I think that is the best route. Remove the weights but put RARB in and lowered springs.

Somebody called???

That's exactly where I'm at, and it's a great improvement compared to stock. Now I think I wouldn't stand 30 minutes driving the car as it came from factory. A little harsher on the bumps though but I don't care so much about it, (yet!).

Somebody called???

That's exactly where I'm at, and it's a great improvement compared to stock. Now I think I wouldn't stand 30 minutes driving the car as it came from factory. A little harsher on the bumps though but I don't care so much about it, (yet!).

Wait till you my age and with bad back lol

I ve thought about it as the stock dampers are awfully crashy and by upgrading the suspenion as described, it only gets worse. But I guess they are just two opposite factors. You can't increase them both even with those B12 dampers iirc, can you?

I am getting the car tomorrow!!! Just got it confirmed

I wish !

I'm actually a bit apprehensive about running-in thing - I am not entirely sure if I will be able to do it the way I want to and still normally use the car safely on public roads... :( . In a perfect world I would like to have a piece of track rented for Sunday to do it properly but it ain't happening really...

P.S. After reading your thread on VAGOC, especially APR chap's comments, I am dying to see the resolution of misfires!

I think that is the best route. Remove the weights but put RARB in and lowered springs.

What you need is a group buy for springs and ARb.....lol

I ve thought about it as the stock dampers are awfully crashy and by upgrading the suspenion as described, it only gets worse. But I guess they are just two opposite factors. You can't increase them both even with those B12 dampers iirc, can you?

You mean B8 dampers. the B8 dmapers combined with lowering springs become the B12 suspension kit.

Im still half tempted to go with uprated dampers rather than coilovers.

What you need is a group buy for springs and ARb.....lol

Ha! And money for APR remap and money to finish my supercooler project....

Now all on hold as I am doing en-suite wet room at home - hate mosaic tiling!

Edited 2 November, 201213 yr by Jabozuma

You mean B8 dampers. the B8 dmapers combined with lowering springs become the B12 suspension kit.

Im still half tempted to go with uprated dampers rather than coilovers.

But would the driving over bumps become smoother and not as crashy while maintaining the stiffer handling? That was my question.

in my experience the b12 kits arent as crashy as stock suspension with lowering springs.

If you think about it, the stock dampers are designed to damp the suspension with the stock amount of suspension travel. Once you reduce that travel, it cant damp as effectively. the B8 dampers are designed for damping on a lowered car, so arent crashy with it.

Ive driven both the Koni FSD and bilstein B8 damper setups on the mk2 Octavia and both setups were notably better than the stock setup.

in my experience the b12 kits arent as crashy as stock suspension with lowering springs.

If you think about it, the stock dampers are designed to damp the suspension with the stock amount of suspension travel. Once you reduce that travel, it cant damp as effectively. the B8 dampers are designed for damping on a lowered car, so arent crashy with it.

Ive driven both the Koni FSD and bilstein B8 damper setups on the mk2 Octavia and both setups were notably better than the stock setup.

Hmm... interesting... I think I'd appreciate this more than a remap for the moment...

I think you'll benefitmore from it thaan you will a remap. All a remap does is highlight how poor the chassis is, in particular the brakes.

£500 for a good remap or a 312mm brake upgrade and rear ARB+springs. The latter is the sensible way of doing it.

I think you'll benefitmore from it thaan you will a remap. All a remap does is highlight how poor the chassis is, in particular the brakes.

£500 for a good remap or a 312mm brake upgrade and rear ARB+springs. The latter is the sensible way of doing it.

I agree. Imho, there is quite an imbalance between the power and the handling of the car as a stock. The engine and power are superb (for a 15K new car) but the suspension isn't quite up to it. So, if you want to start with something, it's definitely suspension work for me. Otherwise, like you said, you only stress out the chassis weaknesses. But let's go back to weights...!

I agree. Imho, there is quite an imbalance between the power and the handling of the car as a stock. The engine and power are superb (for a 15K new car) but the suspension isn't quite up to it. So, if you want to start with something, it's definitely suspension work for me. Otherwise, like you said, you only stress out the chassis weaknesses. But let's go back to weights...!

