mapped a3 vs standard s3

A3Tom said:
I think everyone should own an 'M' at some point if they consider themselves a bit of a tasty driver or petrol head :)
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The only 'M' I would even contemplate owning is an E30 M3 tbh... all went downhill from there IMO...

<tuffty/>
 
I think there are some corkers in the M range...E39 M5 being one of them.

A lad at works just got an E46 M3....what a car...shame its the horrid SMG box though :(

I'd love an E30 though, a bloke over the road used to have a bright red one sat in his garage. I'd be suprised if it did more than 200 miles a year as it was showroom condition. He sold it and got an Arial Atom...plonker!.
 
Always fancied getting an E30 then bung a VAG 1.8t 20v in it LOL... I can tune them ;P

Seen one with a Sierra Cosworth lump in it and that was a monster...

<tuffty/>
 
golf said:
:gaehn: Give it a rest with the BMW bashing mate. The E39 M5 is one of the greatest saloon cars ever made, phenomenal power and awesome dynamics combined with comfort and useabilty is something that Audi have never managed in any of their road cars, bar the R8 and possibly RS4 B7.
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S8, RS6, S6, RS4's, S4's?
 
Would only do it to a 318 or something mate, wouldn't touch a genuine E30 M3 of course :)

<tuffty/>
 
Nah id want to keep the straight 4 with the motorsport inlet manifold with instant throttle response, have to be an evo model with the high back recaros too. If I could justify the insurance and if they'd aged better look wise I'd buy an E36 evo although its hard to find a well spec one, but if I had the spare cash Id really consider the E46 even the SMG version too, thing is a hatch back is so practicle so if I had the money id probably get the 4.2 V8 S4 avant. As to the post keep your A3 or if want to stick with audi hatch backs have you considered the 8p 3.2 V6?
 
A3Tom said:
I'd keep it mate, its low miles and one of the best colours.

If I were you I'd do the following...

Stage 1 map - will see you at about 220bhp which will be a huge improvement
Anti roll bars, srings and shocks - will TRANSFORM the handling on the car. Yes it will be FWD still but I cant get mine to understeer now I've done my suspension mods.

The extra power and handling will make it lovely to drive mate, save yourself the cash of the S3 and you'll have a sorted A3 for a lot less :)

The 'Quattro' lot will be jumping all over this I'm sure when they see it but to be honest...there are plenty of better hot hatches out here without 4wd ;)

T
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id agree with you tbh.
 
iirc a mapped a3 will be slightly quicker in gear than a standard s3, but the s3 will just beat it off the line and pull away slightly in corners if that helps.

tom
 
id still argue the in gear...torque these engines produce means the extra weight of the S3 isnt really as big an issue as people make out
 
mk1chopper said:
As to the post keep your A3 or if want to stick with audi hatch backs have you considered the 8p 3.2 V6?
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Hes on about the 8l chassis. i think the 8l 3.2 are still expensive. I wouldnt think of getting one though. maybe if it was inside an s3 i would.

Have you come to a decision yet!?

\
 
That looks expensive. I paid £1k less for an 02 with 60k miles 6 months ago.
 
To be fair, good list of options/upgrades, 53reg so 18months younger than ours as well. I paid 7.7k for a 67k 02 but with FASH and a few other bits.
 
emery1990 said:
Hes on about the 8l chassis. i think the 8l 3.2 are still expensive. I wouldnt think of getting one though. maybe if it was inside an s3 i would.

Have you come to a decision yet!?

\
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You can pick up the 3.2 for under 10k these days some are high milage but there are some with decent milage although the chassie on the 8P is better they dont feel that special inside. http://www.hanwellcars.co.uk/93945/hanwellcars_showroom.htm
 
stick with the A3 and spend some cash on it! it'll be quick as a chipped S3, and more interesting to drive!
 
mk1chopper said:
You can pick up the 3.2 for under 10k these days some are high milage but there are some with decent milage although the chassie on the 8P is better they dont feel that special inside. http://www.hanwellcars.co.uk/93945/hanwellcars_showroom.htm
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I looked at a 9,995 68k mileage 8P 3.2 in red. The only one in my area sub 10k. Looked like it had been dropped, rolled in barb wire and then left on a farm. Maybe it was the time of year, but just didn't seem to be many around!
 
Quick search on auto trader found several, but not all of them well spec'd and hard to say what condition there in, when have you ever know a trader to list the faults on a car.
 
Buy an 130Hp A3 tdi quattro or straight fwd version then remap it to 180-190bhp with huge torque for circa £300 !! All that power and economy at 40mpg + average mpg!! A different angle ofc but worth considering if you do big mileage and cant imagine in a straight line FWD it would be hugely different to an un-modded S3..

I drive a B5 S4 (01') & a 130tdi 6 speed A3 which is very nippy and am seriously thinking about a remap - i think it would be indecently fast plus pulls immediately from low revs or any gear - never thought id endorse diesels but my my with all that punch and economy it is getting addictive. 285 miles a tank (65Lts) on the S4 and close to 500miles / tank (55Lts) on the A3..

Although, if you don't drive much each week id say get a B5 S4 (after 00' as more reliable) and tune it for arnd £3-500 to 300-320Hp..
 
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Ha. I have to agree on the "diesel for a purpose" comments. I drive an A4 estate, autobox, cruise control, auto lights and wipers and multifunction steering wheel . . . Might as well read a book while driving! And it returns 45-55 MPG.

