Audi S3 arriving shortly...

bazz26

Manic Moran wrote:

Not very practical for daily driving though, is it? How big is the boot? How many people will fit in it?

NTM

The A3/S3 is not totally practical either, granted it is more practical than a NSX-R but it is still a 3 door hatchback:


These type of cars are not bought with practicality at the top of the shopping list. That's what MPVs or estate cars are for.

Manic Moran

bazz26 wrote:

The A3/S3 is totally practical either, granted it is more practical than a NSX-R but it is still a 3 door hatchback:

You've got more chance of surviving chucking the wife and kid plus a week's worth of luggage in the S3 and driving around the UK on holiday than you would in an NSX. Even if you could fit everyone/everything in the NSX, is it really driveable for that length of time? (Not having driven an NSX I don't know for sure, but I doubt it)

These type of cars are not bought with practicality at the top of the shopping list. That's what MPVs or estate cars are for.

Top, no. But certainly somewhere high up. In my case, I was giving consideration to the C6 Corvette, but dropped it fairly early on due to lack of cargo ability. If someone wanted purely performance, then the solution would be to buy the NSX or S2000 or Evo IX, and then go around the corner and buy a Focus Estate for when you're not having a blast. After you combine the initial costs, plus insurance/tax, running costs, on two vehicles, I wonder how many people can afford to do that?

As an alternative example, let's say I go visit my parents who live in Vienna (Assuming I still lived in Dublin). I chuck my cargo into the Volvo Estate and away I go. Once I get there, I empty the car of the cargo. Then I realise "Hey! I'm only a two hour drive from the Nurburgring. Let's go thrash the car around." Then "Oh, curses. My 'fun' car is in Dublin, I left it behind because I don't have the room to bring everything in the back of the S2000"

The 'ideal' solution is something like that S4 Avant. You get Estate capacity coupled with 340hp quattro. However, given the price of the S3, I think it's alot easier for someone to say 'to hell with compromise' than it is to actually come up with the required cash.

NTM

Gatster

Trying to sell on an M3 in the future was another thing which put me off

Fair play on the purchase (lovely motor!), but there is a very small market for uber-premiuim hot hatches in Ireland, probably even smaller than the M3 market. Out of interest though, as someone mentioned earlier, what do you do for a living?

JHMEG

Re the NSX etc. If I was going to spend close to 60k on a car I'd buy something that is a serious driver's car. Not what is essentially a very very expensive hot hatch.

Regarding practicality and throwing the wife and kids in. Surely that's what the wife's car is for?

But at 24 I'd doubt the OP has a wife and kids yet, and probably no great need for uber practicality.

ando

MarkN wrote:

I'm looking at about 1,800 with Hibernian on the S3, that's who I'm with now. Unforunately for me I have 4 points so it's still a bit on the high side.

I wouldnt be sticking my nose upto that Im paying 1700 on a CupraR, 25, 4 years no claims and no points

Guy:Incognito

I'll admit to not getting the point of these cars (not the s3 in particular, I'm talking about performance versions of any car). At the end of the day they are a faster, tarted up version of a bog standard car for a lot more money.


Call me boring but I like a big comfortable car. If I was spending €60k I'd be looking for space and comfort over speed. Especially in the age where more speed cameras and increasing policing of speeders.

When it comes down to it, without breaking the speed limit, your only going to get from one end of the m50 to the other around 9 secs (in my clio i use for work) or 5 secs (in my safrane) ahead of me. Assuming not traffic

Each to their own i suppose.

bazz26 wrote:

These type of cars are not bought with practicality at the top of the shopping list. That's what MPVs or estate cars are for.

Thing is though, unless you have a 2nd car, you kind of need to factor it in a bit.

patsyh

Stekelly wrote:

I'll admit to not getting the point of these cars (not the s3 in particular, I'm talking about performance versions of any car). At the end of the day they are a faster, tarted up version of a bog standard car for a lot more money.


Call me boring but I like a big comfortable car. If I was spending €60k I'd be looking for space and comfort over speed. Especially in the age where more speed cameras and increasing policing of speeders.

When it comes down to it, without breaking the speed limit, your only going to get from one end of the m50 to the other around 9 secs (in my clio i use for work) or 5 secs (in my safrane) ahead of me. Assuming not traffic

Each to their own i suppose.





Thing is though, unless you have a 2nd car, you kind of need to factor it in a bit.