There's one problem with that line of thinking in my book. I can compensate for inferior handling but no matter how fast I flap my arms the car will not go any faster - remap the most cost effective way of achieving that

The standard car often feels like its struggling to get the power down. Can only imagine a remap will put you in wheelspin-city without any handling mods

I will know later in today, picking up my black Fabia vRS after 2 pm today:)

The standard car often feels like its struggling to get the power down. Can only imagine a remap will put you in wheelspin-city without any handling mods

I find that if I use too much right foot at very low speeds, especially if the road is the slightest bit wet then I will get wheel spin and the TC will kick in. Think this is down quite a bit to the stock tyres as when I have the winters on it is much less susceptible to this. From higher speeds I don't normally find an issue unless accelerating hard out of a bend and that is with the APR stage 1 remap (I do have a RARB fitted).

Poor F1drivers then, almost 1500bhp per tonne and no TC lol

There's one problem with that line of thinking in my book. I can compensate for inferior handling but no matter how fast I flap my arms the car will not go any faster - remap the most cost effective way of achieving that

You didn't get my point I think. Speed is welcome as long as its adequately controllable, by handling or braking means. So If you we take as granted (most of us do anyway I think) that even stock power is already too much for the chasis/brakes, then you'd imagine a remap alone would make it worse. So, as I have already done, I would start from getting the handling to an equal level to the power's and then maybe take looks in increasing bhp. My concern was not to go as ultimately fast as possible but to also be able to enjoy that increased power in situations other than a traffic light drag.

Well, now I can talk from owner's point of view finally. Just picked up the car today! After we came back from the dealers I announced I was going for a drive. Two hours later, with a ridiculous grin still plastered across my face, I received a call from my worried SWMBO asking what the hell he opened to me lol.

I am still running it in (done 70 miles today) and was short shifting at between 3.5k rpm and 4.5k rpm. I will make a topic describing it all in detail. Bottom line is handling is away better than I expected after I read vRSy's. In power department, on totally green tires, and having handling as a base car is massively underpowered!! I just couldn't get it out of shape really !! I tried banzaing it through a sequence of four corners thinking I will either start under steering or loosing back end during instant flip of the steering wheel to quickly change direction at high speed but it held on! It was dry.

Funny thing was a Nissan 240z drifter saw my car and was trying very hard to make me race him lol. Slowing down, accelerating, driving next to me, drifting into roundabouts-I was shaking from the temptation but had both kids in the back and a car with 7miles in the clock lol.

One think this car needs is better brakes but this might be due to them needing more bedding in. Breaking from BSL before a roundabout along dual carriageway felt like I was riding on four sponges lol. When I stopped to brim it with TESCO's RON99 brakes were stinking like hell .

So the first thing in the mods department is a remap. Stock setup can easily handle between 225-250 bhp depending on the torque map.

What a car!

One think this car needs is better brakes but this might be due to them needing more bedding in.

I noticed the wear on the disks was uneven on mine for the first few hundred kilometres; they had a sort of archery target "ringed" look about them.

I know what you mean. I am not exactly sure why this happens but seen it on many other cars and with old, well bedded in brakes. I have no clue what is causing it really...

Well, now I can talk from owner's point of view finally.

Hallelujah! Finally has a motor Lol

I am still running it in (done 70 miles today) and was short shifting at between 3.5k rpm and 4.5k rpm. I will make a topic describing it all in detail. Bottom line is handling is away better than I expected after I read vRSy's. In power department, on totally green tires, and having handling as a base car is massively underpowered!! I just couldn't get it out of shape really !! I tried banzaing it through a sequence of four corners thinking I will either start under steering or loosing back end during instant flip of the steering wheel to quickly change direction at high speed but it held on! It was dry.

Funny thing was a Nissan 240z drifter saw my car and was trying very hard to make me race him lol. Slowing down, accelerating, driving next to me, drifting into roundabouts-I was shaking from the temptation but had both kids in the back and a car with 7miles in the clock lol.