S3 is where it's at though!
 
First one is pre-facelift, second I looked at and looks good, third one is a good find :)
 
Im suprised the OP mentioned the S3 understeers so much - Is that an opinion held by others or can it be explained by the poor tyres cited - I would imagine you would have to be driving super hard to get it under-steering ?

I would have thought the wider track and 4x4 would have not had such an effect Vs the A3.. The S4 is mind bogglingly quick around the corners, esp in the wet comparing with 2 wheel drives so I find it surprising to hear that an S3 could be so different..
 
With standard suspension will the S3 handle better with 17s than 18s - guessing yes as too much tramlining ?? The earlier S3's..
 
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The S3 has been setup to understeer. Such is my understanding from threads on here that is. This is why people change the ARBs and suspension.

My father's old S4 cabriolet was epically quick round the corners, and had a much nicer ride than his old Volvo T5. First day he had it he almost wrote us both off, not through speed, but the sheer ability of the four wheel drive to point and shoot on the exit of a roundabout, almost colliding with me in my old car do to over steering!!
 
JD09 said:
The S3 has been setup to understeer. Such is my understanding from threads on here that is. This is why people change the ARBs and suspension.!
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Interesting, esp considering S4 is much heavier at the front end.. wonder why same is not true/audi did s3 differently..
 
Second one: Including the VERY RARE Heated and Electric, Blue Alcantara Interior (you will find electric easily but not heated and electric).

You'll find all S3's have electric recaros.

This car has all the usual S3 features like Xenons etc etc so i am not going to list them all......the list is extensive.

Why not? I dont get why people cant be bothered to try and sell there car, If I was selling my S3 I would list everything even if it was standard equipment.
 
brasiliangringo said:
Buy an 130Hp A3 tdi quattro or straight fwd version then remap it to 180-190bhp with huge torque for circa £300 !! All that power and economy at 40mpg + average mpg!! A different angle ofc but worth considering if you do big mileage and cant imagine in a straight line FWD it would be hugely different to an un-modded S3..

I drive a B5 S4 (01') & a 130tdi 6 speed A3 which is very nippy and am seriously thinking about a remap - i think it would be indecently fast plus pulls immediately from low revs or any gear - never thought id endorse diesels but my my with all that punch and economy it is getting addictive. 285 miles a tank (65Lts) on the S4 and close to 500miles / tank (55Lts) on the A3..

Although, if you don't drive much each week id say get a B5 S4 (after 00' as more reliable) and tune it for arnd £3-500 to 300-320Hp..
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The diesels are fun, I used to have a golf 130bhp, but be prepared for turbo lag (on older cars) and also driving on 3 wheels down any decent twisty B road.
 
chris432626 said:
The diesels are fun, I used to have a golf 130bhp, but be prepared for turbo lag (on older cars) and also driving on 3 wheels down any decent twisty B road.
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Funny you mention that, as i too thought i must have been on 3 wheels the other time i went round a round about - strange very slight wobbling sensation from the back which made me feel how it needed 16's and a stiffer set up before i buckled the high profile tyres over those rims and completely lost the power of control.

But what a performance bargain driving a diesel with those sorts of power hikes found from 300 odd quid...
 
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finesse said:
blaa blaa

Just get a 1.8TQS , best of both worlds
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Worst of both worlds! Extra weight of the S3 with the pathetic power of the FWD A3. the TQS is by far the most boring to drive, mapped it'l only ever be as quick as a standard S3 because it's got the extra weight and retains the small turbo.
 
The general consensus of this thread is;

Mapped A3 is quicker than a standard S3, and we be just as unreliable.

So why pay more to make your car unreliable?

So just buy a 1.9 TDi , I would :D
 
I wouldnt get a tqs unless you plan to get it hybrided, you could probally do that for the price of an s3. £5.5k for a tqs, ( mine!) then 2k for the hybrid and other engine parts ie fuel pumps fuel injectors. And itll be faster than a mapped s3 aswell.
 
JD09 said:
The S3 has been setup to understeer. Such is my understanding from threads on here that is. This is why people change the ARBs and suspension.

My father's old S4 cabriolet was epically quick round the corners, and had a much nicer ride than his old Volvo T5. First day he had it he almost wrote us both off, not through speed, but the sheer ability of the four wheel drive to point and shoot on the exit of a roundabout, almost colliding with me in my old car do to over steering!!
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Furthermore, just read that like the TT, S3 has the Haldex system which is 95% bias towards the front wheels than an S4 which uses the torsen 4x4 system which splits the drive more closely to 50/50, hence this increased understeer. But having tasted an S4s ability through the corners, I wouldn't want anything else - that said I've never driven an S3.. anyone live near Southampton ?!

''The Haldex system automatically distributes power between the front and rear wheels depending on slippage, but normally sends 95% of the power to the front wheels.'' - Wikipedia Haldex Traction AB
 
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yeah S3s arnt really impressively quick. I understand your dilemma. And if you didnt have an a3 and were choosing between the 2, id say get an S3 as it has more potential, although A3s are still really good. Its not like youd be losing either, as there may be a massive premium on them, but they do hold that value really well so all is not lost.

But as you have A3 and you know its a good car id say its not worth spending the extra. Not really an upgrade worthwhile. Thats my 2p anyway :icon_thumright:
 
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