As per the title, what interesting (but safe) little run ins have you had ?

The wife has got a lexus IS200 and i have got to say after driving it ,it is one slow car compared to the furby vRS and the wife agrees to.She is even considering getting a furby vRS in the near future.I do get idiots trying to egg me on like the ones in there pimped out novas and corsas but just ignore them its just not worth it,clean licence for 16 years and its staying that way to.

No run ins, but there IS an exclusive membership currently of 3 for those that have rolled their Furby's.

Not recommended to have membership of that club

There is a very small group here who think its cool to brag about burning off other motors. Generally we dont advocate threads like this Jacko

I was comprehensively beaten by a lampost a few months ago.

There is a very small group here who think its cool to brag about burning off other motors. Generally we dont advocate threads like this Jacko

but they love a good old moan when one pops up though...it's a good laugh to see them all winge:rofl: !

Mine is faster now then it was before - so I'd beat myself hands down

Also I'd have SWMBOs car by just driving very slowly up to NSL, as it's a 1.1 Kia Picanto (plus she hasn't got a license yet so she'd be parked up :D )

Mainly bought the vRS to allow for easy cruising at NSL (and above where permitted, say in Germany ) - it's comfortable enough for long distances, and coz I didnt need an Octavia sized car it was good for me. Fuel economy is good even when making progress, and with a few tweaks ** cough cough ** it's now a better handling, braking and accelerating car then as standard.

I can appreciate why its not good form to brag about burning off and general lunacy but every owner of a performance car is interested how it compares to other cars, perahps i worded it a bit wrong, I was kind of after subjective comparisons like modevrs130 provided, also some owners do run these cars on tracks and drag strips do they not ?

Also I suppose being a small fairly innocous looking Skoda hatchback there will be an expectation from drivers of more expensive machinery that you may get in the way but they are then surprised by the fact they have not dissapeared into the distance say upon joining a motorway, not a race, more an understimation of relative performance.

More warm hatch than performance car really.

It's a warm hatch at best when standard. It's key strength is the easy-to-use nature of the car, and it's pretty fast in-gear.

It's not the kind of car you should buy (IMHO of course :P ) if you like revving hard to get the performance

It's quick enough, is how I'd sum it up. For a daily runner, that is comfy, economical, quiet and fun to use, it's quick enough.

If you're talking 0-60, then it's not going to break any records or surprise more expensive metal, but it's not supposed to. That said, it's not a snail, and can get to motorway speeds relatively effortlessly, and has 0-60 times comparable to "warm" hatches, and more powerful larger cars.

It does promote lazy driving, and as such provides a very nice, relaxing environment, in that the power / torque available is at hand very low down the rev band, and hence almost instantly in higher, touring gears. I think this is one of the reasons why it gets the jump on what should be (on paper) faster cars, from motorway speeds.

It's all a bit deceptive though, when looking at stats. For example, the 50-70 time in top gear on the vRS is very good, when compared to genuinely quick cars... yet these timings are based on the fact that the car is in top gear. If you're in a hot hatch, going from 50-70 is likely to be performed in a much lower gear, and completed considerably faster.

In recent journeys, my vRS has stayed with a V6 Hyundai (new shape) Coupe, between 50 and 90mph. It has also overtaken and pulled away from an Audi TT (cheap, FWD spec), and keeps up with the similarly engined VAG cars, depending upon weight.

The one thing it has in its favour, for the driver, is the "kick in the back" factor. It really does feel like you're flying - it has more of that feeling than the Impreza Turbo that I have as a 2nd car. However, if you take away that feeling, and look at the actual progress you're making, it isn't even close; the Scooby would murder it.

Like I say, it's quick enough, but it's not what you'd class as fast.

I've just spent a week touring Snowdonia and N Wales in mine, and it was great. Perfect for the roads, though you do have to be wary of understeer in the wet... enough pace to overtake safely, entertaining and doesn't require shares in BP to run!

