For what i am about to say im ignoring diesels for now... and taking about straight line performance of a distance of say approx 1/2mile, with standard 180 octy, and im also taking about the top of the range performance options from other car compainies like the VRS is to skoda...

we all love there perfromace our octy gives us...but i cant help but feel we are stuck between a rock and a hard place when i comes to performance...i mean what catagory do we fit into?

too big and heavy to compete with small hot hatches, CTR, Clio 182, 206 180, golf GTI, all running similar power but in tin a can...

but too weak to cause cars our own size and weight any worries about being beaten, Mitsi VR4, skyline, scoby sti, 200sx, GTO, Saph Cosworth all over 250bhp inc most big V6 cars...from the audi, vaxhaull, merc, BMW Range...our reletivly small engine cc losses it where the V6 is just comming into its own...

even after remap the odds still dont sit right for us....the way i see it is we never coudl out right beat any top end sports models...but every time we woudl give them a run for there money....

Joel

on the flip side alot is also about cost, pound for pound the octy is far better value than most of the list. Power also is not always the definitive factor in 'beating' a car, alot is about the driver & his/her driving style. IMO.

too big and heavy to compete with small hot hatches' date=' CTR, Clio 182, 206 180, golf GTI, all running similar power but in tin a can...

but too weak to cause cars our own size and weight any worries about being beaten, Mitsi VR4, skyline, scoby sti, 200sx, GTO, Saph Cosworth all over 250bhp inc most big V6 cars...from the audi, vaxhaull, merc, BMW Range...our reletivly small engine cc losses it where the V6 is just comming into its own...

[/quote']

Part of the problem here is how you've grouped the Octy.

It's not a hot hatch...too big and refined for that....although I'm suprised you say it'll have difficulty with 206 180 and Golf GTI (MK V withstanding).

Also not it same class as EVO, Scoobies, V6 Vauxhalls, Ford.

Size wise Octy sit inbetween Golf and Mondeo. Will give most BMWs upto and including 330 a good run for their money...in remapped form.

If you consider price, performance, economy and toys as a package....not much else comes close.

Part of the problem here is how you've grouped the Octy.

It's not a hot hatch...too big and refined for that....although I'm suprised you say it'll have difficulty with 206 180 and Golf GTI (MK V withstanding).

Also not it same class as EVO' date=' Scoobies, V6 Vauxhalls, Ford.

Size wise Octy sit inbetween Golf and Mondeo. Will give most BMWs upto and including 330 a good run for their money...in remapped form.

If you consider price, performance, economy and toys as a package....not much else comes close.[/quote']

Thats is surpose what im getting at its in complete league of its own! nothing comes close

Joel

GTi 180 is by all accounts a right load of old pap... and although not round town the vRS will stay with and ultimately have a clio 182 on the motorway.

it is in its own class really only sharing that class with something like the MG ZS180 which although a V6 with the same standard power is still an inferior car.

on the other hand i did have a run with a Renault 21Turbo last night which was a bloody quick car. the owner didnt/couldnt stay with me round the 2 islands we took and backed off at "cough" mph but up to that point was glued to my back bumper.

You got to look at the bigger picture, i needed a big car , 5 doors, reliable, as new as i could afford and as fast as i could get away with (swmbo). This was the ONLY choice bar having another vectra (2.6 gsi). Even today i8 can't find anything better than what i've got. If i didn't have any kids/dogs etc then i wouldn't have picked the octy. (or the fabia). Its all relative

You got to look at the bigger picture, i

Exactly. I also needed 5 doors and a big boot, what else would I get new for the same money ? . You can only compare like with like for the same price. The fact that with a little tweaking the octy can be mentioned in the same sentence as scooby's and CTR's says volumes for its value in its raw state.

All other cars which give similar performance are either a) a lot smaller (206/clio, no comparison, youd be lucky to get your shopping in either) or More expensive. Only vehicles which come remotely close are the MG ZS 180 (bankrupt company) or the Leon FR (basically the same car anyway but with a smaller boot)

Exactly. I also needed 5 doors and a big boot' date=' what else would I get new for the same money ? . You can only compare like with like for the same price. The fact that with a little tweaking the octy can be mentioned in the same sentence as scooby's and CTR's says volumes for its value in its raw state.

All other cars which give similar performance are either a) a lot smaller (206/clio, no comparison, youd be lucky to get your shopping in either) or More expensive. Only vehicles which come remotely close are the MG ZS 180 (bankrupt company) or the Leon FR (basically the same car anyway but with a smaller boot)[/quote']

http://www.btrdarally.com/results/2005_4/1/stage/6.asp

look at number 11, 212 marcus luxton, hes driving a 1.4 16v. Then look at all the cars around him, you wont see another car in his class for another 9 places, and third in class is a further 19 down. Its all about driver on the twisty stuff, making a vrs in good hands, a very rapid car!

That stage was about 3 miles uphill, and the chap in tenth just 1 second faster, drives a 400bhp pug cossie, see link;