Opinions on swapping my S3
- Thread starter H17YD L
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M135i owner here and have to say I love it.I have a set of winters in my garage but so far the Michelin Pilot Super Sports (non runflat's) have been superb.When winter does eventually arrive I will put my winter set-up on,as it totally transforms the cars handling in snow and icey conditions.
Have to say I am more than happy with it straight out of the box,it's an absolute gem..
Have to say I am more than happy with it straight out of the box,it's an absolute gem..
I have found the michelin pilot super sports to be very good in the current wet and greasy road conditions,and my car is used every day and at some seriously unsocial hours.
That said I don't drive it on the limit but even keeping to under 4.5k revs it is very quick.
My previous car to this was a 135i Coupe and previous to that an S3 8P.Have quite a history with bmw and vw,having owned a V5 and Golf V6 4Mo,MkV GTi and an ED30..
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It's Jonny Cocker's old car,which has now been sold on.
Actually,that's not an S-Tronic...it's manual,and the video is from a few runs he did at Bruntingthorpe,against the car he chopped it in for....a GTR.
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They're surprisingly good all rounders,those tyres,as well as being excellent dry weather tyres.
Even on mine,they cope very well indeed.
Ah sorry, those shifts were so fast I just assumed it was! Still pondering the RS - possibly get it and get a quick ECU upgrade to stage 1.
Love RWD cars , so much more fun , as said with good tyres and a decent driver behind the wheel you can't really go wrong hammering one. You drive a RWD car , an AWD car drives you when your giving it some on the bends to a certain extent which takes the excitement out of driving for me, don't find them that exciting to drive when giving it some compared to a RWD.
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Much though I enjoyed the Sierra Cosworth,I wouldn't say that a properly set up 4WD drives you.
I think perhaps that feeling is a function of how much power and torque the car has,plus it's suspension setup.
My Escort left you in no doubt that you had to be in control of it at all times,or the ride would be short and painful,and the current S3 is also a bit snappy and capable of oversteer.
When it was running Stg2/2+,though,the feeling was entirely different,and much less lively from the handling point of view,so maybe that's the answer.
I love a cossie.
What escort are we talking about here?
RWD has me on the edge of my seat and heart racing and as you said leaves you in no doubt that you had to be in full control with full concentration at all times when giving it some, I think that's why I love them so much.
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It was a full GpN Tarmac and gravel rally Escort Cosworth that was modified a bit for road use.
Quaife diffs,ALS water injection etc etc
Absolutely violent little car and very snappy at the limits even with 4WD.
Wow , I would love to have a go of one of those, I love a snappy happy car.
The M5 is pretty snappy on the limits.
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I can imagine that...this thing however would slaughter an M5 although not on creature comforts.
It wasn't an ideal road car in many ways,but quicker than just about any road car over a given distance,although you had to be totally on it all the time or it would bite back.
A few things have been done to the M5 but I know something like that escort would say bye bye to it no problem.
where is the escort, is it still alive? What power did it have ?
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It had "only" 380bhp,but weighed about 1300kgs all in.
That,plus a short ratio gearbox,and ALS meant pretty much instant acceleration and traction on any surface....it's easy to see when you've driven one,why rally cars are so rapid,but so hopelessly costly to run.
As far as I know it's still out there somewhere,but I sold it to a guy who wanted to take it back to the rally stages where it came from.
My remark was more about the potential in the A45 that people think can be tuned to a VERY fast car.
I agree with you that an A45 and a Golf GTI is two different cars with different markets in mind
Just do it
Start with the ECU upgrade. Then get the exhaust and intake and FMIC done down the road so you are ready for the Stage 3 kit at some point
Very nice indeed.
I can imagine the cost of that kind of thing but can you put a price on fun? I'm sure you had lots of fun with it.
Would you get something similar again?
I love all those kind of cars and I love the old mk1s and mk2s RS models...I actually have a soft spot for the mk3 series 1 RS turbo escort .
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I think when it gets to every service costing over £1k in parts,and sub 10mpg,it can be possible to put a price on it!
I don't think I'd use one as a daily driver again as the compromises are a bit too far,and the S3 right now is getting about as close to being raw as I'm likely to go.
There are a good few things left to do,but only those that will make it quicker,and handle better.
hollows wife
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"Excuse me sir" ,said the salesman "would you like 2 or 4 flagstones adding to the optional extras package" ?
bmw's are a nice car to drive and my own opinion is they feel better made than the audi ,but lets face it there sh*t when it comes to even 5mm of snow .
about as much use as a swimming pool with a hole in it .
If you can drive they generally aren't a problem. Had many BMWs in snow and never been stuck yet. Some precautions (eg adding weight over the driven wheels) helps a lot.
Have you driven one in snow?
Have you driven one in snow?
The Governor
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I have, I've owned 3 BMWs and can confirm they are garbage in the snow the problem is compounded by RFT's, although of course it could just be that having driven for 20 + years in all kinds of different cars in all kinds of different conditions that actually I can't drive.
