WRX RA, XK8, M Roadster, 330 convertible - Notts to Reims
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Please don't view this post as a bragging session and let's not turn it into a slagging session - just take it for what it's meant to be - my views on a recent trip with some like minded
friends! I've always enjoyed reading similar posts by others but if you feel that you'll be bored or offended then don't bother to read any further.
I knew from the outset that this was not going to be a leisurely jaunt, well, at least until we got to our destination (Reims) but i can tell you that the drivers of both the XK8 and the M Roadster were well up for it and the chosen route was ideal (empty)!
The BMW 330 convertible is a stunner with Schnitzer kit and 19" wheels - but on this run was found wanting for grunt both in acceleration and high speed roll ons, it just couldn't keep up with the other three, although i must say that the driver was a little more laid back (sensible!) than the rest of us. Rolling the power on at about 120mph he went backwards in the rear view until he disappeared.
The driver of the XK8 convertible is (how shall we put this)...keen. An experienced performance car driver and often track day instructor (Bikes), he's had many a go in the Scoob but we were keen to find out just how it compared to his car on the road and to check out the accuracy (relative) of my speedo against his.
At an indicated 155 both his Jag and the M roadster hit their electronic speed limiters - they were side by side (nice empty stretch of road) i sat behind and was slowly gaining on them in their slipstream with the tacho reading around 8000 rpm. I hit the rev limiter once the whole trip, at an indicated 8250 rpm (5th gear).
0 - 80 ish the Scoob leaves both the Jag and the M roadster for dead, but accelerating hard form any speed beyond that and there is nothing in it with the M and the Scoob leaving the Jag only
very very slowly.
The big Jag is amazing, it must weigh twice the Scoob and it looks huge with a massive boot (for all that bubbly which found its way back with us!) but on the twisties around Epernay, with the traction control off he had the back end stepping out everywhere (deliberately) as did the driver of the M (although he admits it wasn't always deliberate!).
The M is tiny by comparison, but incredibly fast over the ton and it must be comfortable at speed with the top down coz he spent most of the trip that way!
Given the choice of car for the trip i'd take the Jag though, until we got to Reims/Epernay where i'd want the Scoob!
Any doubt's i had about the reliability of the Scoob over that kind of distance have been laid to rest. 120 mph was the norm and it never missed a beat, even the fuel consumption wasn't so
bad compared to the others - incredible really for a Type RA.
Downsides? Has to be noise - 120 mph is 6000 rpm and no soundproofing - very buzzy shall we say.
Shock of the trip was on passing an Audi A3, he dropped in behind me (in front of the Jag) at about 90 mph right up my duff. So i plant the right foot....and he just sits there all the way to 150!! So i pulled over and slowed down (a smidge!) to let him past, but instead he tucks back in behind me and the Jag steamed past instead. He didn't show any interest in the Jag so i had another go...same result. It had no badges indicating an S3 on the back but had some kind of wording on the grill (about eight letters
or so - i couldn't make it out - well, we were at warp factor three Scotty!) Whatever it was it was fuggin quick and he was a top dude with a smile (laugh) and a wave when he finally went off on his own route.
A big thanks to all you guys who answered my post with advice on french roads and fuel availability etc.
friends! I've always enjoyed reading similar posts by others but if you feel that you'll be bored or offended then don't bother to read any further.
I knew from the outset that this was not going to be a leisurely jaunt, well, at least until we got to our destination (Reims) but i can tell you that the drivers of both the XK8 and the M Roadster were well up for it and the chosen route was ideal (empty)!
The BMW 330 convertible is a stunner with Schnitzer kit and 19" wheels - but on this run was found wanting for grunt both in acceleration and high speed roll ons, it just couldn't keep up with the other three, although i must say that the driver was a little more laid back (sensible!) than the rest of us. Rolling the power on at about 120mph he went backwards in the rear view until he disappeared.
The driver of the XK8 convertible is (how shall we put this)...keen. An experienced performance car driver and often track day instructor (Bikes), he's had many a go in the Scoob but we were keen to find out just how it compared to his car on the road and to check out the accuracy (relative) of my speedo against his.
