Whats a valver like against today's hot hatches??

Just wondering what a standard valver is like against modern cars?
Im looking at getting one, and while im not too bothered about speed, Id like one to be reasonably quick.
I know the figures, and understand the car is 20 years old... But how does it stand against todays 'quick' cars?
I dont want to go trawling through performance figures and comparing them, Anyone got any first hand experiences?
Cheers.

 

Most hot hatches these days have been toned down, with all the emissions and stuff. What can you really class a a hot hatch ?

Peugeot 206 GTI 180
MG ZR 160
Ford Fiesta ST
Renault Clio Sport (the one at 190ish BHP)
Vauxhall Corsa GSI/SRI
VW GTI's

I've only had a couple of encounters with the above list and i always came out on top. But that might be to driver confidence/attitude/experience.

 

Well when I came on here and had bought an R32, most valver owners seemed to think it was slow!

I would say you'd have an advantage in the twisties (much lighter) but the brakes of the valver are pretty poor and it's a bit low on torque.

My 8v mk3 always felt pretty quick tbh.

 

Its all relative to the power to weight ratio tbh.

How much power is pulling how much weight. Mk2 GTI's have power to weight ratio of approx 150bhp. Try and find power to weight figs for your more modern hot hatches and there in lies the answer you seek.

For what its worth though - modern cars = safety orientated with gadgets which means added weight. Valver for power to weight is very good which is why you can upset Mr BMW and Mr Rover.

 

i dunno, that clio cup certainly shifts for a diddy little car.As db says, power2weight ratio says it all.

 

Yep - The R32 (regarded as a super hatch) was slightly over 160bhp/tonne so 150 is very healthy.

BMWs weigh SH*T loads - The 328i has a pretty bad power/weight despite being quite powerful.

Also noticed that at VW racing events, the floor was wiped by older FWD cars and the R32 was pretty bad - It's just too heavy.

Same with modern hatches - Very few weigh under 1200kgs.

 

I suppose Power2weight is what makes a caterham seem silly quick.
Whats the stock weight of a valver then?
Anyone got any links to performance figures? Can only find cr4p websites.

 

this should cover it : http://www.fasthatchbacks.com/cardetails.php?make=(20)&range=(141)&model=(574)&gen=2)%20(88-92

 

Cheers seraph!

 

That site's pretty cool. How accurate is the data though?
Anyone had any on *eherrrm* track experiences?

 

Hmm - i would say a valver would compete with the "warm" hatches - but the "hot" ones will trounce a valver (ie Civic type R, golf GTI, bmw 130, mini cooper s). Plus to stand any chance you have to thrash the nuts off it as has been mentioned its not the torquiest of lumps.

Dan

 

Isnt a 2.0l bottom end the answer to all problems then?
Isnt it an extra 50lbs/ft?
Just kidding.

When you say golf gti, do you mean a mk5? Are the mk4 1.8t in standard form pants?
whats the bmw 130?

 

A 2ltr mk2 is a LOT more fun than the 1.8 IMO. Before mine was set up it stuck with a Clio Sport 182 from 3rd gear upwards....just for comparison of course.

A lot of it depends on the drivers and from what I've seen people tend to drive new cars a bit more on the edge without realising because of all the safety features they have.

 

I'd say its the MKV GTI, with its much improved chassis and 200 ponies, and 0-60 of 6.7-7.0ish secs.

BMW 130i is 3L 261bhp giving 0-60 of 5.9secs, don't know what the overall driving experience is like though.

 

Interesting site - I see they do torque/weight.

My Astra matches an Audi S4 (V8 one) and thrashes and M3 on that figure!

 

Ahh one series 3L. Sounds like a beast.... I thought you where on about a bmw engine type being 130 or something.
Ive seen the S-works mini's, arent they supercharged 1.6's? Sound pretty sweet the growl they make as standard.

I see on that website it has the valver down at 120bhp/tonne. And the weight at 1111kg.
Is this correct? I thought the mk2 only weighed a tad over a tonne?

It seems for a 20 year old car the golf holds it own on the road.
Whats the 16v like handling wise? I used to love pinning my old driver through tight twisties. Id expect the 16v to be the same if not better but with the bonus of power to floor it out of it.
I cant wait to testdrive one. Im sure it will be a big difference to my 1.6 driver

Obviously its a front wheel drive car, but whats it like to lay the power down? I used to struggle to stop my driver wheelspinning when pulling away from corners on busroutes (from the diesel spilled) in the wet.
Then again I am heavy footed at times. Does it accelerate ok when rolling in say second?

 

i have to thrash my valver to make it move. abou 3800 rpm onwards it pulls quite well. below that its pretty gutless but this makes driving it fun cos when your going fast its always screaming and it sounds good.

 

evo mag did a hatchback mega test a few months ago, had about 15 of them in there.

ill dig it out and see if there was anything interesting in there

 

If you thought your 1.6 was fun then your going to be giggling like a little girl in a valver

From what I remember of the VW factory figs a 3dr mk2 16v had a dry weight of 937kg (or 973kg cant remember which) so wet weight of 1111kg sounds right.

If you got a valver set up propperly around the 150bhp mark then you have a good chance of beating anything modern and the lower side of 190bhp I'd say.

 

im going from a driver to a gti loved the difference on the way home