FlyingGecko

Me too! 👍

Above are replies to my original post in 2021... ...Fast forward to 2022... Plenty. Cassettes were superior in terms of portability (smaller) and durability (the physical strains caused by the the 8-track tape mechanism). 8-track sound quality was regarded as of higher quality but since their biggest market was in-car use the external sounds in cars of that time negated any perceived higher quality. The ease of DIY car fitting and huge range of in-car players helped, in European markets certainly. Further, home cassette recorders were becoming more able to use far better quality tapes (chrome, iron, anyone?) which further increased the cassette's superiority. I had friends who deeply regretted buying 8-track systems, and were delighted when they switched to cassettes. Didn't know a single person who went the other way. (This is in contrast to the demise of Betamax in the fight with VHS, where the superior Sony product was swamped by the combined marketing power of nearly every other consumer electronics company.)

https://www.directcarparts.co.uk/car-accessories-c4/car-armrests-c15/armster-2-premium-black-car-armrest-for-skoda-octavia-mk3-2013-p463 One in stock here.

1. You referenced to flooring it in a Saab - while not a direct quote any reasonable person wold properly presume you were referring to Phil-E's post. 2. You made a snide and sarcastic remark about the mental capability of (some) Saab drivers, with me and Phil-E being the (only?) posters who have referred to driving Saabs. Again, it's reasonable to presume you were referencing me, if not also Phil-E, but he can speak fro himself. It's not for a bully to determine if they are being a bully. Since you're unable to accept my observations on the wheelspin properties of my Skodas compared to my Saabs (before the 9-5 there was a 9-3 with 175 bhp and torque of 265 Nm) as being real and not as a result of any real or imagined driver failings, your antagonism, lack of goodwill, and respect for the views of others combine to cause me to remove myself from Briskoda after this post. Being a some-time resident in France it may well be that French is your first language, not English; if so, it is possible that cultural and linguistic differences explain your inability to see the offence you have caused. I doubt it. However, in the spirit of seasonal goodwill, I again wish you compliments of the season. Or if you prefer, Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année.

I've left this for a few days to see how it developed. Personal insults, that's the way to go. While Phil-E mentioned "flooring" it I bet he didn't do it every time, just as I didn't in my Saab, and I can't get anywhere near "flooring" it in my Skodas before the wheels spin. You know nothing about me or Phil-E to warrant make comments about our driving abilities either as Saab drivers or otherwise. Compliments of the season to you, J.R.

Just as I could do in my HA Viva with about 35 BHP (it only fired properly on three cylinders) and a highly unsophisticated cartsprung rear end. The folly of youth. I also still remember 50 years after the event the difference when I changed from Dunlop cardboard crossplies on my Mini 850 (Oselli tuned, but only stage 1) to Michelin ZXs. It started driving round corners instead of drifting. My personal motorsport experience is limited to the occasional visit to karting centres and spectating many times at Oulton Park, but yes, I agree, losing traction is usually a failing and especially so in the likes of F1. Well of course it would be lethal. I'm just talking about relative weights of similar sized front engined front wheel drive cars with similar outputs and performance figures, especially the vRS and the Saab. With four wheels supporting the weight, not a couple of lifting beams under the B posts. Which I suppose is why two pillar lifts have swing-out arms to lift under the sills near the front and back wheels, and have regulations over their use including weight limits and CoG considerations. Very important when lifting a 911, maybe not so critical with a mainstream family saloon or hatch. Whether leaving the boxes to do their own things, or using paddles and/or sport mode or using the gearlever for manual changes (all of which the Saab also had), even though the Saab gave away a second or so to the vRS in the 0-60 dash, when it comes to the very important issue of off-the-line acceleration at roundabouts etc the Saab was far more trustworthy than the vRS was or the Karoq is during those first two or three seconds to around 30, 35 mph. I'm not trying to reach escape velocity from traffic lights, or beat Hamilton or Verstappen to the first corner, just join normal traffic. From a prompt standing start, under every condition of road, weather (except snow and ice, obviously), tyres, driver input and gearbox control, the Saab rarely had wheelspin, the Skodas almost invariably did and do. The biggest single difference is the weight. And of course modern gearbox electronics will play a role, but shouldn't the far newer DSG box be smarter than the traditional slushbox of the Saab, dating from maybe at least 15 years previously, and be able to get the power down without spinning the wheels?

