True, but 150mph and 0-60 in 6.?? seconds isnt really that quick anymore. My battered saab 9000 carlsson from 1989 was roughly as quick.

Point, Missed.

When the Cosworth was released 10-15 years ago, it was king of the kill, the majority of the people wanted one, and still now they are wanted.

Those kind of figures were very good, and the cars were expensive.

Now those figures are in the majority of hatchbacks, and are reasonably priced.

True, but 150mph and 0-60 in 6.?? seconds isnt really that quick anymore.

Yeah, definately slow.

Yes, but the people who buy them think they are uber fast, when they are not. 150mph just isnt fast anymore. and 60 in 6 seconds is slow, Calibra turbos and Rover tomcats could do that over a decade ago.

I think people get hung up on the 0 - 60 times. the true test of a fast car is how it performs round a circuit or on a measured section of road. BHP is not the be all and end all, weight, suspension set up and of course driver skill all play a part amongst other things.

A powerful car will always stand out on the 0 - 100 figures, but even those stats don't allow for a sweetly set up race-mobile

I think people get hung up on the 0 - 60 times. the true test of a fast car is how it performs round a circuit or on a measured section of road. BHP is not the be all and end all, weight, suspension set up and of course driver skill all play a part amongst other things.

A powerful car will always stand out on the 0 - 100 figures, but even those stats don't allow for a sweetly set up race-mobile

...Agreed, but im merely saying that people who buy these new hot hatches and make bold bragging statements saying they will cream other cars are just talking poo.

There will always be something quicker around the corner, and frankly, A Fabia vRS isnt as quick as a proper performance petrol like some of people's posts above state and now compared to some of the new performance diesels on offer isnt that fast for a performance diesel.

Also, anyone can spend a few hundred quid and have thier car remapped, its not really difficult to get done and everyone is doing it now.

"Ive got 275bhp and million newton meters of torque, I can take any car on" attitude is just pointless on a forum. Without any evidence from the drag strip or the track its pointless.

...Agreed, but im merely saying that people who buy these new hot hatches and make bold bragging statements saying they will cream other cars are just talking poo.

There will always be something quicker around the corner, and frankly, A Fabia vRS isnt as quick as a proper performance petrol like some of people's posts above state and now compared to some of the new performance diesels on offer isnt that fast for a performance diesel.

Also, anyone can spend a few hundred quid and have thier car remapped, its not really difficult to get done and everyone is doing it now.

"Ive got 275bhp and million newton meters of torque, I can take any car on" attitude is just pointless on a forum. Without any evidence from the drag strip or the track its pointless.

You talk a lot of sense my friend. Pity some folk can't see that.

I have read a few good points on here.it dont matter how much power you get your car up to unless you drive it resposibly on a track or somewhere legal, i bought my ocy vrs in july this year, as soon as i got it i went for the big power, re-map, exhaust, induction, and a few other bits, i paid my mate who owns a garage nearly £2500 for an extra 114bhp, it is still all stock suspension and brakes, i tryed to upgrade my clutch but they wont do it because there saying it has too much power for a front wheel drive, with the stock suspension it handles like a shopping trolley when using the power on bends, with all the extra power you know that all you want to do is test it against other high powered cars, within a month i got pulled twice, on both occasions it were for "driving without due care and attention, i tryed racing a unmarked police subaru, the second time were undertaking my mate in his 2litre bora in the next town, After the second time i learnt my lesson and now go on a track when i wanna drive like an idiot, it dont cost too much and its alot more fun and safer, the only thing is i put a new cluch in (standard with single piece flywheel) but even with the new clutch i still have problems, when the car boosts in 2nd 3rd 4th gear 8 times out of ten it slips.

anyway back to the point luckly the police let me off because i admitted i were just being stupid and that i were totaly in the wrong,i cant afford to get caught again and get points, my insurance is already costing me £2704 a year, thats for me only,

so just do as the police say, drive safely and you have enough time to stop incase a pi55 head walks out into the road.:confused:

Cosworth... erm... Not the best ever rear wheel drive chassis in the world.

The rear end is/was too light, the chassis not stiff enough, The control arm angles are all wrong so float/dive, the suspension/tyre angles go to poop. It can be fixed or bettered for some ££££s.

RWD vs FWD... I recall reading an article a few years ago. Different marques of Escort, I think. RS2000 Mk2 vs RS2000 MK5. I think the MK2 got doen to 5 secs and the MK5 was stuck somewhere in the 7s.

So long as the chassis/drivetrain is butch enough, it's easy to get very fast 0-60s in an RWD. The weight transfer is all going the right way.

Thing is, most affordable performance cars these days are FWD and turbo'd. Turbo doesn't really lend itself to delicately feeding it increments of throttle to balance wheelspin. And FWD, the driven axles are at the wrong end.

Thing is, most affordable performance cars these days are FWD and turbo'd. Turbo doesn't really lend itself to delicately feeding it increments of throttle to balance wheelspin. And FWD, the driven axles are at the wrong end.

But these aren't really "performance" cars...they're "hot" versions of cars primarily designed for other tasks (space, practicality, reliability, comfort, economy, cost, etc. etc.).

