Want Best STI

Hi all looking at getting a new car with in the next year some time.
I am not bothered by impracticle cars as i drive alone most of the time anyway!!
I own a gt4 350bhp. however it may have to go to make space for a new beast!!
I am looking at
Lotus Elise
Vauxhall VX220 (turbo i hope but too much for me to afford i think!)
S2000
Audi TT 225
and open to any views on any of these cars and opnions! as well as any new car suggestions..
cheers

Jamesemt

I'd probably look at an MX5 and stick a supercharger on it - with the exception of the vx turbo, they are all going to feel pretty flat after your Celica.

Is it about image or performance? If its the former I'd try and stretch your budget to an early boxster...

7 Foot

Can't be about image, he's included a TT!!

Have never driven a Turbo VX220 but have driven an NA along with several Elises and Exiges. I've loved them all.

What have you driven so far?

sti-04!!

TT with a remap & an exhaust, it'll scare many things out there

7 Foot

It's still not going to be entertaining in the same way as the others listed.

The build quality and materials will be great, reliabity pretty good, the parts expensive, the dealers arrogant and the image dodgy.

Dracoro

Forget the Audi TT if driver involment is your bag, especially in comparison to S2000s, elises, vx220s, boxsters etc.

I had an S2000, loved it. Been in VX220Turbo, great. Now own a Westie. Have you considered a Westie or Cateringvan? These will be the most fun. Strangly I fit in a 7 but not in a VX/Elise (gear lever gets in the way). Do you need ANY practicality? The S2000 is great fun, amazing engine/gearbox, reliable, prolly the cheapest to run apart from insurance, has air con, electric roof, good for longer journeys too etc.

I'd most want to drive the elise/vx220 out of your list. I'd most want to own the S2000. Hope that makes sense.

Want Best STI

i have driven the VX Turbo and the S2000. love the vx turbo the most but think money is gonna be the prob! i dnt like the boxter! unfortunatly!

Want Best STI

I have driven both to its max, i want the most out of drivablity. want the speed and the not too bothered by the comfort!! but i did love the S2000.. only thing i found was the the S over steers and you have to slide around corners rather than take them at speed and less sliding! porche is out unfortunatly, i dont like the looks and if i did id have the boxter S.
TT remapped..?

Want Best STI

by the way.. i am getting 0-60 in around 4.5 and 1/4 mile in around 12.8sec. anyone one know what their specs are? as i wouldnt want slower!

Dracoro

They'll all slower than that. VX220 turbo will be the closest.

mn_angrybeats

TVR Cerbera

Brendan Hughes

Ariel Atom, if you don't need a roof or glass.

Want Best STI

I wish i had the money! oh i have a race coming up against a TVR cerbera!! 4.2 apparently 3sec 0-60 on it!! however I KNOW i take corner better than it! only car that EVER done me on a corner is the VX220 Turbo! damn thing just sticks to the road! mines got some handling but the VX is simply better!
everything seems to be pointing to the VX Tubby! i didnt really want to copy my mate! hes looking into getting an Exige in Purple! (looks awesome) mmmm no other cars to compare then!

MZP

I've got a VX220 (na), it is just fabulous. Drive one before you right it off, it (in real world situations) is no slower than the Turbo.

Fabulous car, very cheap to run (my 3 year service was £140).

There is no competition!

Want Best STI

i have looked into the NA however from the knowlege i have on them.. are they not about a second slower to 60 TURBO 4.7 and NA 5.7 but then they have advantage on the corners! purely due to the turbo at high revs force the **** end out around corners!
I have driven my mates VX Turbo many times, and the first time i drove it i plugged from third to second around a corner and had it sideways due to the tubby!!

Dracoro

Everyone who has a slower car than what they are comparing against comes up with the 'real world' chesnut. I've been in a VXturbo and in 'real world' driving, it's faster than the std one. Incidentally, if car 'a' is faster than car 'b' in the 'real' world, is the 'b' car faster in the pretend world then? It's either faster or it isn't. Granted some cars come into their element on track (your 'pretend' world yes?) but all that really means is the performance is more accessible on the track to a typical driver. However a good driver will be able to drive competently on the road.

Not having a dig, but just bemused by the 'real' world. What other world is there?

MZP

Put it this way, at VX meets there really isnt that much difference from a-b in either the VX, Turbo, or VXR. Sure, the turbo and VXR ARE faster, but you really dont get the opportunity to drive them that much faster. I can happily keep up with a tubby on a country road. Thats what I mean by real world.

Oh, re the NA being slower, I would argue against that. Straight line, definately, round a twisty track no. Thats why I bought it over the turbo, its more 'raw'.

But lets face it, they are both awesome....

AllanB

Having driven a TT I must say its one of the nastiest cars to drive. I find them so numb that whilst driving one on track I wanted to oull into the pits and get out. Horrible things really are dire. Same rubbery lifeless souless feeling you get from most VAG products.

