"My name is Paul, and I am from County Durham, and I am a speedaholic..."

Seriously though, I have to hold my hands up and admit that I am addicted to driving quickly... generally I nearly always break the speed limit, I try my hardest to keep to 30 zones and generally know when it is and isnt appropriate to drive fast... or at least so I think... but generally speaking I have always pushed my cars hard when I get them.

This has become worse since I have had the Furby. I put this down to two things... first simply because it is a faster car than what I had before. Secondly though, and most importantly this is where my gripe sort of comes in. The Furby simply doesnt *seem* that fast, even when your pushing it... sure, I can feel the acceleration, but many of the cues to tell me that I am gaining speed quickly are simply missing. In my Micra 1.4 Sport, which was not a quick car by any stretch of the imagination, you were left in no doubt that you were travelling quickly once you got there... the noise, the ride, the sliding etc etc.

The Furby is a quick car, dont get me wrong, that much is obvious when you see other cars failing to keep up. A quick glance at the speedo reveals you are often doing licence losing speeds... and yet it does this in such an effortless way that you dont always notice it; its quiet, unfussed, has a soft ride, fairly good soundproofing, an engine which does not really rev, but yet has lots of pull. Basically you have to look at the speedo to see how fast you are going, because even without thrashing it, it can gain speed quickly.

The Fabia has been a mixed blessing for me, I love the look of the car, the economy, the torque, the fact its built well and the fact most people who know anything about cars will admire modern Skoda's for being the bargain that they are, and certainly the performance Skoda's have built up quite a following these days...... However, I am by my own admission a bit of a thrillseeker, and this is where the car leaves me feeling slightly lacking, and thus makes me feel like I've got to drive it fast all the time to have any fun, and when a car can gain speed like this thing can without making much effort, then it doesnt take a genius to realise that anyone who really values their licence and has as little self restraint as I do should NOT buy this car... its too easy to speed in - heck even passengers dont even notice the speed piling on - quite often I've told my passengers how fast I am going after they sit there looking relaxed, and they reply "oh... I didnt think you were going that quick, it doesnt feel it".

So the refinement sort of works against it in a way. So whats the answer? Is there any way to make it seem quicker? I've obviously thought about significantly stiffening the ride, which I think would help. Not sure on the remap front, because although the car undoubtedly would be and would feel quicker, I still think its fundamental problem would remain.... Hellfire suggested as much in his review of his remapped car.... and for me, something feeling quick is more important than the actual performance of the car. What about a Sport Exhaust? Would that help?

Anyway, I guess it could be said its not so much a dig at the Furby in particular but modern cars in general.

I'd like some suggestions to how I might go about making it feel quicker (without it neccesarily being quicker - although I guess if it involves that, then fine).

Leave a window open.

Quite simply, do all the things that a faster (seeming) car would have.

1 Stiffen the suspension, that'll bring you lower and create a hard ride, then you'll definately know when your going fast.

2 Noise, add a miltek sytem too increase the noise.

3 Remap it, then it will actually be faster.

4 Add some body shell strengtheners, i.e. strutt brace, Anti roll bars, etc...

Failing all that, (Expensive)...

Just close your eyes that sometimes works!!

I agree with simon T, leaving the window open in a furby at anything over 50mph is like World War 3! And you can hear the turbo. Take a wooly hat with you and put the heater on.

I love the sound of the militec exhaust, but 600 pounds :eek: I guess its ok if you have the money, but i aint! If i spent that on my car I would have no money or girlfriend come to think of it :thumbdwn:

Furry dice

i agree with pbirket, its fast without feelin fast!! i have tried to carm my drivin down at the mo because in a furby you try and push is hard to get a thrill. i had a vtr before which was sat on its bum and was noisey as hell, even though not as fast as the furby the experiance was more satisfiein. driving a furby is like watchin a documentary. you enjoy it but when it finishes you look for somethine else to watch. drivin my vtr was like watchin porn and then goin to bed knackered!!! lol

erm stick a petrol motor in there its only way really you only dont think your going that fast because your dont rev the diesel lump but get a rev happy 8k rpm redlige petrol engine and you will know your going fast because of the noise becuase you have to rev it to move

erm stick a petrol motor in there its only way really

Not at all...try driving an 800cc Smart CDi at 80mph, and tell me if it feels fast or not! :eek:

Rob.

I hear where you are coming from, many a time have I been cruising on the motorway at "your going to get banned" speed without knowing it, your right the fabia just cruises too well.

Out of all the cars I've owned I have found the fabia the most easy to get anywhere quickly with out even so much as breaking a sweat!! Believe me when it's re-mapped it will get there even quicker, as chris's (hellfire) review states.

The window does improve things by giving you the noise, atleast it will sound likeyour going faster but it's hardly the weather for it (roll on summer/warmer weather).

It was like last night I pulled away from the lights BMW 318 next to me, alots of effort and noise but didn't get past me, me on the other hand I was just cruising, with no effort what so ever. 60 came up all to quicky and I almost felt as if I could have fallen asleep.

Not at all...try driving an 800cc Smart CDi at 80mph' date=' and tell me if it feels fast or not! :eek:

Rob.[/quote']

but you know what i mean lol

your micra slow but seemed fast why ? because you had to rag the *******s off it to get it to go anywhere at any sort of speed.

my 172 unless it was over 4k rpm it didnt go anywhere fast.

my xr2 had to rev it to get it to move

ctr unless its reving to like 9k you get overtaken by postmanpat

So I see I'm not the only one then

Sticking a petrol engine in would be one way, but ultimately thats not really an option for so many reasons

Opening a window, well I've tried that and yes I guess it does make it seem a bit faster, but its also a bit cold Roll on summer though as you say...

