nice s series

[daz the plumber]

ive not seen an engine bay that nice !

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/839353.htm

[lesstatt]

Id have to agree there, exterior, engine bay and interior look fantastic.............. except for the wheels they just look wrong on that car and almost lost in the wheelarches, have to budget for original wheels or something not so bling

[Red V8]

+ 1 wheels spoil the car

[M@H]

Red V8 said:

+ 1 wheels spoil the car

+2 but you can change the wheels, and the rest looks great

Tricky one to value really though as it was a Cat C write off - is £7.5k the right money - non-register cars are going for £7-8k at present?

Matt.

[Chris71]

+ 3

Half on the look out for a V8S at the moment (or a Chim, hence the lurking ) and saw that one.

[M@H]

Chris71 said:

+ 3

Half on the look out for a V8S at the moment (or a Chim, hence the lurking ) and saw that one.

Ditto, albeit already have a Chim - its a completely different sort of driving feel to the S series - not in a bad way, just different.

Matt.

[steve-V8s]

Handbrake cable looks to be a bit slack

[Chris71]

M@H said:

Chris71 said:

+ 3

Half on the look out for a V8S at the moment (or a Chim, hence the lurking ) and saw that one.

Ditto, albeit already have a Chim - its a completely different sort of driving feel to the S series - not in a bad way, just different.

Matt.

Ok, seems I'm seriously contemplating both at the moment (from an S3), I've got to ask you to explain the relative merrits.

Took out a Chim 400 the other day, loved the drive train (that V8 is so damn smooth), loved the build quality and the ergonomics and the ride, but the PAS steering actually felt a tad aloof compared to the S.

[M@H]

Chris71 said:

M@H said:

Chris71 said:

+ 3

Half on the look out for a V8S at the moment (or a Chim, hence the lurking ) and saw that one.

Ditto, albeit already have a Chim - its a completely different sort of driving feel to the S series - not in a bad way, just different.

Matt.

Ok, seems I'm seriously contemplating both at the moment (from an S3), I've got to ask you to explain the relative merrits.

Took out a Chim 400 the other day, loved the drive train (that V8 is so damn smooth), loved the build quality and the ergonomics and the ride, but the PAS steering actually felt a tad aloof compared to the S.

Yeah the PAS is not considered to be the "thing to have".. non pas really isn't that heavy unless you're trying to heave the car into a parking space without the wheels turning.

To try and summaries the two, the Chimaera is a nice GT car, good looks, big boot, comfy ride, enough power for warp factor if needed but eqaully happy burbling along the road "lookin' good" too.

As you will know, the the V6 S Series is more MGB GT than GT - Feels a bit like a kit car, makes lots of noise, various things rattle and shake, but it is nimble on the road with enough go to give you "fun" and "spirited" driving without going silly speeds.

The V8S is somewhat of a halfway house.. a stiffer chassis and wider track than the V6 give it a bit more grippy planted feeling, the Pre-cat gives you the grunt and noise, but it isn't as practical as the Chimaera (smaller boot) and the creature comforts and styling aren't quite that the Chim. A bit more of the "spirited" nature, and a bit less of the "GT cruising" nature.. depends what you are after really.

All IMHO naturally.

Cheers,
Matt.

[Chris71]

M@H said:

Yeah the PAS is not considered to be the "thing to have".. non pas really isn't that heavy unless you're trying to heave the car into a parking space without the wheels turning.

To try and summaries the two, the Chimaera is a nice GT car, good looks, big boot, comfy ride, enough power for warp factor if needed but eqaully happy burbling along the road "lookin' good" too.

As you will know, the the V6 S Series is more MGB GT than GT - Feels a bit like a kit car, makes lots of noise, various things rattle and shake, but it is nimble on the road with enough go to give you "fun" and "spirited" driving without going silly speeds.

The V8S is somewhat of a halfway house.. a stiffer chassis and wider track than the V6 give it a bit more grippy planted feeling, the Pre-cat gives you the grunt and noise, but it isn't as practical as the Chimaera (smaller boot) and the creature comforts and styling aren't quite that the Chim. A bit more of the "spirited" nature, and a bit less of the "GT cruising" nature.. depends what you are after really.

All IMHO naturally.

Cheers,
Matt.

Interesting, I mentioned I wasn't sure about the steering, asked about non-PAS cars and the dealer assured me the PAS was the one to go for. May be linked to the fact he only had PAS cars in stock.

The performance difference wasn't as big as expected. I think my S3 has been breathed on in the past, but you still had to work that 400 quite hard to feel like it was going quicker than the V6 S. What really confuses me is the usual comparison between the Chim and the Griff (with one as an in-yer-face sports car and one as a GT, much like above), but I think that's maybe a question for a different thread.

Did love the cabin and general build quality on the Chim though. Even coming from a late (well screwed together) S it was a noticeable improvement.