For the first time in 18 months I am thinking about moving my Octavia on and returning to the Honda VTEC fold. Truth be told, I would keep the Skoda forever, but I'm not wealthy enough to own and store two cars (three including the Toyota VERSO, which has now made this option viable).

You don't read too much about Octavia VRSs, other than what a competent and excellent value 'alternative' they are to the other cars in its sector and the VW stable from which it was conceived.

Every other issue of EVO has some limited edition FR SEAT, R Golf/Scirroco/Polo etc but it seems Skoda shook hands on a gentleman's agreement not to make a VRSR or something, to awaken that 2.0 FSi engine a little further.

Most of this newer stuff is packing 260bhp/270lb/ft or thereabouts, thicker ARBs, twist here, turn there, latest Bridgestone RE05678A0s and a new badge.. so I am just intruiged to know whether a decent remap, better breathing and some attention to suspension and chassis (possibly brakes), would take the VRS up a notch and unleash some latent potential? After all the under-pinnings are not worlds apart, it's just got more junk in the trunk than the hatchbacks.

Has anyone done this to a similar degree? Have you been able to guage the results in any way? Can the old girl be given a new lease of life and tightened right up or is it just not worth it? If compelling enough, it might force my hand into keeping the Skoda and the £2500 it would cost me to get into an Integra Type R DC5 might breath live in to the best car I have ever owned.

Edited 8 November, 201015 yr by Silverback

I have a revo stage one with 333 lb/ft torque feels like a different car

How have you got that much torque??

I've got a Revo Stage one too, plus Militek exhaust (~240PS or thereabouts) plus some mild suspension mods and I'm very happy with it. Really, that's as much as you want to put through a front-wheel drive car that used for everyday driving.

I spent a good few years working with cars and have driven most 'quick' stuff (Impreza STi, Evo's, Porsches etc etc). For a year I owned a Focus ST with ~250PS. Problem is that once you put more than about 100PS through a front tyre you run into all sorts of traction problems and need ESP etc to help you out. I remember driving the Mazda3 MPS - which was quick in straight line but painful on twisting roads because the electronics were cutting in all the time and the over-light steering meant you were never sure which way the front wheels were pointed.

I think once you hit 250+ PS you need to think about 4WD.

Yeah, I aint fitting a Revoknuckle as well!!

I'm not a big modder anyways, have always bought performance versions of cars to save me the bother, but the Skoda has so many good qualities, be a shame to not look into the options.

Having had a string of Hot Hondas, the last three of which were Type-Rs I do crave that mechanical feeling and LSD equipped front end coupled to a beautiful rev happy engine, but certain sacrifices are present with those too.

I've even started digging up 330 BMWs to see how their prices have dropped. Great cars, but I always found the engines a little souless, nothing a GruppeM wouldn't fix though... face it, I've got the new car itch. The credit should go to the Octavia though for lasting 18 months, that's a personal best.

As a value proposition the vrs has no equal in my opinion.

Mine cost 17.5 new (including most of the option boxes ticked) and I've since spent a little on some minor improvements.

I did suspension first - just coilovers, but you could go further with easy to do/ proven mods like TT wishbones, Anti-lift kits and ARBs. Stage 1 remap takes the car to somewhere in the region of 250bhp/280lb/f. These two mods cost less than £1000. .. TTS short shifter is buttons..

To get this level of performance in say, a golf, you'd be looking at a golf "R" at nearly 30k before options and its boot is tiny compared to the skoda.

No way i'd be considering a swap with a vtec honda, sorry. Done the vtec thing in the past and it really isnt my bag. High revving low torque engines .. :no:

Edited 8 November, 201015 yr by rob_e

You need to keep the octy mate, no question, run a stage 2 remap with intake and sport cat and you will be amazed, I only have a stage 1 map from Angel Tuning, probably running 235 bhp and 250lb/ft (personally I think higher stated figures are a bit excessive for stage 1 without dyno proof) but even that relatively small increase was incredible. As to having to much power, as I understand it Harry_vRS is running something like 350 bhp through the front wheels with no problem.......(that is with a KO4 turbo though).

Edited 8 November, 201015 yr by Pagey1255

I read with interest about you trading an Octy to return to the Honda VTEC fold, which makes me think you traded from their originally to the Octy.

It does raise the question why you switched to the Octy originally ?

I have a friend who has a civic type R and has been saying everything that other owners who have come from this to the Octy have been saying- Running the car is expensive ( insurance , fuel, servicing).

Have you sat down & worked out if cost wise its cheaper to modify the Octy & run, rather that switching back ?

OR

Is it that there is something about the Octy that doesnt quite tick all the boxes of what you want out of this type of car ?

If its the latter, then do what Im doing get a car you will be completely happy with - My 500 (Diesel) is going because I bought for it for its claimed economy, I dont get anywhere near whats claimed & I can get the same economy out of a vRS (Diesel), so its bye bye 500, hello vRS.

Hope you can decide what you would like to do - Good Luck

sorry, forgot to add, not that I'm proud of the fact, but I had a head to head with a an 09 reg civic type R recently, and it run out of legs trying to keep up.............Czech power. ( well German really )

Yeah, I aint fitting a Revoknuckle as well!!

I'm not a big modder anyways, have always bought performance versions of cars to save me the bother, but the Skoda has so many good qualities, be a shame to not look into the options.

Having had a string of Hot Hondas, the last three of which were Type-Rs I do crave that mechanical feeling and LSD equipped front end coupled to a beautiful rev happy engine, but certain sacrifices are present with those too.

I've even started digging up 330 BMWs to see how their prices have dropped. Great cars, but I always found the engines a little souless, nothing a GruppeM wouldn't fix though... face it, I've got the new car itch. The credit should go to the Octavia though for lasting 18 months, that's a personal best.

Hi Mate,

I have owned two Hondas in my time - EP3 CTR with a few mods, and also an s2000 with similar mods. I absolutely LOVE Hondas to pieces but the only problem i find is usable power on the roads. you have to rev them to get the power, and believe me with a good induction kit and exhaust there is no better sound going to a 9000 rpm redline the only issue is it encourages you to do it all the time and gets you into trouble with plod! Great for track use, my s2000 put out 261bhp on the dyno and was a very fast car.

To move on to the octy, I have the newer TSI engine and have Shark's stage 1 software putting out around 250bhp and 300lbs/ft. the car is an animal and has huge shove off roundabouts etc and I too (pagey) left an FN2 type-r for dead

My advice for the sake of 400 quid get the octy mapped, use a reputable tuner and see what you think, but in my eyes it transforms the car

My advice for the sake of 400 quid get the octy mapped, use a reputable tuner and see what you think, but in my eyes it transforms the car

I think sound advice, I run a jap car as well as the Skoda & parts prices on the japanese car have me in total disbelief. I have heavily tuned a Skoda before & really its only your wallet & imagination that will limit what you can get out of it but just a remap will transform it. If you want to go a bit further do the exhaust before the map, then just decent brake pads & a fluid change will give a cracking car thats a joy to own & cheap to run.

You will find spending a few hours trawling through this forum will answer most of your questions as well as guide you to the few really good tuners there are, remember a cheap map is sometimes cheap for a reason !

Edited 8 November, 201015 yr by Stuart_J

If you want a good value sports car, with a superbly balanced chassis and engine that revs nice and high, have you thought of an RX-8? I only got rid of mine because I hurt my back and needed an auto. Of the cars I've owned, the best 3 For driving enjoyment were all rear-wheel drive.

Edited 8 November, 201015 yr by pixor

You will find spending a few hours trawling through this forum will answer most of your questions as well as guide you to the few really good tuners there are, remember a cheap map is sometimes cheap for a reason !

The difficulty will be to find the advice from people you can trust, there are a LOT of opinions on who and what to use, some are good some are not what you might think! Choose wisely and you'll not be dissapointed or disillusioned and generally speaking "you get what you pay for".

I run a octy vrs with aprox 270bhp, consisting of revo stage 2+, full miltek system inc sports cat, a forge twin cooler, a forge induction kit, a high press fuel pump etc. and it is f*****g awsome, still returns 30+ mpg on a run and shows some of these sports hatches a thing or two!, next will be turbo upgrade to k04 with suitable mapping plus possible internal work. (want to get 380 to 400 bhp next year)

I run a octy vrs with aprox 270bhp, consisting of revo stage 2+, full miltek system inc sports cat, a forge twin cooler, a forge induction kit, a high press fuel pump etc. and it is f*****g awsome, still returns 30+ mpg on a run and shows some of these sports hatches a thing or two!, next will be turbo upgrade to k04 with suitable mapping plus possible internal work. (want to get 380 to 400 bhp next year)

both mine and carls at stage 2+ could keep with a std mk2 focus RS. Both of ours had the full raft of engine/chassis mods though, but either way it shows the potential.

in all seriousness though, the type R handles well (well mk1 anyway) and that is about it. My mate had a mapped mk1 ands spent a couple thousand on intake/exhaust/remap etc for an additional 15Hp. For £500 mine was pushing 240hp/270ibft and absolutely rinsed him. as soon as my exhaust/intake and fuel pump were on, he went backwards at a massive rate. He eventually sold it and now has an EVO. he said he could never go for N/A engine again

check this out

mods are only stage 2+ map £600, uprated fuel pump £300, Miltek exhaust(£500) and neuspeed intake £200.

Here's a graph from our car on the rollers at GTI International, on an exceedingly hot day and minimal fans!

Mods are: Neuspeed CAI, full Milltek including sports cat, and Autotech HPFP.

it might only make 271hp peak, but its making that for over 2000rpm. its the delivery that counts and the TFSI engine is fantastic for that.

heres another to reinforce this

Edited 8 November, 201015 yr by janner_Sy

Thanks everyone for the information, exactly the sort of replies I was looking for, nice educated Skoda folk.

As a short history into how the Octavia came about..

I've had over 40 cars in 14 years of driving.. early days were GTE/GSi Vauxhalls, then many E36 BMWs, a smattering of Hondas, more Vauxhalls, more BMWs then on to the proper stuff.

Most notably In the last 5 years.. Prelude 2.2 VTEC (JDM), E36 M3, E46 330i, DC2 Integra Type-R, Accord Type-R, EP3 Civic Type-R.

All of these cars have their pros and cons, the Civic Type-R was replaced with the Octavia.. partly for practical reasons (baby time), but also because I didn't like the handling/steering and lack of an LSD. To me this is not a proper Type-R, though the JDM version addresses much of those issues. At the time I worked for a Skoda dealership and knew of a VRS for sale, so the deal was done. The car is brilliant, in the 18 months I have owned it, it never ceases to impress me with it's quality and qualities, the car can do it all and then some.

However, the DC2 Integra Type R is a legend and I've not driven anything like it within my budget, it deserves the accolade of greatest fwd car ever. The engine is a peach, so satisfying to take to the limit, the gearbox is laser precise, the chassis a perfect mix between taught and supple and I've yet to find a car to match it for pure driving pleasure. I was/am intending to replace the Skoda with a DC5 Integra. same engine and box as the EP3 Civic Type-R, but far better looking, LSD equipped and reasonably practical in its own right. Since we also now have a Toyota VERSO, the multi-tasking Skoda is no longer a necessity.. it's just whether I can bare to part with it.

I've never thrown £££ at a car, I just sell and move on, at £500 a good re-map makes sense, plenty of bang for your buck, but that alone does not give the dialled in, pure driving experience of a Type-R, though I freely admit.. and expect should I sell the VRS I would miss it's torque, comfort, ability and quality every day.

Tough one.

Hmmmm, the only thing that would really give you a full impression of what a VRS can become would be to drive a properly modded one, unfortunately that would mean somebody allowing you to try theirs and that may be a bridge to far for peoples pride n joy.

270lb/ft is 270lb/ft, my M3 had about 235, which is decent shove. The FSi engine impresses me, quite tuneful also when pushed, just always preferred NA to a blower. Grip is really good on the Skoda too, much prefer the handling and steering to the Civic as well, but the DC2 is always in the back of my mind.

You need to keep the octy mate, no question, run a stage 2 remap with intake and sport cat and you will be amazed, I only have a stage 1 map from Angel Tuning, probably running 235 bhp and 250lb/ft (personally I think higher stated figures are a bit excessive for stage 1 without dyno proof) but even that relatively small increase was incredible. As to having to much power, as I understand it Harry_vRS is running something like 350 bhp through the front wheels with no problem.......(that is with a KO4 turbo though).

Rolling road proof that it is 333 toque post 31

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/177845-revo-rocks-the-rollers-again/page__st__20

Unless you disconnect the battery and it reverts to standard? If that's the case.. it's a worry.

Rolling road proof that it is 333 toque post 31

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/177845-revo-rocks-the-rollers-again/page__st__20

awesomes rollers are giving out some right micky mouse readings IMO since they changed to REVO. for instance stage 2+ k04 cars that normally make under 330hp/330ibft ondyno dynamics rollers on a very good day are going on awesomes rollers and making above 360hp/380ibft.

330ibft off a stage 1 k03 without the fuel pump is not possible without fuel cut. id take those figures with a pinch of salt personally.

the best mod for me on the vRS was the eibach ARBs. huge increase in traction and grip in bends.

@ the OP. @

stage1=around 240hp/270ibft (no other mods)

stage 2= around 250-260hp(exhaust/intake)

stage 2+=around 265-280hp/300ibft/330ibft (above mods+ intercooler and HPFP)

although the stage 2+ figures dont look that much difference when comparing peak figures, there is a huge increase in the midrange, which is very very noticable. Perosnally i would miss out stage 2 and go straight to stage 2+ next time

Has anybody fitted a V6 to an Octy?

Hmmmm, the only thing that would really give you a full impression of what a VRS can become would be to drive a properly modded one, unfortunately that would mean somebody allowing you to try theirs and that may be a bridge to far for peoples pride n joy.

Well Revo do offer a free trial! clicky

Has anybody fitted a V6 to an Octy?

why would you. to start with a stage 1 vRS is faster than the 3.2 V6 R32., the V6 isnt tunable, is thirsty, heavy and generally not as good. its why the golf R has moved away from it and gone to the TFSI

awesomes rollers are giving out some right micky mouse readings IMO since they changed to REVO. for instance stage 2+ k04 cars that normally make under 330hp/330ibft ondyno dynamics rollers on a very good day are going on awesomes rollers and making above 360hp/380ibft.

330ibft off a stage 1 k03 without the fuel pump is not possible without fuel cut. id take those figures with a pinch of salt personally.

the best mod for me on the vRS was the eibach ARBs. huge increase in traction and grip in bends.

@ the OP. @

stage1=around 240hp/270ibft (no other mods)

stage 2= around 250-260hp(exhaust/intake)

stage 2+=around 265-280hp/300ibft/330ibft (above mods+ intercooler and HPFP)

although the stage 2+ figures dont look that much difference when comparing peak figures, there is a huge increase in the midrange, which is very very noticable. Perosnally i would miss out stage 2 and go straight to stage 2+ next time

The VRs as standard makes 280 torque, look at any brochure,