Car options Corrado G60 vrs Fiat Coupe Turbo vrs Peugeot GTI
Discussion
Help required.
Looking for a track/sprint car. Would like one I could use on the road occasionally so don't want to strip it completely. (but may in time)
Not wanting to spend too much circa £1500. Like the above 3 cars, as much from a look point of view and cars I lusted after when I could not afford them in the 80s/90s.
How would they perform on a track? Which in a fairly std spec would give most bang per bucks.
What should I look out for? Any comments welcome
Thanks
Looking for a track/sprint car. Would like one I could use on the road occasionally so don't want to strip it completely. (but may in time)
Not wanting to spend too much circa £1500. Like the above 3 cars, as much from a look point of view and cars I lusted after when I could not afford them in the 80s/90s.
How would they perform on a track? Which in a fairly std spec would give most bang per bucks.
What should I look out for? Any comments welcome
Thanks
205 GTi all day long.
Fiat Coupe Turbo has awful awful handling and torque steer.
Corrado is supercharged so will need lots of maintenance - superchargers need lots ot TLC on these.
Get yourself a 205 GTi with 16v engine already installed - 160bhp+ will be more than enough fun particularly with good suspension, brakes and tyres
www.205gtidrivers.com for advice - probably the nicest bunch of petrolheads you will ever come across
Good luck
Fiat Coupe Turbo has awful awful handling and torque steer.
Corrado is supercharged so will need lots of maintenance - superchargers need lots ot TLC on these.
Get yourself a 205 GTi with 16v engine already installed - 160bhp+ will be more than enough fun particularly with good suspension, brakes and tyres
www.205gtidrivers.com for advice - probably the nicest bunch of petrolheads you will ever come across
Good luck
I wouldn't say that Coupe Turbos have awful handling, but they're definitely not on a par with Corrados or 205s, and the torque steer would be a real pain on a track.
The other two are both superb FWD cars, and either would be great fun, but the 205 will be the more economic option, as long as the engine hangs on... But Corrado is an all time favourite of mine and I would always be tempted by one.
The other two are both superb FWD cars, and either would be great fun, but the 205 will be the more economic option, as long as the engine hangs on... But Corrado is an all time favourite of mine and I would always be tempted by one.
The Fiat Coupe is a lovely car when it's got some decent suspension fitted (Bilstein B6) however that is as a road car. I think track work would just break them. The suspension parts aren't robust enough, specifically wishbone bushes, the shell isn't very rigid and the torque steer would be a killer.
As I say, great for a road car, I loved mine, but I'd never have taken it on a track.
As I say, great for a road car, I loved mine, but I'd never have taken it on a track.
Head over to www.fccuk.org for more info on the Fiat Coupe. I have owned 20VTs and rate them really highly. They don't have bad torque steer and are reliable, even when modded, providing you upgrade correctly - too many people just add a boost controller and chip, run 1.4 bar boost and bang go the internals on track.
I sprinted both of mine and showed they are not slow, and probably carried out ten or more trackdays with no breakages over 3 years.
I love the 5 cylinder engine note, looks and value for money.
Hope that helps.
I sprinted both of mine and showed they are not slow, and probably carried out ten or more trackdays with no breakages over 3 years.
I love the 5 cylinder engine note, looks and value for money.
Hope that helps.
Out of interest, why FWD?
I think I'd rather have a £1500 E30 325, E36 328, or a Nissan 200sx for track use.
Going back to the original question, I've driven a 230bhp Mk2 golf on track, and have regularly driven a 270bhp Corrado on the road. The Golf was good fun on track, and the Corrado behaves very similarly. However, owing to the annoyingly high wear rate of the g-lader on the G60, I'd not want to have one as a track car. The other thing to consider with the G60, is that the car weighs over a ton, and doesn't have a massive amount of power - it'd feel underpowered on track.
I think I'd rather have a £1500 E30 325, E36 328, or a Nissan 200sx for track use.
Going back to the original question, I've driven a 230bhp Mk2 golf on track, and have regularly driven a 270bhp Corrado on the road. The Golf was good fun on track, and the Corrado behaves very similarly. However, owing to the annoyingly high wear rate of the g-lader on the G60, I'd not want to have one as a track car. The other thing to consider with the G60, is that the car weighs over a ton, and doesn't have a massive amount of power - it'd feel underpowered on track.
Edited by alackofspeed on Saturday 7th June 19:13
I agree, would go for rwd as a preference for a trackcar.