At an indicated 155 both his Jag and the M roadster hit their electronic speed limiters - they were side by side (nice empty stretch of road) i sat behind and was slowly gaining on them in their slipstream with the tacho reading around 8000 rpm. I hit the rev limiter once the whole trip, at an indicated 8250 rpm (5th gear).
0 - 80 ish the Scoob leaves both the Jag and the M roadster for dead, but accelerating hard form any speed beyond that and there is nothing in it with the M and the Scoob leaving the Jag only
very very slowly.
The big Jag is amazing, it must weigh twice the Scoob and it looks huge with a massive boot (for all that bubbly which found its way back with us!) but on the twisties around Epernay, with the traction control off he had the back end stepping out everywhere (deliberately) as did the driver of the M (although he admits it wasn't always deliberate!).
The M is tiny by comparison, but incredibly fast over the ton and it must be comfortable at speed with the top down coz he spent most of the trip that way!
Given the choice of car for the trip i'd take the Jag though, until we got to Reims/Epernay where i'd want the Scoob!
Any doubt's i had about the reliability of the Scoob over that kind of distance have been laid to rest. 120 mph was the norm and it never missed a beat, even the fuel consumption wasn't so
bad compared to the others - incredible really for a Type RA.
Downsides? Has to be noise - 120 mph is 6000 rpm and no soundproofing - very buzzy shall we say.
Shock of the trip was on passing an Audi A3, he dropped in behind me (in front of the Jag) at about 90 mph right up my duff. So i plant the right foot....and he just sits there all the way to 150!! So i pulled over and slowed down (a smidge!) to let him past, but instead he tucks back in behind me and the Jag steamed past instead. He didn't show any interest in the Jag so i had another go...same result. It had no badges indicating an S3 on the back but had some kind of wording on the grill (about eight letters
or so - i couldn't make it out - well, we were at warp factor three Scotty!) Whatever it was it was fuggin quick and he was a top dude with a smile (laugh) and a wave when he finally went off on his own route.
A big thanks to all you guys who answered my post with advice on french roads and fuel availability etc.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 739
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From: South East London
Indeed, sounds like a right laugh! 
With regards to the Audi, perhaps it had been tuned by Oettinger, a VAG specialist.
They tune the 1.8t from 150PS to 230PS (don't know what that is in 'real money' ie BHP but I do know its only slightly less), and the S3 from 210PS to 290PS.
The reason I say it may have been them is cos they also do styling packages, and I know that there are Oettinger grills, with their name on it. Too small to really see, but did it look a little like this? (the grill, not necessarily the skirts etc..)
Admittedly, their name is 9 letters long rather than 8, but at those speeds you could easily have missed 1 of 'em
[Edited by JohnMcC - 4/24/2002 12:54:54 AM]
With regards to the Audi, perhaps it had been tuned by Oettinger, a VAG specialist.
They tune the 1.8t from 150PS to 230PS (don't know what that is in 'real money' ie BHP
but I do know its only slightly less), and the S3 from 210PS to 290PS. The reason I say it may have been them is cos they also do styling packages, and I know that there are Oettinger grills, with their name on it. Too small to really see, but did it look a little like this? (the grill, not necessarily the skirts etc..)
Admittedly, their name is 9 letters long rather than 8, but at those speeds you could easily have missed 1 of 'em
[Edited by JohnMcC - 4/24/2002 12:54:54 AM]
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 739
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From: South East London
Thats right, I dont think they actually have the word Quattro on the front grill.
I think it would be more like this:
Although not on the grill in this instance, this is essentially the badge that the S3 would have on its grill:
Of course, this may be different in different markets; or the owner may simply have changed it for a quattro badge himself.
[Edited by JohnMcC - 4/24/2002 11:18:08 AM]
I think it would be more like this:
Although not on the grill in this instance, this is essentially the badge that the S3 would have on its grill:
Of course, this may be different in different markets; or the owner may simply have changed it for a quattro badge himself.
[Edited by JohnMcC - 4/24/2002 11:18:08 AM]
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