You sound like a 59 y/o, mark is 25

Guy:Incognito

patsyh wrote:

You sound like a 59 y/o, mark is 25

Very concise answer, sure convinced me. Whether he's driving a standard A3 ,a 320hp s3 or a 1000hp konigsegg, he still cant get anwhere a whole lot quicker without breaking the law (and eventually being caught)

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Performance cars are not only for going fast but they geting there quicker. 0-speed limit much more quickly than a standard car. Also the stopping power to dramatically better with bigger breaks. Handeling is improved and they are more fun.....it not about speeding its about having more fun and being safer at the speed limit and overtaking.

I find yout far more people in 1.4 golfs speeding than people with M3's or RS4's.

MarkN

I don't really want to start talking about what I do for a living guys, the thread is about an Audi S3. I work 6 days a week and let's just leave it at that. I don't drink a lot, I don't smoke, shove anything up my nose or take a huge amount of holidays...

Another thing that clinched the sale for me was a full days track driving with Audi spending the afternoon behind the wheels of RS4s, S8s and 3.2 TTs. :cool:

Joe drawing attention to yourself in a car is something any muppet can do driving a Micra badly .. I haven't had any problems yet but maybe I've just been lucky. The S3 has an alarm as standard, I've gone down the route of Cliffords with all sorts of gadgets on them but if someone wants your car, they are going to get it by taking your keys.

Gatser, you probably have a point but in Ireland a 2.0L is a lot easier to sell than a 3.2.

At least I've given some people a thread to look at - over 1,500 views

Manic Moran

Stekelly wrote:

Whether he's driving a standard A3 ,a 320hp s3 or a 1000hp konigsegg, he still cant get anwhere a whole lot quicker without breaking the law (and eventually being caught)

You've never gone to a track day, have you? You take your daily driver and thrash it around a race track for fun. A hot hatch is better for that than an equivalently-priced E-class cruiser or whatever. Speed limits don't apply, only the handling limits of the car and your skill.

NTM

Guy:Incognito

Manic Moran wrote:

You've never gone to a track day, have you?

Nope and nor would I be flying round a track in MY hard earned €58k car.

Manic Moran

Stekelly wrote:

Nope and nor would I be flying round a track in MY hard earned €58k car.

Well, to each his own.

It's a lot of fun.

NTM

Guy:Incognito

Manic Moran wrote:

Well, to each his own.

It's a lot of fun.

NTM

I dotn doubt it and i'd love to do one of the days where you drive the single seater but i wouldnt be doing it in my own expensive car is all.I mean goign by the general state of driving out there I couldnt trust myself or others not to b pushing too hard. Too many people think they are better drivers than they are.

patsyh

Stekelly wrote:

Very concise answer, sure convinced me. Whether he's driving a standard A3 ,a 320hp s3 or a 1000hp konigsegg, he still cant get anwhere a whole lot quicker without breaking the law (and eventually being caught)

What are you doing in a motors thread. :rolleyes:

Guy:Incognito

patsyh wrote:

What are you doing in a motors thread. :rolleyes:

What?Do you know somethng about physics that I dont?

So if i dont conform to wanting a faster version of a standard car for a lot more, I dont belong on the boards? I'm not going to bore myself by checking the quality of your other 63 posts but can safely say I wont be interested in them.

Go climb back into your toy box until you have something resembling a point to make and mature about 10 years.

TempestSabre

Stekelly wrote:

What?Do you know somethng about physics that I dont?

So if i dont conform to wanting a faster version of a standard car for a lot more, I dont belong on the boards? I'm not going to bore myself by checking the quality of your other 63 posts but can safely say I wont be interested in them.

Go climb back into your toy box until you have something resembling a point to make and mature about 10 years.

To be honest your in the wrong place not patsyh. This is a thread about a S3 not about the point of owning a performance car. Why troll in a someone else thread mate? Sorry buts that's what you are doing. Start your own thread if you want to talk about a different subject. Thats forum etiquette.

The majority of people speeding and breaking the law aren't in performance cars, as 2 mins on any road will clearly illustrate. Having a performance car will allow you to get somewhere faster staying within the law. Assuming you have any driving ability. But this isn't the thread to discuss that.

Guy:Incognito

TempestSabre wrote:

To be honest your in the wrong place not patsyh. This is a thread about a S3 not about the point of owning a performance car. Why troll in a someone else thread mate? Sorry buts that's what you are doing. Start your own thread if you want to talk about a different subject. Thats forum etiquette.