Understeering barges? Nope, although they do benefit from a few good handling upgrades for trackwork. The FCCUK team do pretty well at TOTB in the fwd category. IIRC finishing in the top 3 or 4 in the handling class. I have a load of track videos of the Coupe, but here is one at Combe with a modded ITR DC2, when mine had standard shocks and springs and road tyres. The only handling mod was a front strut brace which is standard on many of the later 20VTs.
Combe 2005
Understeering barges? Nope, although they do benefit from a few good handling upgrades for trackwork. The FCCUK team do pretty well at TOTB in the fwd category. IIRC finishing in the top 3 or 4 in the handling class. I have a load of track videos of the Coupe, but here is one at Combe with a modded ITR DC2, when mine had standard shocks and springs and road tyres. The only handling mod was a front strut brace which is standard on many of the later 20VTs.
Combe 2005
FishyDave! - I'm dissapointed
At last years Ten of the Best, I came second (by just 0.17 seconds) in the handling discipline.
I'd agree with some of the comments above - bog standard, A Coupe will struggle round a track - its not what they were designed for and the weight distribution is all wrong.
However, I'd have to disagree with the torque steer comments. Power understeer, yes, but not torquesteer. I run over 400bhp through my front wheels and I don't get torquesteer at all. Its down to how well the car is set up.
A Coupe can be made to handle very well (for many years it was an EVO 5 star car - "handling just copes" - most reviews were complimentary about the handling). I run uprated ARBs, Konis and Eibachs, top and bottom braces and polybushed wishbones.
A Pug GTi would beat me (just) round the tighter corners, but I would completely obliterate him down the straights or around longer sweepers.
Lets put it into perspective - I used to run a TOTALLY standard 20VT Coupe in hillclimbs, but then swapped to a well-modded Honda CRX instead. Despite the obvious advantage of ther Honda in the handling department (double-wishbones at all four corners, much lighter etc) the Fiat was stil quicker, even on tight tracks.
Getting off my high horse I would say that given your relatively modest budget, you wouldn't be able to get a Coupe to the standard needed to be entertaining on track, so I'd recommend something that's going to be quick out of the box. Golf Mk2 16v, Pug GTi, CRX, Astra GTe. For £1,500, the Coupe will be marginal and almost certainly very standard, so would need about the same again spending on it. However, by then, you'd have a pretty formidable FWD weapon
At last years Ten of the Best, I came second (by just 0.17 seconds) in the handling discipline.
I'd agree with some of the comments above - bog standard, A Coupe will struggle round a track - its not what they were designed for and the weight distribution is all wrong.
However, I'd have to disagree with the torque steer comments. Power understeer, yes, but not torquesteer. I run over 400bhp through my front wheels and I don't get torquesteer at all. Its down to how well the car is set up.
A Coupe can be made to handle very well (for many years it was an EVO 5 star car - "handling just copes" - most reviews were complimentary about the handling). I run uprated ARBs, Konis and Eibachs, top and bottom braces and polybushed wishbones.
A Pug GTi would beat me (just) round the tighter corners, but I would completely obliterate him down the straights or around longer sweepers.
Lets put it into perspective - I used to run a TOTALLY standard 20VT Coupe in hillclimbs, but then swapped to a well-modded Honda CRX instead. Despite the obvious advantage of ther Honda in the handling department (double-wishbones at all four corners, much lighter etc) the Fiat was stil quicker, even on tight tracks.
Getting off my high horse
I would say that given your relatively modest budget, you wouldn't be able to get a Coupe to the standard needed to be entertaining on track, so I'd recommend something that's going to be quick out of the box. Golf Mk2 16v, Pug GTi, CRX, Astra GTe. For £1,500, the Coupe will be marginal and almost certainly very standard, so would need about the same again spending on it. However, by then, you'd have a pretty formidable FWD weapon
lol yep it will be.
I've had my Corrado 16v from new - had it turbo'd, schrick cams, aquamist, 8 injectors, 6 speed gearbox etc and after 189000 miles it's still going strong as my daily driver ... love it to bits
... BUT for the OP's stated question and budget, my opinion is that the 205 would be more fun straight out of the box as a track/sprint car 
I've had my Corrado 16v from new - had it turbo'd, schrick cams, aquamist, 8 injectors, 6 speed gearbox etc and after 189000 miles it's still going strong as my daily driver ... love it to bits
... BUT for the OP's stated question and budget, my opinion is that the 205 would be more fun straight out of the box as a track/sprint car Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff