Did any one see 5th gear last night.The lancia intergrale was only 0.29 seconds faster round the track than the vrs. All my boyhood dreams shattered.

I was quite surprised by that. 4x4 and 200Bhp (when new) - I'd have thought it would have creamed the beamer for sure.

I too grew up to think it was a near supercar! Oh well...

It did kinda prove that certain cars, at the time, were pretty decent performers.

Also kinda showed that lower bhp, although slagged off by Tiff, didnt really make it a great deal slower due to probably having a lower curb weight. These days you've got your airbags, leccy windows etc, all adding weight.

For a 4x4 it did pretty well, and for an Italian car that age, it looked immaculate (considering an AlfaSud that age (if they existed) would have been a pile of dust )

Still looks strange to see the Fab vRS in that list though :P

Don't normally watch 5th gear but caught it for a few mins, just that bit

Bear in mine that it had 200bhp when fresh and new, and that was 20 years ago! As for the Beemer, that was probably only putting out about 150 (if it was lucky, look at the dynos that Top Gear did with their "supercars for under 10k" feature, one was only putting out 100bhp instead of the 220 it should have had :eek: )

A well sorted M3 of that vintage is still a very quick motor point to point, go to the Ring and you'll see what I mean. I've done an 8:20 in one there - for reference that is 10 seconds quicker than my old black RS, which was not slow!

Both cars looked absolutely cracking.Glad the owners told Tiff to give it some welly.

How does this shedding bhp work? Didn't understand that on Top Gear

As an engine moves/runs it will wear and over time the tolerances will go out. Bear in mind that these are tuned engines to start with and that the BMW had done over 170k miles

I'm amazed the Lancia diddnt break down

Very impressed that with that kinda mileage they were still in good condition, must have been taken care off properly on both of them

cars don't neseseraly loose bhp as the miles go on..... I ran a saxo VTR from new to 150,000 miles, and that enginge still performed up to spec, and didn't break.. (the gearbox did tho!) I drove new saxo vtr's and new vts's and the old 150,000 miler was spot on with acceleration.

The integrale was a proper tool in it's day. Look around and see what else was about when that was new. You can't compare it to a modern car in any fair way whatsoever, apart from just out of curiosity. A couple of my mates are italian car nuts, and i've been out in and driven a few. They were awsome in their time.

The integrale was a proper tool in it's day. Look around and see what else was about when that was new. You can't compare it to a modern car in any fair way whatsoever, apart from just out of curiosity. A couple of my mates are italian car nuts, and i've been out in and driven a few. They were awsome in their time.

When i did the tyred goat a couple of years ago, there were a pair of intergrales there.... they both broke down.... one of them sounded terminal with quite a bad top-end rattle :eek:

the other one got towed away with the AA..

saying that i belive a certain "pinkie" had to bow out early due to a almost destroyed clutch

I gather the Rover wasn't too healthy either

Dead tyres, ns drive shaft and blown power steering

Most good Integrales these days will be minters, right on the button power-wise and looked after obsessively by whoever owns them.

Don't forget you've got 20 years of chassis development, etc between the two cars!

The reason it looked good and didn't turn to dust is that they were fibreglass shells so don't rust.

Totally agree - I mean most cars that are that old which are in one piece will have been kept in absolute top condition. Probably kept in a garage too, unlike my work horse :(

saying that i belive a certain "pinkie" had to bow out early due to a almost destroyed clutch

it has the same clutch in it to this day due to my preventative measure.... was such a shame i wasnt in the tuscan that day... could've kicked horton then.....

iv been in one that was slightly fettled, LHD, scarey when the wheels not infront of you...

me thinks the one on fifth gear has been vacuum packed since it was built, it looked spotless...