RE: Suzuki Swift Sport: PH Fleet
Discussion
Klippie said:
Come Christmas I'll have had my 14 plate Sport for two years so it's getting near time for a change, the new Turbo Sport is the top of my list my main concern is turbo lag hopefully Suzuki's vast knowledge in building powerful bike engines will produce something special for the Sport.
Plan B is buying new current model Sport if the turbo is a dog there will be plenty run out deals to clear old stock.
Plan B is buying new current model Sport if the turbo is a dog there will be plenty run out deals to clear old stock.
I've come full circle: from lightweight modestly powered hot hatchbacks of the 80's and early 90's, through 20 years of bloated, over-tyred, over-capable [read dull] premium sports cars, and now back to my origins in the shape of the Suzuki Swift Sport. Without doubt, I am loving the Swift Sport because it's a blast from my past but delivered with 21st century technology such as drive-by-wire and excellent crash safety.
The chassis is sublime, and possesses the kind of agility those bloated premium cars can only dream of. The way it can deal with a bend - that your head is telling you will wash out - is simply mindblowing. The Swift Sport is blessed with UK-specific suspension tuning whereas most, I strongly suspect, are generically tuned.
Low weight has numerous advantages such as narrower tyres that improve direction changes, smaller brakes that reduce unsprung weight, less inertia giving faster response, plus many more that I suspect engineers could reel off. It is low weight that made those hot hatchback of the 80's so damn fine and fun to drive.
I'm someone who sees fun in the turns, not going fast in straight lines. So from my perspective the SSS has all the power I need - anything more is just a waste IMO and adds unnecessary running costs.
I bought mine new in March this year and I still relish the opportunity to use it. In my head it is the best car I've driven (very similar to the Renaultsport 19 16v) and for me at least doesn't suffer compromises.
Regarding comments about rust.. No need to worry, it is a very well built car with plenty of underbody protection, and the shell is e-coated. They come with 12 years anti-perforation so the manufacturer is confident at least. Put it this way, I haven't seen rust on a Swift yet and the earliest example I've had a good look at was a 2005. I've seen rust on 'premium' brands younger than this.
Continuing with build quality, IMO the castings and machining you see in the engine bay are first rate and superior to makes costing much more. The wiring and terminations all look/feel well made too. This is real quality, not all that fancy crap pasted onto the dashboard to make you believe you're driving a quality product.
The R4R cars have been mentioned.. They are astonishly reliable and require little more than consumable maintenance. One was actually sold to a private buyer having completed 2,800 laps and had registered 8,760 in overrev. Apparently still drove like new!
Fantastic car and confusingly cheap.
The chassis is sublime, and possesses the kind of agility those bloated premium cars can only dream of. The way it can deal with a bend - that your head is telling you will wash out - is simply mindblowing. The Swift Sport is blessed with UK-specific suspension tuning whereas most, I strongly suspect, are generically tuned.
Low weight has numerous advantages such as narrower tyres that improve direction changes, smaller brakes that reduce unsprung weight, less inertia giving faster response, plus many more that I suspect engineers could reel off. It is low weight that made those hot hatchback of the 80's so damn fine and fun to drive.
I'm someone who sees fun in the turns, not going fast in straight lines. So from my perspective the SSS has all the power I need - anything more is just a waste IMO and adds unnecessary running costs.
I bought mine new in March this year and I still relish the opportunity to use it. In my head it is the best car I've driven (very similar to the Renaultsport 19 16v) and for me at least doesn't suffer compromises.
Regarding comments about rust.. No need to worry, it is a very well built car with plenty of underbody protection, and the shell is e-coated. They come with 12 years anti-perforation so the manufacturer is confident at least. Put it this way, I haven't seen rust on a Swift yet and the earliest example I've had a good look at was a 2005. I've seen rust on 'premium' brands younger than this.
Continuing with build quality, IMO the castings and machining you see in the engine bay are first rate and superior to makes costing much more. The wiring and terminations all look/feel well made too. This is real quality, not all that fancy crap pasted onto the dashboard to make you believe you're driving a quality product.
The R4R cars have been mentioned.. They are astonishly reliable and require little more than consumable maintenance. One was actually sold to a private buyer having completed 2,800 laps and had registered 8,760 in overrev. Apparently still drove like new!
Fantastic car and confusingly cheap.
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