One think this car needs is better brakes but this might be due to them needing more bedding in. Breaking from BSL before a roundabout along dual carriageway felt like I was riding on four sponges lol. When I stopped to brim it with TESCO's RON99 brakes were stinking like hell .

So the first thing in the mods department is a remap. Stock setup can easily handle between 225-250 bhp depending on the torque map.

What a car!

Its all relative. I downgraded to this car from a previous set of cars all of which were more powerful and had much better chassis so of course, it felt completel underwhelming to me.

Then theres all the reviews, they all say the same, too soft!!!......if your previous car isnt as good as the vRS, then of course the vRS will feel like a revelation. I remember my first drive in a vRS, and i posted the review on here, and i slated it, most forum members, including the salesman couldnt believe i was saying it, yet still going to buy it.

1st thing Shark Performance said to me when they mapped the car, was this engine is great, but Jesus the fabia doesnt do handling.

1st thing that APR said to me during the initial stage 3 development was, you need chassis mods, because this car is just too soft and the brakes dont work.

I completely agree, the engine needs more power, its gutless, I had mine mapped to stage 2 at only 800 miles.

As for the stock car can handle 225-250hp on stock setup. Have you done it, have you tried it?

Yeah you could put 225hp into a stock car and 90% of its life it will be fine, but try and drive with decent power out of a corner and you will understand this chassis is just not up to the job.

You ask anyone on here or the other forums how much more usable the power is once minor chassis mods have been used and you will get the same answer everytime.

At the end of the day Power is useless without control, and its pointless having power if you can't use it all when ever you want it. An example being 250Hp in my car on stock suspension and stock tyres would spin the wheels in 1st/2nd/3rd and 4th with no issues and that was in the dry in the wet it was even . I dont have that issue now at all.

I had mine on stage 2 with 210hp from 800 miles through to 7000 miles with stock tyres, and yeah it handled it, albeit barely, but it still wanted to spin the inside tyre savagely every time i exited a corner on track or it was wet. Obviously the brakes are pump with stock power, so chuck another 40hp+ at it and you compound the issue. It only needs minor mods to work tbh, springs and an ARB will make all the difference you need along with sticky tyres.

As you say you can have a custom map made which limits the midrange torque which will of course make the car much more usable, but then IMO, its going to lack the midrange grunt that is really needed in the real world and what the car lacks in the first place.

It is relative and it is about managing expectations. Following your review, my test drive, torque/tonne stat compared to my Lupo I was bracing myself for a bit of a disappointment frankly.

Having driven it in my regime running-in mode I was really positively surprised.

You are right, benchmark against other motors, like Porche Cayman or Aston Vanquish it is a change lol.

I said 225-250 as my gut feeling, based on my experience of the new car etc. It is also down to the driver as you know. I feel confident I could do it with stock setup but may be proven completely wrong.

In any case first mid will be a remap and I will see .

You are right, benchmark against other motors, like Porche Cayman or Aston Vanquish it is a change lol.

:wonder: You seem intent on twisting everything I say. I'll put it simpler and more direct. n my experience the simple truth is the handling is worse than say

Mini Cooper S

Clio RS200

Polo GTI

Ibiza Cupra

Corsa VXR

and thats just staying in the same vehicle category. And yes, i have driven everyone of them.

I think the fabia is sloppy as standard, you think its awesome. At the end of the day, its all opinion, we've all got one.

Back on topic now then....

:wonder: You seem intent on twisting everything I say.

Really? Oh dear... my deepest apologies!

I'll put it simpler and more direct. n my experience the simple truth is the handling is worse than say

Mini Cooper S

Clio RS200

Polo GTI

Ibiza Cupra

Corsa VXR

and thats just staying in the same vehicle category. And yes, i have driven everyone of them.

I think the fabia is sloppy as standard, you think its awesome.

You seem intent on twisting everything I say .

I said it was better than I was expecting it to be, waaay better. Never said it was awesome!

At the end of the day, its all opinion, we've all got one.

Back on topic now then....

Exactly, not negating yours and would appreciate you respected mine. We can discuss it of course .

I can say with iron clad conviction that ALL cars handle damn awfully compared to a racing go kart