really really want an audi s3

[jedi-knight83 0]

sorry... but im board of the corrado again.. love afair was re ignited briefly when i got the paintwork and the schrick done but im board of the rattles and squeeks.

 

what i really want though is an S3....what do you think of them? i dont know much about them to be honest?

 

1.8 turbo.. about 220bhp arent they? or are there different specs depending on age?

 

any advice or comments.

 

ta

[bcstudent 0]

Early ones are 210bhp...later ones are 225bhp. I believe they all use the same engine and turbo with a different ECU map. Responds well to Revo.

[CazzaVR 0]

Yeh, earlier ones were around 210 bhp, later are 225 I think.

 

Always liked them myself- bit stealthy, great performance, 4 wheel drive, build etc etc. General concensus seems to be that they are quite soulless though :?

[CazzaVR 0]

bcstudent beat me to it

[Kevin Bacon 5]

S3s are wicked cars. They hold their prices too, so you're going to need a minimum of £10K mate, for something half decent. I'd personally up the budget to £15K to £18K and get a last of the line old shape one.

 

I'd happily dump the Corrado for an S3 but not for that sort of money. Not worth it and how many A3s do you see compared to Corrados?

 

Squeaks and rattles the only thing bothering you? They can be rectified cheaply and easily mate.....

 

Don't be such a defeatist....although I have to admit, S3 grass is greener than Corrado grass....but then you are comparing a late 4x4 Turbocharged Audi to an naturally aspirated 80s Coupe, so no comparison really.

 

Good luck if that's what you decide to go for.

 

And welcome back if this was a moment of melancholy induced madness :wink:

[Ford 0]

how many A3s do you see compared to Corrados?

 

I agree, if I was going to change from a corrado and spend between 10-20k it would have to be something really rare and special.... maybe an alfa SZ ... with 3.5 lt v6, I think only a couple of hundred made it to the uk and zagato designed- rarer than a storm. Or perhaps a really decent low miler Lancia Delta HF integrale Evo, the original and best.... problem is LHD though....

 

Anyway, dont do it!

[jedi-knight83 0]

maybe an alfa SZ ... with 3.5 lt v6,

 

...which will spend its life in bits being fixed cause alfa are poo! :lol:

 

Dont get me wrong. i love the rareness of the corrado and the purr of the vr6 and im not fed up with the speed atall.. just the fact its old and my heater dials are getting stiff and it rattles and is annoying .... and i like the look of the s3.. we will see.. i'll test drive a few first to see what i think. Id prob look around the 12k - 14k mark. i have seen some late 225bhp versions with lovely black leather recaro, 50k, xenons, bose, etc for about 12k

[pablo_vr6 0]

I plan to move to an S3 next summer too. the corrado is a wicked car but I need to get back into the high 200s bhp again and the C isnt going to allow me to do that cheaply or easily

[Ford 0]

...which will spend its life in bits being fixed cause alfa are poo!

 

They are getting better though, had an Alfa 147 for a year and nothing went wrong with it, felt well put together and solid too, great fun to drive. Dark red leather was amazing too. Best bit was the the dash was so well designed. The speedo could only be seen by the driver! You could get away with so much while the girlfriend was nattering. Had it up to 120mph (on a disused airfield of course) and the girlfriend didn't even notice. Now I get a clip round the ear everytime I am 5 miles over the speed limit as everybody can see it in a C. Wouldn't say no to the new Alfa GT... pitty about the cr.p depreciation though, hence I have a C. - I guess that comment went full circle...

 

Can't blame you for going for an S3 though. Good luck. I will happilly buy your C when you are done!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

i have seen some late 225bhp versions with lovely black leather recaro, 50k, xenons, bose, etc for about 12k

 

That's a good price 8)

 

What age did they get the 225 flavour engine? They're good for 280 bhp with a Revo chip. And a fair bit more if you play with the turbo and fit a decent front mount intercooler.

 

I'm not aware of any major shortcomings on the S3 either, so no more busted heaters or sunrooves!

[corradophil 3]

Can't afford an S3, but have a Seat Leon Cupra, 1.8T (180 BHP) Audi A3 dash, it goes well, quieter, more refined and dare I say it, bettere handling than the C, but apart from putting the windows down to listen to the turbo when you floor it, it just cannot match the C for fun. It is just a machine which gets me around, whereas the C almost feels alive when you drive it. The Leon averages 28 MPG driving in normal conditions.

I'm considering selling the Leon and using my C evey day again.

