hit 60 in 2nd)

by the time we ran out of road and slowed I had just changed from 3rd to 4th and was about 2 car lengths ahead, which in real terms at about 90mph would be fractions of a second!.

The second run we had from a rolling start in first gear (approx 3-4mph) I managed to stay level for the initial burst and then pulled away as I VTEC'd in first. I continued to pull away through the rest of the gears until we backed off at high up the rev range in 4th!, by which at this time I was about 9 -10 car lengths in front.

In summary then in my encounter the S2000 was the quicker car, and before we hear the comments of he couldn't be trying hard...... he was!! and was very surprised at the result, as was I.

No doubt the power delivery of the R32 is much easier to use and I thought that at motorway speeds he would be able to pull away quite cleanly, but if your in VTEC they won't!!!

Subsequently he's now selling it!, although not as a direct result of this I hope!!!

 

I didnt dispute its capabilities. merely that it has no character or appeal (to me)
Yep driven the old shape evo variant (i think it was called) and the current smg version. Did not like smg changing up, changing down was good. Handled like a car of that price should. Would I buy one new? no I had choice and chose the boxster. If I had 18k to spend on a 2nd hand car I would without any doubt or hesitation buy the r32, I engoyed it that much.

 

I personally think the other driver will be over the moon rather than stoney-faced. He just held of a 400bhp V8 super-saloon until 1XX mph! That's a big achievement in even a VXT.

I've just remembered I raced an R32 at Crail last time I was there. I had a good chat with the driver before hand and as expected he pulled a car length or so coming off the line. I pulled him back in pretty quickly and breezed past putting on a good 4-8 car lengths on the otherside before the quartermile mark. In truth it was a fairly easy kill - about as easy as a standard subaru wrx.

 

he had a funny way of showing pleasure then


not much holding off either - more like holding up


his day will come, on a twisty narrow road

 

Should have just ran him over. An M5 chasing an VXT must not look a world appart different from a saxo chasing a 1/8th scale buggy

Would have been good if he had the chargecooler + exhaust + chip = 250-60bhp upgrade. That would have given you a real run until 110+mph

 

the thought crossed my mind, but I hate tailgaters and try not to do it myself


then we move into the infuriating territory of unreal comparisons


where I too could liberate another 40bhp or so

 

When I had a VXT it accelerated above 100mph a lot quicker than the S, even with the roof off.