Apologies if the graph is a bit "in yer face". Don't mean to shout. I couldnt shrink it. Solid black line. Is that a gentle torque curve? I think it's fair to say the BHP/PS curve could possibly be described as gentle. This is a quote from Hirsch performance, who were the factory approved after-market tuners for Saab - "The ample low-rpm torque and instant turbo response of the 2.3t engine makes it a favourite among buyers who want a little more than the entry-level 2.0t can offer. These properties are maintained with the Hirsch Performance software upgrade, and further enhanced to provide as much torque as the drivetrain can handle over a wide rpm range, while also adding a clear power improvement in the higher rpm range."

A hundred and fifty extra kilos over each axle - over 23 stone in old money at each end - will have given the Saab something to fight against, even with the 350 Nm at its disposal through the auto box, (same as the vRS) traction control on or off, but I repeat, memories of wheelspin are few. Unlike the two previous Octavias, a petrol 1.4 DSG before the petrol DSG vRS, and the current petrol 1.5 DSG Karoq. Yes, I know it's not an exact 50/50 weight distribution, but we're not talking about a four litre flat six hanging off the back like a Porsche 911, truly distorting things. I'm sure some of the over 100 FWD cars I drove over half a million miles in the previous 38 years will have had wheelspin issues. But here I'm just stating what I've experienced over the past sixteen years, nearly 200,000 miles, and four specific FWD cars, with (very) broadly similar performance envelopes and physical dimensions but three of them weighing a lot less than the fourth. Later - BTW, I've held IAM membership since 1982 and been re-assessed since, so also have some theoretical driving skills knowledge as well as experience. And no history of crashing in smow or ice.

No. Are you? Almost invariably happens across 61,500 miles in the three Skodas. Almost invariably never happened in the previous Saab 9-5 2.3t, putting 220bhp through the front wheels over twice the Skodas' mileage. The Saab weighed around 300 Kg more than the Octavia vRS or the Karoq.

Common and frequent problem across my 1.4 Octavia, 2.0vRS Octavia, 1.5 Karoq, on Michelin, Goodyear, and Bridgestone. Largely (IMHO) due to lack of weight on the front. But I managed at last 18k on front Michelins on the VRS. Thirty years ago my Peugeot 309 1.9 GTi would eat Goodyear Eagle NCTs in under 7k without trying.

Jay, you'll see many cars using a spacesaver spare that's smaller in diameter and width (tyre included in the measurements) than the other three wheels. As SkOmk4 said, they're designed to get you to the nearest repairers, and used no more than for a couple of hundred miles. So any difference in rotation speed, handling characteristics etc, is irrelevant, from a safety point of view because they also have a maximum speed limit, usually 50mph. But I've been overtaken by an Audi doing well over 80... must have had a death wish. I wouldn't make my decision between the Octavia and the Superb based on the spare wheel - there are a number of reputable sellers of spare wheel kits in the UK, I've used one near Manchester for our past three cars. There's a good saving over dealer prices. FWIW, of those two I'd have the Superb - even if only for the proper physical controls for the aircon!

Hi, and welcome! There'll be many helpful answers along in due course, but I suspect most will be along the lines of it's expensive, difficult, and complicated, if not impossible. Just don't get your hopes up!

It's a nice story, and only a brief diversion, unlike some posts seen on Briskoda that go off-topic for pages. Compliments of the season and goodwill to all men, and all that.

Nice story Phutters.

No, it just scratches easily. Also the glossy trim around the gear lever and switches.