Is the V6 S a little slow these days?
Discussion
I have just struggled to keep up with the local chav in his 306 over about half a mile... yeah I know I shouldn't rise to the bait
I did keep the distance constant but didn't close the gap... admittedly his engine sounded like it was going to blow up and it probably had ben tinkered with...
but do you find that the V6 just isn't that quick these days compared to newer cars?
I know it sounds great and everything but it is starting to feel slow... what with that and a house move in the offing I may even sell up and save for a couple of years and get something with some more get up and go....
I did keep the distance constant but didn't close the gap... admittedly his engine sounded like it was going to blow up and it probably had ben tinkered with... but do you find that the V6 just isn't that quick these days compared to newer cars?
I know it sounds great and everything but it is starting to feel slow... what with that and a house move in the offing I may even sell up and save for a couple of years and get something with some more get up and go....
Watch out, you're at the top of a slippery slope ...
My old S2 was fast, handled great, had great fun on track and off, could see most cars off in a straight line but wasn't the fastest car on the road. After a while I wondered whether the chassis would cope with just a little more power and thought perhaps it would, so I bought the V8S. The V8S was *really* fast, handled even better than the S2, oh what fun. Still not overpowered though, and after a while I came to think that it would cope with just a little more oomph. So I did all the usual tuning things, cam, heads, induction, chipped. It was a real screamer. What more could you ask for? Well more mid-range torque would be nice, and it still wasn't feeling overpowered, so I thought perhaps I'd try a bigger engine. So the tuned 4.0 was replaced with a similarly tuned 4.6. Huge torque, revved well, nice light well-balanced car, and enough performance to give a Cerbera a run for the money. But still not overpowered, I felt. And the acceleration really does tail off once you get into fifth gear. So what we need now is a cheap and easy way to loads more power. A fancy engine would be easy but not cheap, nitrous is out (not allowed for motorsport), turbos were an option but I've always fancied adding a supercharger so that was settled. It's currently off the road while I get the engine management system sorted out, but it was my daily drive for six months so I've got used to it. It certainly goes well, but it doesn't spin the wheels in *every* gear (unless there's an R in the month), but luckily I picked the biggest supercharger that Eaton make so there's plenty of room for growth ...
My old S2 was fast, handled great, had great fun on track and off, could see most cars off in a straight line but wasn't the fastest car on the road. After a while I wondered whether the chassis would cope with just a little more power and thought perhaps it would, so I bought the V8S. The V8S was *really* fast, handled even better than the S2, oh what fun. Still not overpowered though, and after a while I came to think that it would cope with just a little more oomph. So I did all the usual tuning things, cam, heads, induction, chipped. It was a real screamer. What more could you ask for? Well more mid-range torque would be nice, and it still wasn't feeling overpowered, so I thought perhaps I'd try a bigger engine. So the tuned 4.0 was replaced with a similarly tuned 4.6. Huge torque, revved well, nice light well-balanced car, and enough performance to give a Cerbera a run for the money. But still not overpowered, I felt. And the acceleration really does tail off once you get into fifth gear. So what we need now is a cheap and easy way to loads more power. A fancy engine would be easy but not cheap, nitrous is out (not allowed for motorsport), turbos were an option but I've always fancied adding a supercharger so that was settled. It's currently off the road while I get the engine management system sorted out, but it was my daily drive for six months so I've got used to it. It certainly goes well, but it doesn't spin the wheels in *every* gear (unless there's an R in the month), but luckily I picked the biggest supercharger that Eaton make so there's plenty of room for growth ...
Lets be honest, unless you spend shedloads of dosh, the 4L Rovers get a hard time from all the chav boys and others as well.
I had to go up to 120mph on this private road to get rid of a persistant Cooper S BMW hairdressers car who insisted on inspecting my tailpipes at close range.
No when I get an S again as I doubtless will, this time I won't turn it into a racer but just put the Cossie engine in it and maybe get Boosted's kit and caboodle so I can turbo it later.
Probably 215bhp out of the box, which is more than my 4L Chim gave at the rolling road session, with loads more if I want it.
I had to go up to 120mph on this private road to get rid of a persistant Cooper S BMW hairdressers car who insisted on inspecting my tailpipes at close range.
No when I get an S again as I doubtless will, this time I won't turn it into a racer but just put the Cossie engine in it and maybe get Boosted's kit and caboodle so I can turbo it later.
