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

Back when our golfs were made i assume there wasn't as much emphasis on safety or drivers aids so back then vw probably didn't have to make as much effort to keep the weight down. So i give nuff respect to the good hot hatches car manafacturers produce these days because they have to make more effort to create good selling hatchbacks, lets be fair the "proper" hot hatches there are about are not to be shrugged at: A clio 182,megane trophy or a skoda ?? vrs are pretty mental and have the benefit of appealing to sainsbury bag carrying mums.

Car manafacturers have to think about sales over performance with hatchbacks as these are usually cheapest models to produce and main areas of profit. It cost a lot less to make a valver quick in the 80's as it does to make a lardy jelly mould with airbags, power steering, aircon and other performance killing desired extras today.

 

ooh!....finally a realistic explanation!

 

I think a valver would struggle against most modern hot hatches and even hot TDI`s , i can pedal my Audi 2.0 TDI A3 to be quicker than my valver i am sure and my 2.0 valver has 174bhp. But speed is not everything,

I think the valver is much more fun to drive and make the corners great which is my fav part, The audi traction control/ESP does all sorts of things mostly for the better, but you cannot hang it or slide it as i starts putting the brakes on and doing all sorts , fine for a normal driver on the way home from the shops

In short the modern car may be faster but the VW valver is more nimble and great fun

 

Ive got a 2.0 bottom end valver pushin out 170bhp and i can embaress Civic Type R's, Mk5 Gti's etc.

Ive also got mental torque so that helps!

 

I think the real comparrison can be made when you take into account a valver is a 1.8litre normally aspirated engine. I dont think you get 1.8 litre normally aspirated hot hatches now do you? All turbo powered or 2.0litre etc.

Add on to that 15 years and you got to be pleased with your valver.

 

That is a very good point another thing to consider, in 10-15 years how many turbo's do you think these would have gone through ? Turbos are really expensive and it is something i would seriously grudge paying for !

Personally I prefer older "hot hatches" like the golfs or XR2i's over the likes of a Fiseta ST or a C2 VTR/VTS

 

Earlier this year I swapped my Renaultsport Megane 225 Trophy for a Splitty Campervan. I can't begin to compare that Renault to my 16V, they are totally different. The 225 would annihilate the valver without doubt........but then I still own the valver.....It outdrives the Renault all day long

 

horses for courses isnt it. All comes down to the overall drive and what you want your car to do/what you need it to do. I know there is quicker out there, but for 16 years old, and just shy of 130,000 miles I dont think you can beat a valver.

 

In my opinion the mk2 valver is great handling and generally a pretty easy drive. Its pretty good off the lights because there isnt much torque to spin up, but if your against something on a rolling start it can be tough.
A lot of the time i thought i was beating cars then would come up against someone driving properly. Clio sports, mini cooper s's, bmw 330's, civic type r's could all quite easily creep past me.
They are good for an old car, but a standard one isnt going to beat a modern hot hatch (or diesel at high speed).

 

Mines the opposite, its not that good off the mark because it has no low down torque but once its up to 4000 rpm it seems to do ok.

 

If you want 'off the mark' speed then you'll need an 8V! I just think 8v's feel better, you dont have to rev the tits of them to use the power. You get a 16v and the power kicks in at about 4500 rpm whereas with an 8v you get it from about 2500 Personally, and thats what its all about, what YOU want, i like the more torquey engine!
Best 'Hot' hatch out at the moment for pure enjoyment seems to be the new Uber Leon! With a modified 2.0TSi in it. 237bhp i think. And for a considerably cheaper price than cars with similar horsepower...correct me if im wrong on that one...
Jonny.

 

The 8v isn't more torquey, it's a common myth - the 16v pulls just as hard from the word go and then goes harder at the 4k mark. There's a torque graph on here somewhere which shows this - although if you go on stats there's 0.2 seconds difference 0-60 and the biggest difference between 8v and 16v is top end speed. If you want a mk2 that beats modern cars, put a new engine in it!

 

here we go[:^(]

 

i think most modern drivers are supprised what the old mk2s can do

 

Dont worry, im not going any further! I just like how that engine feels! If i could insure one i'd have a 16v tbh, just for potential power!
And if funkbaron says the graphs are the same ill agree. Im not right knowledgeable with this kinda thing, so ill just bow out!
Jonny.

 

Most insurers count the 8v and 16v under the same bracket, so you shouldn't pay any more...
Im 20 and insured tpft on my valver for a little over a grand...

 

Beating somebody in a "race" is as much about the driver in control of the car as it is the car itself.

clio sport = v6
bmw 330 = 3.0
civic type r = 2.0l i-Vtec
mini cooper s = 1.6 turbo (i think)

I could go on but I think you get the idea

Obviously the roads are for driving on, and racing should be kept to test tracks etc.

 

i thought the S in cooper s means supercharger??
anyone??

 

Oh yeah i totally agree db. It is also down to driver skill, but in a straight line if you know how to rev a car properly and change gear you don't need all that much. Obviously different on a track.

The 2.0 NA clio sports i was talking about 172 and 182. And the mini is a 1.6 supercharged with about 160bhp i think? So both with their extra weight should be a fairly good match with the golf.

I see what your saying about the engines, but from what other people are saying the weight should counter-act it, but in reality this doesn't really seem to be the case.

Like others have said for a 1.8 NA it is good but personally i don't think it can really compete with the straight line acceleration and speed of the modern cars. Round a track im sure it is quite different, but i can't really comment on that.

I do love the old golfs, really starting to miss the handling and re-assuring drive.

 

Old Cooper S was supercharged - new one is a 1600 turbo, engine shared with Pug GTI