In stark contrast to the Elise which is the polar opposite feeling light, responsive and full of feeling.


AllanB

Olly

Know what you are saying, but I went to the Vauxhall garage a couple of weeks ago, cash in hand, with every intention of chopping in my n/a 220 for a Turbo. After driving the 2 cars back to back, the money stayed in my pocket.

The difference between my 18 month old 220, and an identically aged, specced and mileaged Turbo is around 4 grand. For that, you get more power and less delicate handling.

In the "real world of Scoobynet", it may be faster. But in the "REAL world", where I am spending "cold hard cash", it is NO WAY 4 grand faster.

Want Best STI

as i said before i think its better on handling because when you drop into fourth your limiter is near5-6K rpm and the tubby forces out the **** end where the NA nicely sits there at those revs without any probs and you can take the corner better. i have heard this from my friend with the VX turbo. he also agrees that the NA has better handling, but he would not agree that an NA would beat him around the track or straights. nor me! as i have driven it.

LG John

I faced a similar sort of choice when I got my S2000. In the end I got the honda as its IMHO the best looking by far, reliable, fairly easy to run, quick, cool and with good handing. My second choice would be the VX220 turbo which is faster to start with but tunable (albeit expensively so!). They can be bumped up to 260bhp fairly easily for around the £2k mark and then you are around 10s dead to 100mph I just couldn't live with one every day as my only car and I don't think it would feel as special to me as the S2000.

So if you are really only interested in performance and driving get the VX220. If you want a big more day to day useability and IMHO a better overall package get the S2000.

Only thing to be very aware of is the Honda is not tuneable without mega money. A good cold air induction kit and single exit decat exhaust and manifold set up might give you another 8-10bhp but that lot will skin you £1500-2000! The only other option is to go FI where supercharging is most popular. Dark Blue Mark of this forum is currently supercharging his S2000. Again, costly though.

MZP

Its not as expensive as you think, a £500 remap gives 240 brake....

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

What spec are you running on your gt4 m8?

LG John

My reading up about 6 months ago suggested that a £500 remap took you to 220bhp and that you needed a full exhaust system and the remap to get to 240bhp and that to safely run 260bhp you'd need exahust, remap, charge cooler and possibly a fuel pump upgrade. I'd imagine you could maybe cowboy it for cheaper but would you really want to take that risk on a £16-19k car?

Want Best STI

>>>Its not as expensive as you think, a £500 remap gives 240 brake....

you are talking about the VX220 yeah?? cos the S2000 is already 240 isnt it??
my FOUR runs.. 1.2 bar Dynoed last at 340bhp now Dectted and running 1.25 should be 350. 0-60 4.5ish and 1/4 mile should now be 12.7ISH as its run a 13 with cat.
TRD adjustables, Blitz nur spec.
wait as below:

- Blitz NUR spec R exhaust with custom Blue Flame 3" flexi/midpipe (stock cat in place)
- HKS air filter
- HKS EVC 4 electronic boost controller
- K1ANO FCD
- HKS speed limit defencer
- Hawker red-top 40 sealed racing battery, relocated to under passenger seat
- lagged and polished intercooler
- NGK iridium plugs
- Helix cerametallic clutch (NEW)
- ORC ultralightweight (4.4 kg) chrome-molybdenum flywheel
- Various bits of Samco hose, all special order purple

- TRD SUS circuit coilover kit with custom wound springs (6 kg/mm front, 5 kg/mm
rear) with TRD top mounts
- Cusco front Strut tower bar
- Cusco rear Strut tower bar
- Cusco front lower-arm bar (4-point one i.e. the good one)
- Whiteline rear anti-rollbar
- 18" OZ SuperLeggera lightweight alloys in Tuner Silver (darker silver)
- Toyo Proxes T1-S tyres with 3mm tread left.
- Tarox 40-groove front discs
- TRD Fast Road front pads (NEW)
- EBC Greenstuff rear pads
- Superflex front ARB bushes

- Defi-Link gauge controller, Turbo and EGT gauges
- TRD 300 kph speedo
- Hyper Sports dual gauge A-pillar
- Momo Race (or fighter?) steering wheel
- Pioneer 3600DEH head unit
- Foxguard FG-1 cat 1 alarm (Foxguard's top spec unit)

- C-One full front nosecone
- TRD sideskirts and rear bumper extensions
- Toyota rear-screen sunvisor (like gold dust these!)
- 97-on Projector headlamps
- 97-on clear full beams
- 97-on tail lights
- clear side repeaters
- 3" Down pipe.

Want Best STI

what will it take to get the vx to 240BHP ish?

sti-04!!

VTA Dump Valve should give you 240bhp

HTH

MZP

All the info you will ever need:

http://www.thorneymotorsport.co.uk/g...1%26sort%3Dseq

Want Best STI

a dump valve will giv 240??? adding 40bhp?????

MarkCSC

I feel he is taking the urine