It's fair to say a BMW can be driven in snow up to a point, but as an ownership proposition when you have to start chucking bird baths etc in the boot you've crossed a line I won't
For the minimal time that it snows in the uk I would never base my car purchase on how good a car is in the snow.
someone with sense at last.
And @The Governor - my granny has been driving 50+ years but I doubt she could handle a rwd in the snow so dont feel bad.
Also FWIW Ive never had winter tyres on any of the BMWs Ive owned, with a good set of winter tyres I wouldnt see any problem. Obviously 4WD will be better but as said for the amount of ACTUAL problems it would cause you in the year its not a factor Id let put me off the car I want.
The Governor
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Obviously that's a buyers prerogative and everyone has their own pinch points, the problem I had is that the snows we've had coincided with some really important work related meetings etc, so I had a few hairy experiences, which do make it a factor to consider at least.
As I've said in the thread before I loved my BMW's, and I can definitely see me getting one again, so despite the fact they are weak in slippery conditions, they are good enough that it wouldn't necessarily stop me buying one, but the perfect BMW to me seems to be the xDrive in a 3 series Touring model...
Yeah I can see where your coming from.
I wouldn't mind a go in the xDrive either.
It sounds quite promising and I find the new 3 series has a lot more room than the older shape . I got in to my pals new 3 series and I thought I was in a 5 series when I first got in it.
The Governor
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I think the xDrive would be a good answer to the RWD grip issues that everyone (besides Pablo) acknowledge exists 
I think the xDrive would be a good answer to the RWD grip issues that everyone (besides Pablo) acknowledge exists
Yeah for sure, or though deep down I've always loved a RWD car , I can't seem to let go and move forward with the times, there so much fun in the wet.
With summer tyres in snow i couldn't get out the drive in my Z4M. Winter tyres did make a big difference.
Traction in the wet was poor too.
PaulAr
S3 (8P)
I think the xDrive would be a good answer to the RWD grip issues that everyone (besides Pablo) acknowledge exists
Excellent so far mate:icon_thumright:
Just feels like a super grippy RWD in the wet.
Yet to try it in the snow.
I love the fact AUDI and BMW now offer similar tech but `packaged` differently, gives us enthusiasts some genuine choice depending on what your priorities and preferences are at the time.
As a side, my 335 came with Goodyear Assy F1 RFTs. Very good uptil now.
JamesS4cab
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I have just joined the dark side of BMW ownership and I have to say its been a dream change. I bought a 58 plate m3 with the DCT gearbox and a fair few extras. Yes the interior is a little dull but the s3 wasn't exactly a class leader. I had the s3 for a month under 4 years and it was 2+ and I had done as much as I was prepared to do to it done.
I didn't have the capacity to compute what Alex has done (and he knows I have a massive amount if time and respect for what he has achieved with his car) but I still couldn't justify that much money which is effectively lost as it has zero residual after 2+. The m3 is a cracking car, 414bhp out the box, and a drinking problem that brings tears to my eyes.
But do I regret selling the s3? Not really. It was like an old friend to me and I had a lot of fun and met a lot of great like minded people but it was time for a change and so far (touch wood) I'm very happy with the choice I made. Yes it's twitchy in the wet and no, I can't drive it in the snow. But for the one week a year we get snow in and around London, f it, I will work from home and leave the car on the drive.
Just my 2p worth......but the s3 isn't the only fast car out there. Before I purchased the m3, I tested a 997, an m6 and an rs6. All epic cars and all supremely capable. But for me, the BMW ticks my boxes. And I love it.
I didn't have the capacity to compute what Alex has done (and he knows I have a massive amount if time and respect for what he has achieved with his car) but I still couldn't justify that much money which is effectively lost as it has zero residual after 2+. The m3 is a cracking car, 414bhp out the box, and a drinking problem that brings tears to my eyes.
But do I regret selling the s3? Not really. It was like an old friend to me and I had a lot of fun and met a lot of great like minded people but it was time for a change and so far (touch wood) I'm very happy with the choice I made. Yes it's twitchy in the wet and no, I can't drive it in the snow. But for the one week a year we get snow in and around London, f it, I will work from home and leave the car on the drive.
Just my 2p worth......but the s3 isn't the only fast car out there. Before I purchased the m3, I tested a 997, an m6 and an rs6. All epic cars and all supremely capable. But for me, the BMW ticks my boxes. And I love it.
JamesS4cab
Registered User
Ahhhhh but i still have an a3 on the drive as well.
At least you have one decent car!
I dont have an m3 but I've driven one and they drive superb as do the m5, to be fair they all drive effortlessly not just the M powered models.
997 are lovely but it would have to be a turbo and your talkin a lot more doe .
Not driven an m6 but would love a go and also would love a go of the Rs6 of course.
A decent exhaust system on the m3 will open up the lungs properly and will release a lovely sound.
Well done
JamesS4cab
Registered User
I'm happy.
Don't know if they fit but may have a set of 21 inch hartge alloys for sale absolutely mint soon, hardly any miles on them. Off an M5.