Probably 215bhp out of the box, which is more than my 4L Chim gave at the rolling road session, with loads more if I want it.
Love Peter's post 
, it really sums it all up and thanks to him I've stopped at the lets tune the 4ltr stage 
.
Problem now being is you can never have enough power so I've started with a Cerb project
exactly how I left off with the the V8S and am getting the engine built to order before I've even driven it, as if it didn't have enough power to begin with 
.
To answer the first question, yes modern cars are getting quicker, most hot ones are quicker iteh real wold than a V6 S. However, they will not have half the fun at twice the speed you can have in any varient of the S series.
, it really sums it all up and thanks to him I've stopped at the lets tune the 4ltr stage . Problem now being is you can never have enough power so I've started with a Cerb project
exactly how I left off with the the V8S and am getting the engine built to order before I've even driven it, as if it didn't have enough power to begin with . To answer the first question, yes modern cars are getting quicker, most hot ones are quicker iteh real wold than a V6 S. However, they will not have half the fun at twice the speed you can have in any varient of the S series
.the gazman said:
Lets be honest, unless you spend shedloads of dosh, the 4L Rovers get a hard time from all the chav boys and others as well.
Even if you do spend the dosh, there will always be faster cars out there and they will get more common with time. Only last year I was followed across town by something that looked vaguely like a Renault Clio, I think I had the edge on him in terms of straight line acceleration up to <cough> mph, but to be honest there wasn't much in it. There are plenty of souped up buzz boxes that are faster than my little V8S, and I expect most of them are far more practical, and have had less time and money spent on them.
Thank God for this post Guys here was I thinking that struggling to keep pace with a Rover 214 si was scraping the bottom of the barrel, after having had problems getting past a Honda Accord 2.0 VTEC on Sunday. Ah well it least there is that soundtrack and the sheer fun of driving it but, a Griff is looking tempting, I do not think I could contemplate either Peter or Harry's route to more power.
And to think I slated LordB after he failed to keep pace with a Focus TDi and ended up buying a cossie westfield
Back to idle contemplation I suppose
YB
And to think I slated LordB after he failed to keep pace with a Focus TDi and ended up buying a cossie westfield
Back to idle contemplation I suppose
YB
www.pistonheads.com/tvr/s/Default.asp?storyId=7562 After the Austec work the manifolds were replaced, a powerboost valve fitted and the air intake pipes smoothed and I got to 212bhp... it was certainly enough to harrass the 4L cars...
HarryW said:
To answer the first question, yes modern cars are getting quicker, most hot ones are quicker iteh real wold than a V6 S. However, they will not have half the fun at twice the speed you can have in any varient of the S series .
.For me the S isn't just about speed. My everyday Golf TDI is a quick, refined, economical, practical, easy to drive ABS'd car that you can easily get spares for ....... but does it make me smile like the V6 S.....OF COURSE NOT!
Longers
i would have to agree that ultimate performance isnt the be-all and end-all. I have driven a few mates Lancer EVOs (modified 6 and FQ Evo 7) subarus etc and they are hugely capable performance cars, but they are a bit soleless. Even their owners like a blast in noisy old blackpool kit car that smells of evostik and damp! Modern stuff tends to have a high grip threshold, but when you pass it, its often good night vienna.
TVRs are supposed to be fast, brutish sportscars but I often worry that I'd never see off this, that or the other in my V8S and wonder what the point of burning so much fuel for the given performance, when even a run of the mill 1.8L repmobile can, in the real world, pull away from me unless I really floor it (which could be down to my wimpy driving. of course).
It's not slow at all but there are now so many quick production cars out there which would easily get from point A to point B somewhat quicker than the Tiv. Not much can touch me in-gear in 2nd and 3rd though.
But then I sink back into the leather and open my ears.
Worries? What worries?
It's not slow at all but there are now so many quick production cars out there which would easily get from point A to point B somewhat quicker than the Tiv. Not much can touch me in-gear in 2nd and 3rd though.
But then I sink back into the leather and open my ears.
Worries? What worries?
I must admit that my percecption of having a fast car took a dent after a recent drive in the S3erbera, it was frankly quite frightening to have 350+bhp in something that weighs about 840k, after my other cars.
However my 3000S only had about 125bhp and the noise and fun factor still beat any car I had ever owned.
D
However my 3000S only had about 125bhp and the noise and fun factor still beat any car I had ever owned.
D
my v8s has a 4.6 in it with all the trimmings (not very technical)and it goes like stink as it is putting out around three hundred brake i am very happy with it and i have to say i dont usually struggle to lose unwanted tailgaters so in my opinion the s can be a very quick car so you dont have to go down the griff route unless you really want to.gary
Having taken someone on a test drive last night and after them having been the owner an S3, Chim & M3 and for them to comment after quick 2/3 gear blats 'brutal' brings a smile to your face and a realisation no they aren't that slow either .
Never understood the upgrade to a Chim/Griff bit myself, plenty enougth oompth in the old V8S to satisfy anyone.
. Never understood the upgrade to a Chim/Griff bit myself, plenty enougth oompth in the old V8S to satisfy anyone
.You also have to bear in mind that the S is an 80's sports car, a time when the iconic hot hatch was a VW Gold GTI had 134bhp. Compared to that the S is quick. 16 years later you're average hot hatch has a much more efficiant engine and on average 170bhp genuine. The top end hot hatches having 225 bhp which is pretty close to the Griff/Chims.
Wildfire said:
You also have to bear in mind that the S is an 80's sports car, a time when the iconic hot hatch was a VW Gold GTI had 134bhp. Compared to that the S is quick. 16 years later you're average hot hatch has a much more efficiant engine and on average 170bhp genuine. The top end hot hatches having 225 bhp which is pretty close to the Griff/Chims.
Also, something that has changed is that production cars have got heavier (aswell as power increases), but TVR's are pretty constant. At normal speeds even a slightly lower powered TVR can have an advantage, but at higher speeds the lower drag of the production car (strange how ugly cars can be so aerodynamically efficient), will even overcome the extra weight of the safety lard that it would be equipt with too !
longers said:
[For me the S isn't just about speed. My everyday Golf TDI is a quick, refined, economical, practical, easy to drive ABS'd car that you can easily get spares for ....... but does it make me smile like the V6 S.....OF COURSE NOT!
Longers
Longers
Longers - You have just said it all. In nice weather with the top off my S4 gives me so much pleasure, even pottering along. Then every so often you see off a Mazda or MG, and the smile gets bigger. I ignore what the Euroboxes are doing.
Mark P
This is a really interesting thread for me. I've decided that even though I'm young, I'm working my way into TVR ownership.....lifes too short.
Being realistic, all thats in my prospective price band is the Wedges and the S V6's. And my worry is that the V6 wouldn't be as brutal as a TVR should be.
That said I'm young, a brutal car with a overkeen nipper driving it is bound to end in tears.
Probably sideways tears.
My recent pride and joy has been a Citroen BX 16v (stop laughing). The truth is that for a 1.9, this car goes some (160bhp in 1000kg shell with short ratios)! But currently I've had a run of bad luck with it so feeling its time to move up a level.
How fast is the average V6? Silly question I know, but in the Citroen I can quite easily pull 135mph no worries. Not to say I do, but thats the kind of performance I've got right now. More would be nice, but lets not get carried away.
The thing thats swaying it for me is I recently went out in Tony's (T66ORA I think) Tamora. First TVR ride ever. Totally loved it, loved the car...everything. I've been in faster cars before...tuned Jap crap etc. But it wasn't how fast it went, it was the way it went fast. Is that true of the V6's?
Cheers
Being realistic, all thats in my prospective price band is the Wedges and the S V6's. And my worry is that the V6 wouldn't be as brutal as a TVR should be.
That said I'm young, a brutal car with a overkeen nipper driving it is bound to end in tears.
Probably sideways tears.
My recent pride and joy has been a Citroen BX 16v (stop laughing). The truth is that for a 1.9, this car goes some (160bhp in 1000kg shell with short ratios)! But currently I've had a run of bad luck with it so feeling its time to move up a level.
How fast is the average V6? Silly question I know, but in the Citroen I can quite easily pull 135mph no worries. Not to say I do, but thats the kind of performance I've got right now. More would be nice, but lets not get carried away.
The thing thats swaying it for me is I recently went out in Tony's (T66ORA I think) Tamora. First TVR ride ever. Totally loved it, loved the car...everything. I've been in faster cars before...tuned Jap crap etc. But it wasn't how fast it went, it was the way it went fast. Is that true of the V6's?
Cheers
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