So I guess the way forward is to seriously stiffen the chassis and suspension, perhaps get a sport exhaust and a remap. Or get a new car :rubchin: Although I dont really think that is an option really either.

but you know what i mean lol

Yes, but it's not because it's a diesel - the 1.6 Octy will sit at 100 easily enough without feeling fast. Nothing to do with what fuel it takes, it's purely because it's a big lardy car with a lot of heavy sound insulation...

Rob.

it is because of the fuel it takes in lol

diesel max revs 4.5k really petrol anywhere upto about 9k

if you dont have to drive it as hard to get it to go at the same speed it wont seem as fast.

but yes its also down to the amount of sound proofing that gets to the fabias real fault its lardy very very lardy

if you dont have to drive it as hard to get it to go at the same speed it wont seem as fast.

But a petrol 1.6 Octy feels a lot more refined than a 800cc diesel Smart...and I'd wager a 1.8T Octy vRS will feel a lot more refined than a 1.9TDi Fabia vRS(although it's not really a fair wager as I've driven both before forming this hypothesis... ).

So it isn't about the fuel at all...

Rob.

ooooh you pesky kids

Uh oh...i have horrible mental pictures of people on here ripping out there lovely interiors and sound proofing...dont do it!

Uh oh...i have horrible mental pictures of people on here ripping out there lovely interiors and sound proofing...dont do it!

Has been done...and yes, it is possible to get 60+mpg out of an Octy vRS...

Rob.

Yes' date=' but it's not because it's a diesel - the 1.6 Octy will sit at 100 easily enough without feeling fast. Nothing to do with what fuel it takes, it's purely because it's a big lardy car with a lot of heavy sound insulation...

Rob.[/quote']

Its definitely a sound thing if you ask me, with most petrol warm/ hot-hatches the acceleration/ fast cruising is accompanied by a good bit of noise from the exhaust, whereas the vRs just seems to whoosh forward with very little aural gratification, I also find myself having to inform passengers of the speed we are currently doing, everything inside the car is just so calm and serene, you don't even really have to turn up the stereo when you accelerate because there's no sound to drown out!

i dunno i haveto have radio 2 on about 21/23 on the stereogram

Its definitely a sound thing if you ask me, with most petrol warm/ hot-hatches the acceleration/ fast cruising is accompanied by a good bit of noise from the exhaust, whereas the vRs just seems to whoosh forward with very little aural gratification

I'd say there's a bit more to it than sound alone though - a Porsche 911 has a lovely loud engine note, but that noise might as well be coming from a speaker just behind you. A Tuscan on the other hand also has a "spoogeworthy" engine note, but you can actually *feel* the car making the noise...

But I guess my examples are getting a bit more extreme now.

Rob.

To me, I am seriously considering adding more sound proofing - mainly as compared to my existing car it is basically silent (at speed, at least). When you don't rev the nutz of my 1.1 petrol it is quiet, but at 70ish mph it sure is audible.

I know what you mean about a car 'feeling fast' but it's not like you got one of those ultra-lights with superb roadhandling. This is a family hatch, with a sporty angle on it. Remapping it will make it go even faster, but although you'll go faster I still doubt you'll hear it. You'll notice it when you scream past anything else on the road though

Afterthought on edit - quiet car means you can cruise at higher speeds then in a noisy car without SWMBO questioning your speed

The remapped furby vRS definately feels quicker, but tbh you'll soon get used to it aswell, and then it just feels brisk and not mental. I wouldnt of thought it possible but I actually drive slowly for a day or two now, then less loose for a day, just so that I realise how quick it is. Another eye opener for me anyway is to drive a really slow car or an older car or even better my dad's old Land Rover TD 115 with no power steering, and a diesel engine (note no turbo), 15 mins later, get in the furby and WOW i'm flying.

I think the problem is that whichever car you own eventually you get used to it's speed and you drive within it's capabilities, whether it's an impreza or a micra you'll soon get used to the speed, for me the Fabia road noise is awful when comparing to my Zetec S TDCi with 18" alloys (225/40 low profiles) & lowered and I couldnt even hear a peep from the road. Also another good way to make it feel quicker is to shed some weight (not literally ), remove the spare wheel and if you really dont need them the back seats. Trust me, you'll be amazed at how much quicker the car feels, or atleast I was.

Oh just to prove how quick it is now, I had a blast up the slip road onto a new un-named private track last night near Leeds and there was a WRX SportsWagen with a ridiculous exhaust on the back of it (Bugeye or "new shape"), and it couldnt pull on me, not even at 110 when I backed off, admittadly I didnt pull on him either but it just shows that a remapped furby isn't slow.

but you know what i mean lol

your micra slow but seemed fast why ? because you had to rag the *******s off it to get it to go anywhere at any sort of speed.

my 172 unless it was over 4k rpm it didnt go anywhere fast.

my xr2 had to rev it to get it to move

ctr unless its reving to like 9k you get overtaken by postmanpat

I overtake every one especially when I get my new 1.2

lol how good we actually have a user called postmanpat hehe

- dunno if he was getting his remapped though

Somehow I reckon you will ALL beat my 1.1 Rover 100 though