I'd take a well set-up FWD car over a poorly set-up RWD car any day, regardless of the power going to the "wrong end"...

Rob.

I'd take a well set-up FWD car over a poorly set-up RWD car any day, regardless of the power going to the "wrong end"...

Lotus Elan or Ford Pinto?

Mazda MazdaSpeed 3

263bhp 0-60 5.8s 155mph (electronically limited).

You never know, they might even bring it out over here...

Rob.

it is out over here :confused:

it is out over here :confused:

Is it? I can't find anything for it on the Mazda site...

Rob.

Is it? I can't find anything for it on the Mazda site...

Rob.

yep, actually saw one the other week. looks nice

http://www.mazda.co.uk/Showroom/Mazda3/Mazda3-MPS/Overview/?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7bDB680D26-359E-4AAF-8397-078115B31547%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fShowroom%2fMazda3%2fMazda3-MPS%2f&NRCACHEHINT=Guest

http://www.mazda.co.uk/mazda3MPS.htm

Is it? I can't find anything for it on the Mazda site...

Rob.

Rob,

The Mazda 3 that is the UK at the moment is listed as the 2.3 Mazda MPS, you can also get it with an aero body kit. It has 256bhp.

Priced at £18995 or £19495 with the body kit, and from experience they are quite quick.

Ahh...the MPS has got it's own section on the Mazda site...

Rob.

The 3 MPS looks better with the UK only Aero Pack IMO

Mazda 3 MPS Sports Aero Kit - Picture Gallery - Autocar.co.uk

I have read a few good points on here.it dont matter how much power you get your car up to unless you drive it resposibly on a track or somewhere legal, i bought my ocy vrs in july this year, as soon as i got it i went for the big power, re-map, exhaust, induction, and a few other bits, i paid my mate who owns a garage nearly £2500 for an extra 114bhp, it is still all stock suspension and brakes, i tryed to upgrade my clutch but they wont do it because there saying it has too much power for a front wheel drive, with the stock suspension it handles like a shopping trolley when using the power on bends, with all the extra power you know that all you want to do is test it against other high powered cars, within a month i got pulled twice, on both occasions it were for "driving without due care and attention, i tryed racing a unmarked police subaru, the second time were undertaking my mate in his 2litre bora in the next town, After the second time i learnt my lesson and now go on a track when i wanna drive like an idiot, it dont cost too much and its alot more fun and safer, the only thing is i put a new cluch in (standard with single piece flywheel) but even with the new clutch i still have problems, when the car boosts in 2nd 3rd 4th gear 8 times out of ten it slips.

anyway back to the point luckly the police let me off because i admitted i were just being stupid and that i were totaly in the wrong,i cant afford to get caught again and get points, my insurance is already costing me £2704 a year, thats for me only,

so just do as the police say, drive safely and you have enough time to stop incase a pi55 head walks out into the road.:confused:

If your brand new clutch is slipping when you floor it. For an 'uprated part' it's obviously pretty poor. :thumbdwn:

its not uprated, he quite clearly said its a standard clutch with single mass flywheel.

there are uprated clutchs for the vRS, i have one in my 4x4(same clutch) and its been there for a couple years. handles mine fine and that includes launching it and everything

From what I've read the 3MPS is a bit of a handful and like the VXR struggles to put it's power down... The other thing is it's a band G road tax :thumbdwn:

As much as I like the 3MPS I think your better off getting a LCR, GTi, vRS, ST, VXR and remapping it.. you get about the same power (or more) and lower road tax.

or buy teh 3mps and remap that

I'd rather give the money to the government through fuel duty than road tax tho.

And with band G going up to £400 a year (in April?) that's a good few tanks of fuel.

From what I've read the 3MPS is a bit of a handful and like the VXR struggles to put it's power down... The other thing is it's a band G road tax :thumbdwn:

As much as I like the 3MPS I think your better off getting a LCR, GTi, vRS, ST, VXR and remapping it.. you get about the same power (or more) and lower road tax.

The one component missing from all of the models you list is an LSD, which the 3MPS has as standard. the reports I've read say it doesn't really suffer from any discernible torque steer.

Although it drives well considering the power being sent to the front wheels, It usually gets marked down for being totally anonymous in the looks department and having vague steering.

Anonymous in the looks department?

Not necessarily a bad thing... especially for giving BMW drivers a fright

Went to Mazda the other day, thinking of changing my vRS, as they had a Mazda MPS in with the aero pack it looked awesome:eek:

Evo mag tested it and it did 0-60 in 6.1 & 0-100 in 14.3:D:D A bmw 130 M 261bhp did it in 6.1 to 60 & 15.3 to 100 so quite abit quicker to 100.

Awesome:D

Yes, the 3MPS is out... looks quite fetching in black too (tho not sure about when they are dirty) ;)

they are f**king quick, LSD as standard.. different type to the torque biasing one like the meggy/crocus RS, also limits boost in 1st and 2nd to avoid a rather hefty tyre bill.. reviews generally say its devastatingly quick, but not as involving as its rivals and looking too similar to lesser models.