[pablo_vr6 0]

there is a fair difference between 180 and 225bhp tho ;) and if the S3 suffers from a lack of soul a remap and FMIC will soon see that sorted!!!!!

 

Im allocating 2k on top of purchase price for mine. 1k for a set of Azev Cs and 1k for engine work :)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

more refined and dare I say it, better handling than the C

 

Handling is a subjective thing as it's not just about how flat it corners, but also how well it grips and how much confidence it instils in you.

 

The Corrado's famed handling is wearing thin now. Sure it was fantastic when launched in the 80s, but modern FWD cars can match or beat it easily enough now.

 

The feeling of being alive is what it's all about though. It's characterful, involving, feelsome and annoying and pleasurable in equal measure! All the best relationships are tempestous ones :lol:

 

The Corrado is far from dull or past it, but it's by no means what it was 10 years ago.

[jedi-knight83 0]

so what it the engine? 1.8 thats obvious

 

it says 5 valve... is that 5 valves per cyclinder? so its the infamous 20v people talk about?

 

aparently there was a face lift in 2001 aswell.

 

225 bhp, leather recaros..(and have you seen the recaros...proper ones not the crappy corrado ones :roll: ) xenons, 4wd, turbo...oh dear. im in trouble.. better book me a test drive and hope i hate it otherwise it looks like my mind is made up

 

wonder what the insurance will be like?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Audi go by 5v, VW use 20v.... both the same thing. 4 x 5V per cylinder.

 

The 180 engine uses the KKK03 turbo and was never in the S3.

 

The 210 and 225 engines use the bigger KKK04 turbo but I think the later 225s got a slight variance with variable pitch blades IIRC (???) and a remap.

[pablo_vr6 0]

insurance for me is comparable to the corrado i think. admiral didnt actually list the S3 so i put quattro turbo or something.

[seanoVR 0]

Friend of mine just bought an 03 plate S3 for £22k. More money than sense really- although silver, with 18" rims, Bose, Leather etc... It is an awesome looking car,and the handling, unsurprisingly is excellent. However, It really didn't impress me with the power. It just didn't feel fast at all in a straight line- a little bit sluggish. However my friend was in the car as I was driving it,so I may not have been squeezing every little bit out of it...

Gotta agree though that it is leagues apart in terms of the build quality, and a nice cabin to be in!!

Oh yeah, my friend is 23 with 0 NCB and paying £2300 insurance......

[jedi-knight83 0]

1k for a set of Azev Cs

 

no way... im just looking for one with the 18" rs4 wheels.. they suit it very nicely!

 

high miles but look at this one

 

 

http://www.audi-sport.net/ubbthreads/sh ... o=&fpart=1

 

*mod edit - pic thumbnailed - Henny*

[pablo_vr6 0]

so if a remap is planned then the 210bhp would be the one to go for as it will be cheaper? any other differences?

[pablo_vr6 0]

1k for a set of Azev Cs

 

no way... im just looking for one with the 18" rs4 wheels.. they suit it very nicely!

 

high miles but look at this one

 

 

http://www.audi-sport.net/ubbthreads/sh ... o=&fpart=1

 

*mod edit - pic thumbnailed - Henny*

 

I WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah I'd save a bit of money and get a 210bhp one. Then lose the winky little coolers from the arches, fit a full frontal IC and then Revo it. Should see you into the 270+ territory quite easily, with torque to match.

 

If you can find a 225 for similar money as you've got more to start with but I'm not 100% sure of the changes it got over the 210. Pretty minor ones. An S3 forum will have the answers.

 

I would steer clear of 18s. They may look nice but they're heavy and ruin the ride imo.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Shall we have a Group Buy on S3s then? :lol:

[pablo_vr6 0]

ca-ching!!!!

[jedi-knight83 0]

ha a group buy. all swap our corrados for s3's

 

whats a revo? some kind of remap thing? i wonder what the 210 as standard would feel like against the vr6?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The 210 S3 won't be any quicker than the VR6, in fact it isn't as I know for sure :lol:

 

It 'feels' quicker because of the turbo power delivery but the VR is capable of keeping up no problem. Revo the S3 (yep it's a chip) and the VR is history.

 

The 225 S3 is probably a wee bit quicker than the VR but the S3 is heavier.

 

Once you get to 200 bhp mate, there is very little to seperate a car with that much power. You're talking small improvements per 20-30bhp difference, not night-and-day.

I.e. a 230 bhp S3 would only be marginally quicker than a VR, not substantially so.