Hi everybody

I have just taken delivery of my new FABIA VRS.

I have to say on first impressions I am disappointed with the performance, but perhaps I am expecting too much. I am what most other members would describe as elderly (68), but I have owned performance cars since I was 18 - including a series one E type, a 1275 Cooper S (1964 vintage) & every Triumph Tr since the TR2. I still like the thrill that rapid acceleration brings, & conditions allowing "like to let er rip". So what can I do to improve the acceleration - would an ECU remap help, & if so which one, Evolution, Bluefin, Revo etc? Or a TMC tuning box? Any information from members who have actual experience would be appreciated.

Also I think the headlight are terrible (or maybe it's my eyes!), but down the country lanes at night, things could be brighter. I've already tried replacement bulbs, Philips Xtreme, but can't honestly see the difference. Again any feedback would be helpful..

Thanks in anticipation.

Hi everybody

I have just taken delivery of my new FABIA VRS.

I have to say on first impressions I am disappointed with the performance, but perhaps I am expecting too much. I am what most other members would describe as elderly (68), but I have owned performance cars since I was 18 - including a series one E type, a 1275 Cooper S (1964 vintage) & every Triumph Tr since the TR2. I still like the thrill that rapid acceleration brings, & conditions allowing "like to let er rip". So what can I do to improve the acceleration - would an ECU remap help, & if so which one, Evolution, Bluefin, Revo etc? Or a TMC tuning box? Any information from members who have actual experience would be appreciated.

Also I think the headlight are terrible (or maybe it's my eyes!), but down the country lanes at night, things could be brighter. I've already tried replacement bulbs, Philips Xtreme, but can't honestly see the difference. Again any feedback would be helpful..

Thanks in anticipation.

Hello Derek,

Welcome aboard the site.

Your past performance cars are above the league of your new VRS, and bear in mind your VRS is only a 1.4Litre even with the advancement of a turbo etc.

I can only guess you did not have a full test drive to check-out the performance etc, before buying, and now feeling a-little flat to some degree.

 

I have the early MK1 Fabia VRS with the diesel engine which is rather a torque driven motor and, I am generally pleased.

I have not had the pleasure to drive a real performance car so had nothing to really compare my VRS too, not counting Ford Orion/Cortina's etc.

 

Other members may well disagree with me, quite rightly so, as I have not driven the MK2 Fabia VRS.

 

Hopefully you will start (once the engine has been ran-in) to test the car and find-out what's it's full potential and performance really is.

Good luck.

Hi, welcome aboard.

Same color as mine,and only twelve miles away,damn.I thought mine was the only race blue round Preston/Blackpool,I have come from Type r's,Mazda 3mps and most recently a evo x fq360 and I think the vrs is quick,as baldy guy says it is only a 1.4.not dissapointed in performance at all,and I have come from very fast cars,sorry you are not enjoying it.

Maybe I'm expecting too much. Maybe it will grow on me. I suppose I'm trying to recapture my youth - one last fling before the Grim Reaper comes calling. When I think back, my series one E type was no faster - I could never get 150mph out of it, & the 0-60 times are about the same. It just SEEMED a lot faster. Same with 1275 Cooper S, that struggled to do the ton, & 0-60 took around 9 or 10 secs, but again it seemed & sounded so much faster, & you could certainly throw it around a lot more. To be honest the Vrs scares me to death - steering seems vague & it seems to roll a lot on corners.

Maybe I've been spoilt, having lived in Spain for 8 years where my previous car was a Seat Leon Cupra. Now that you could throw it about with confidence, & of course with no silly speed cameras or traffic police breathing down your neck, you could really give it some welly.

My daughter has a Ford Focus ST & she can leave me standing, & on bendy roads I don't stand a chance. That's why I'm after a "tweak" or two, so I can at least keep up if not overtake her!!

I really would like to hear from anybody that's "tweaked" theirs. And the headlights have definitely got to be improved.

Any suggestions anybody? And Hank if ever you are round my way (Bell & Bottle), Preston - Blackpool Road, we'll have to meet up & compare.

Hi and welcome aboard.

Hi & welcome

The ride is rather agricultural perhaps -40mm may affect the bum dyno ?

Or remap 

 

Or both 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Bulb and suspension upgrade advice is all over the Fabia 2 section.

 

So,

Just sort out the handling then,

and none of the above mentioned cars will come near the 0-120 mph times. the Focus ST certainly does not.

You can get 140 mph + if you want out of it,

standard on 99 ron petrol, and with a few miles on the clock,

or even straight out the showroom after 1000 miles or so once the tyres and brakes are less new..

(if abroad with it maybe run it on 102 ron.)

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/209657-14tsi-14-mile-leaderboard

*Maybe some tuning ideas here if you do want to change things.*

http://www.goapr.co.uk/products/ecu_upgrade_14tsi.html

Best talk to them if you want Tuning done on the 178bhp/180ps minimum power Twincharger.

 

If you car is slow to accelerate after you get to about 5 mph, or with no tyre spin and 'Traction Control off',

maybe best go drive another one and see if yours needs looked at.

Is it new and needs run in for a couple of thousand miles,

or is it a CAVE engine needing the Skoda ECU upgrade, is it running right,

or is it a CTHE engine from late 2012/2013. this should be quick and no worries about thrashing it ??

(you need to check Tuning & re-mapping the CTHE ECU, and also voiding your warranty.)

 

But then when it is running right, & handling like you would like and is safe.

not that i can see it being unsafe 50% over the UK National Speed limits, even 100% over them.

you need to drive it like no other car you had before.

 

Supercharger to 2400 rpm, then supercharger and turbo till 3500 rpm then just turbo.

'S', mode might be good for deceleration, rather than the acceleration,

You have only 6 gears when in 'S', but 7 in 'D'.

Just find when to drop 2 gears, by kickdown, double kickdown, or manual shifts and the car will shift.

 

If you can not get around corners, none of that is much good though.

Tyres, tyres type and pressures are rather important, before you get around to changing suspension then just as much after.

There are 25 kg of weight bolted by Skoda on the back crash bar if you want to remove that.

 

Have fun.

 

george