(Note, mine is standard spec, with no engine mods).

I bet you must have had a fantastic time taking it round there! Might have to consider that sort of trip in mine!

I've been round Scotland twice in mine... I would reccomend that, some of the roads up there are fantastic!

however, you get the snow!

lol...

Being used to 1.6 Vauxhall Astra's and 1.7 Renault 21's the Fabia VRS feels extraordinarily quick.

Performance wise, of course it's not going to beat a Subaru Imprezza or a porshe but look at the price/economy/insurance- it beats them all on those criteria. However, it (in standard form) should be able to beat a Mini cooper s in a staight line.

Cheers for the write up !

'Though you do have to be wary of understeer in the wet...'

Just drove my Saab 9-3 back 30 miles from Rochdale in the rain, tyres are due for a change (trying to eke a few more miles before sellling/part exing) so I am fairly conversant with understeer !

So does it become a performance car once chipped, seeing as it has as much power as a Clio 182, notwithstanding its heavier and far less able round the bends ?

one guy with the celtic remap did a timed run with 0-60 in 6.1 seconds with his re-map, that would put it in the ball park with a clio 182.... (for straight line anyway!)

However, it (in standard form) should be able to beat a Mini cooper s in a staight line.

If the Cooper S isn't trying A Cooper should be no problem though

Chris

If the Cooper S isn't trying A Cooper should be no problem though

Chris

I hate to say this (sounds like i'm bragging or condoning) but i have had a "race" against a friends Cooper S and he WAS trying. Not surprisingly he was MUCH quicker around the roundabouts but my standard Furby VRs did just about have more juice accelerating in a straight line.

And, if you dispute this, read this article first by Jeremy Clarkson ;

"This brings me on to the Skoda Fabia VRS diesel. Under the dour stewardship of Volkswagen, we

My Saab is pretty much as quick as a Cooper S, having driven both and performed safe, within speed limit comparison based roll on accelration tests !

6.1 to sixty would make is a bit quicker than a Clio 172/182.

Lol at the Clarkson write up, it will be interesting to see what the next VRs is going to be like, I suppose VW could quite easily produce something with 4wd and a diesel lump that would rearrange organs but I suspect they think they have already given too much for too little with the current one.

It may only be a 1.9 litre diesel hatchback, but round a track it will blow a supercharged Mini Cooper into the weeds. It is astonishingly fast.

Interestingly 5th Gear don't agree with this:

http://fifthgear.five.tv/jsp/5gmain.jsp?lnk=401&featureid=171&pageid=312&show=s8e9&section=Shootout

I noticed this was also for the convertible, rather than the regular S Interestingly, the Fiesta ST is even quicker than the S round the track which says a lot for what Ford have achieved

Chris

Still the VRS doesnt do bad, I mean considering the Cooper S is 40 bhp more and supposedly a fantastic handler the fact the VRS is less than a second slower is quite impressive.

Still the VRS doesnt do bad, I mean considering the Cooper S is 40 bhp more and supposedly a fantastic handler the fact the VRS is less than a second slower is quite impressive.

Impressive until you see that a sporty hatchback is only 4 seconds quicker round the track than a Transit van Horses for courses and all that

Chris

Yeah, good point !

Impressive until you see that a sporty hatchback is only 4 seconds quicker round the track than a Transit van Horses for courses and all that

Chris

yeh but a van is pure accelaration, no top speed, and on a minute lap 4 seconds is huge and anglesy is a short twisty track with no straights to "top out " on!

then again : how many vans do you think you'll be racing.

pure ego trip if you can beat one tho!!!:P

Track characteristics make a big difference.

I still disagree that the car would blow a Cooper S into the weeds but from a rolling start the two cars are pretty closely matched in a straight line - unfortunately the MCS can actually go round corners quickly too. Most tracks I've been on have corners and/or bends at some point. Skoda 0 - Mini 1 IMHO.