The majority of people speeding and breaking the law aren't in performance cars, as 2 mins on any road will clearly illustrate. Having a performance car will allow you to get somewhere faster staying within the law. Assuming you have any driving ability. But this isn't the thread to discuss that.

I merly made a point, and never said he was going to break the law. All I said was that by buying a suped up a3 he can still only get places 3-4 seconds quicker than his standard a3, unless he chooses to break the law. There are far too many people in this country that think their cars compensate for lack of driving ability.(again not directed at the op) which is why so many people are killed. Since when is it a rule of boards that the op opinion is the only one allowed in the thread? Is the motors board just a place for back slappong now?


For that matter it's not the thread for people to say "you could have got this instead" but theres no cries of troll for them. I was quite clear that I wasnt directing my post about performance cars at the op in particular.

TempestSabre

You're here long enough to know what's on topic and what isn't. Still harping on about , breaking the law, people getting killed. Which happens more often with non performance cars. Ditto not having driving ability when there's a multitude of other reasons for poor driver ability unrelated to performance cars. None of this is relevant to getting a S3.

patsyh

TempestSabre wrote:

To be honest your in the wrong place not patsyh. This is a thread about a S3 not about the point of owning a performance car. Why troll in a someone else thread mate? Sorry buts that's what you are doing. Start your own thread if you want to talk about a different subject. Thats forum etiquette.

The majority of people speeding and breaking the law aren't in performance cars, as 2 mins on any road will clearly illustrate. Having a performance car will allow you to get somewhere faster staying within the law. Assuming you have any driving ability. But this isn't the thread to discuss that.

couldnt have put it better myself.

stekelly, next time you see a thread which mentions a "drivers" car on the topic dont bother giving your 2cent cause you dont seem to understand the purpose of a "drivers" car

Guy:Incognito

Oh well. case closed. I must bow to your obvious knowledge in the posts in the thread on the subject.............

Manic Moran

That was a bizarre digression. Personally, though I disagree with his points about the merits/demerits to buying a performance car, I don't see why he shouldn't voice his opinion on a thread about them.

NTM

Seth Brundle

Im a late arrival into this thread so let me catch up quickly...

Stekelly wrote:

Nope and nor would I be flying round a track in MY hard earned €58k car.

Why not? I have done several track days (private days) and never had a problem, never spun, never did any damage.

patsyh wrote:

What are you doing in a motors thread. :rolleyes:

Like everyone on the net, they are entitled to look at this thread!

Now this thread is about MarkN and his new car. Lets keep it to that!
Mark - car looks a beaut - best of luck with it and never mind the begrudgery!

TempestSabre

kbannon wrote:

...
Now this thread is about MarkN and his new car. Lets keep it to that!
....

Dang and I was just going to suggest how a bicycle and apartment in Poland would be much more sensible than a S3. Down with that sort of thing, and all that

Nice car, but like the others have posted, if I had the money, not sure if I'd buy one, as there so many other perhaps more interesting options. But I can understand the attraction of a new S3 and all that.

omega man

I would deffo fit a tracker to a new S3. Them and the likes are a prime target for the export trade if you know what i mean! An alarm is useless as if they want it they will just knock on the door for the keys. Apart from that its only the penalty points in your way!

RedorDead

Well Mark, Hows it been? Taken it for a spin yet?

There should be close to 20 of them here on the ground in Ireland by the end of February.

MarkN

I picked it up early this morning and like most of you, I'm in work now so i can't do a lot of driving... :mad:

Very happy with it, quite of lot of gadgets which are confusing me (I normally love these things...) but I will sit down with the manual later on.

The colour really is just so striking I think. I was in a shop earlier and was looking out the window at it and the amount of guys stopping and having a gawk.. no girls though

I'll be doing something 'creative' with the plates at the weekend but for now, some crappy camera phone pics.

RedorDead

Shes looking sweet!!! I take it 07 D 53 was gone then??? Shame.

Is that Sprint Blue you got it in?

fletch

WOW...she's looks a beauty!

MarkN

My application for 53 arrived a day late and two others put in for it so I missed the draw.

That's Sprint blue aye.

One thing I have noticed, normally in turbo cars, the power falls off towards the top end of the rev limiter. Not with the S3!!! :cool: