Something new:http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/peugeot/89756/fiery-270bhp-peugeot-308-gti-to-make-goodwood-debut

Now that is interesting. It looks, well, bland and totally un-supercar like. 270 horses from a 1.6 is impressive too. It looks hilarious fun, so long as it handles. Even more Q car than the Leon, but for me the issue is build quality. The French are still some way off the standard achieved by VAG.

The French are at least from France and might build their cars their or in other countries.

 

The Volkswagen Group or Volkswagen Audi build any where and everywhere

& what ever standards were or are achieved is rather questionable.

 

Reliability, Quality and taking responsibility for Fundamental Design , Manufacturing, Component Choice and Quality Control 

being a failure common in the Volkswagen Audi Corporation or Management Structure.

'Vorsprung Durch Technik.'

 

Looking forward to BBC Watchdog on Thursday 4th June 2015 (edit) and a feature on Audi Engines and Oil Consumption.

Maybe the VWG Spokespeople can explain why after all these decades building Engines they still turn out so many Lemons.

Its nothing new, it is just they can no longer blame others, if they want to be the biggest Vehicle Manufacturer,

maybe treat the paying customers better.

Edited 3 June, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

Maybe George, but by far the least reliable cars I've owned were French designed and built.

Nice they are upping their game while VWG tries upping sales and profits and this can lead to questionable reliability,

and technology advances where the buying public are the real world road testers and if the technology has issues their is just

3 Monkeys from the Corporate HQ in Germany.

 

Anyway to stay on topic of the thread, the VWG are now offering some nice Hot Hatches, promising Mega Hatches,

discontinue any that were having problems in the past, never mention them, people will forget these lemons,

in the main they were all good and classics.

Looking forward to BBC Watchdog on Thursday 4th May 2015 and a feature on Audi Engines and Oil Consumption.

 

This should make for good TV, did you mean June, as in tomorrow night?

My only French car was a new Renault Clio 16V (the original one that came out when the 205GTi was King). It was the most reliable car I ever owned. Nothing at all ever went wrong with it, not even a bulb blew and I am a reasonably high mileage driver too. I owned it for about 21/2 years I reckon and would have covered at least 50 K miles in it, possibly more 

We always take Surveys and Reports with a pinch of salt, 

but sometimes there is Fire and Smoke.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/business-32332210

We always take Surveys and Reports with a pinch of salt, 

but sometimes there is Fire and Smoke.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/business-32332210

Although my Merc and BMW 123D were reliable, my Skoda and Audi weren't. The Skoda broke down completely when an engine sensor fell off (less than 2 years old) and the Audi suffered a diff failure that would have cost £7K to fix if it hadn't been under warranty. So it's a mixed bag of German car failures for me. Two Subarus and a Vitara were faultless mechanically (one Subaru did keep getting a faulty LED clock though ). lots of Italian cars were very entertaining in the fault department, as well as rusting, in my experience.

My only French car was a new Renault Clio 16V (the original one that came out when the 205GTi was King). It was the most reliable car I ever owned. Nothing at all ever went wrong with it, not even a bulb blew and I am a reasonably high mileage driver too. I owned it for about 21/2 years I reckon and would have covered at least 50 K miles in it, possibly more

50k in 2.5 years? Pfft

I had an espace as a Co. Car in 2001. In 6 months the drive shift separated 3 times, new gearbox. Front nearside spring. New battery.

Is this the way a face lifted A45 AMG might go to stay one step ahead?

 

http://links.em.autocar.co.uk/ctt?kn=16&ms=MTE1OTM4MjAS1&r=OTE1NzA5MDkxNDIS1&b=0&j=NTYwNjEyMTIyS0&mt=1&rt=0

For those that might find the articles of interest:http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-vauxhall-astra-get-hot-gsi-and-vxr-versions

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-goodwood-festival-speed/hot-new-peugeot-308-gti-confirmed-goodwood-plus-video

Edited 16 June, 201510 yr by vrskeith

With so many hot hatch threads running now and so many links being posted I missed this.

Unsurprising as I've started to lose interest.

No, not interested at all.

Why reduce the amount of time you can enjoy a car within the speed limit on full throttle if it's already very good?

But people get obsessed with power, not fun.

The Fiesta ST's best feature is it's fun handling balance. Better than most things out there.

Not it's straight line performance.

But people get obsessed with power. Not fun.

Fun doesn't give you big potato points to brag down the pub or on car forums to make you feel superior to drivers of "inferior" cars.

I'm over that.

I almost believed that for a moment.

Then i remenbered the citigo-go-go

 

Pays your money takes your choice. I'd like to see what Sutters could do in a mildly tweaked Cupra. Konbanwa Tochigi-san.

 

Pays your money takes your choice. I'd like to see what Sutters could do in a mildly tweaked Cupra. Konbanwa Tochigi-san.

 

Or a mildly tweaked Renault or Honda.

 

Indeed on taking your choice.  The Cupra is a quick car and quite understated.  That Honda certainly isn't the latter.  Which is why I like it more initially.

 

At the end of the day, the margin from the Cupra to the Civic is irrelevant to the average person enjoying the car on a B road.

What is more important is how it makes you feel.

So this is the next one in the line........:http://www.evo.co.uk/peugeot/308/16172/peugeot-308-gti-268bhp-french-cupra-killer

Quote of the month:

 

"If people are saying they would be faster with DSG, before complaining about the hardware, please try to up your driving skill"

 

Hisayuki Yagi - Type R Project Leader in justifying the use of a manual gearbox. He's absolutely right of course, DSG requires no skill at all.

I have an auto and a manual car which, now that I am in a firm part of middle age, means I get to occasional nearly stall at traffic lights (Clutch clutch clutch you pillock!). I find that apart form saving my sore knees, the auto gives the benefit of a really high top gear, without compromising the lower short gears. In full manual mode, I really don't think I am missing much compared to the manual, but it's only my opinion of course. In some ways driving a low powered manual car like my Vitara gives as much pleasure (in the gear changing front)  as a more powerful car. Trying to maintain speed cross country is a real challenge and gives my feet and brain a good workout If someone built a 7 speed manual (that I could afford ) that felt like the Rocket gearboxes of Ford fame, I'd be happy with a manual every day (I worked with a Ford Rally nut many years ago and his heavily modified RS Escort car had the best gearbox I have ever used. Rifle bolts would be envious of it's action)

Quote of the month:

"If people are saying they would be faster with DSG, before complaining about the hardware, please try to up your driving skill"

Hisayuki Yagi - Type R Project Leader in justifying the use of a manual gearbox. He's absolutely right of course, DSG requires no skill at all.

But even the specs for the same car with dsg and manual shows the DSG is a few tenths faster under acceleration?

Worth a read of 'Audi Driver' magazine and the Review on the S3 in May Edition.

 

They have tested in the past the Audi S3 Manual, Audi S3 Sportback Manual & DSG, And the S3 Saloon Manual & DSG,

now the S3 DSG.

The DSG is quicker,

but as they say, times and figures from Audi / VWG are being given with Launch Control being used with the DSG.

People often try Launch Control a few times then never bother with it.

The difference that is important is maybe how easy is to be consistent 0-62, 0-70, 0-80 etc might be with a DSG,

then with Traction Control off.  A Manual takes a bit of ability for many to get right. (some skill or practice.)

 

It is all about fractions.

Odd how poor often these fast cars are 30-50, 50-70, 30-70 etc.

Again the DSG can make the times more consistent, after all it is just a case of floor the accelerator pedal.

 

this one yet again.

Edited 22 June, 201510 yr by goneoffSKi

In my case, the auto is quicker, more economical and quieter on motorway (intergalactic 8th gear ) I can see the case for the manual and looked at getting one very carefully, but I thought the auto was worth the extra in the end.

But even the specs for the same car with dsg and manual shows the DSG is a few tenths faster under acceleration?

Indeed, but that was not his point! DSG is quick, but requires no skill. To be quick with a manual box does, even if numpties like me are quicker using a DSG box. It's not a race, it's about honing a skill.

Indeed, but that was not his point! DSG is quick, but requires no skill. To be quick with a manual box does, even if numpties like me are quicker using a DSG box. It's not a race, it's about honing a skill.

I see what youre saying

But a dsg allows you to keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times, flappy padel still lets you select each gear when you want it, and the shift is alot smoother.

In a fast car, you can focus more on your line, throttle control and keeping the car balanced. Obv using the padels so it never shifts mid corner.

Im a fan haha.

Edited 23 June, 201510 yr by fabiamk2SE

I see what youre saying

But a dsg (or any dual clutch auto) allows you to keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times, flappy padel still lets you select each gear when you want it, and the shift is alot smoother.

In a fast car, you can focus more on your line, throttle control and keeping the car balanced. Obv using the padels so it never shifts mid corner.

Im a fan haha.

Me too, it's like playstation. But then I'm no ari vatenan and don't pretend so.

Me too, it's like playstation. But then I'm no ari vatenan and don't pretend so.

Aha yeah. My feet certainly dont work fast enough, nore my hands.

Having said that, its find on a bike, but the sequential box helps lots!

Edited 23 June, 201510 yr by fabiamk2SE

Or a mildly tweaked Renault or Honda.

Indeed on taking your choice. The Cupra is a quick car and quite understated. That Honda certainly isn't the latter. Which is why I like it more initially.

At the end of the day, the margin from the Cupra to the Civic is irrelevant to the average person enjoying the car on a B road.

What is more important is how it makes you feel.

I was coming from the view that the R is a car you expect to be fast, just by looking at it. For most people, that's half or more of the deal. That it is fast is no surprise, what is a surprise is that a rather bland white euro box might be quicker. Of course a modded R might be even more so, but given the spoilertastic styling, many original new owners won't. I'm not explaining this at all well, suffice to say there is something gratifying about q cars trouncing the narcissist. But then, what do I know. I'm dribbling like a teething toddler over a new alfa, where style and substance have a very different ratio to VAG.

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