Whats With The New Hatches These Days?

[lingeringsoul]

All these new hatches coming out these days are making me a little uneasy. VW R32- 3.2L engine, BMW 130 - 3 L engine......I remember hatches used to be 1.3 -1.8 litres but lately, these bigger displacement engines are becoming increasinly popular in small hatches. Then there's the new Mazda whatever turbo hatch with 195kw, jez, they are just getting more and more powerful.

I don't know, maybe I'm just jealous because I have a small dick........engine.

:sorcerer:

[ctjet]

yeah but i think its great... petrol is becoming rediculous so heres the alternative. A small car that doesnt chew much juice, but can still shake a tailfeather if needed!! Personally i like the new turbo Astra and Mazda 3 MPS.

Dont know what the market is like for aftermarket parts on cars like this though, in terms of engine and performance mods i mean. Dont know of many tuners that can hook up a Power FC to a Astra. I would love to see what an Astra turbo with cooler, bit of boost and ECU could do.

[lingeringsoul]

I personally think they got the design perfect for the new astra. Saw one the other day with some sexy 18" or is it 19"s, couldn't take my eyes off it. Imagine these hatches with some basic go fast bits like exhaust, cold air intake and up some boost, damn, I'd be worried.

[Leewah]

R32 Golf for the win!!!

[MK2]

They dont run on happy-thoughts and the smell of an oily rag to make the power they do, however Joe Smoe buyer thinks they might or really doesnt care one way or another and buys them anyway.

[mad082]

the power output coming out of some of these hatches isn't too far off some of the older stuff. anyone remember the GTiR pulsar? it had the most powerful of the SR20 motors of the time in it, thanks to quad throttle bodies. the new hatches are basically a WRX in hatch form.

and soon hyundai is going to bring out a turbo accent.

[dangerous_daveo]

S3 for the win I think! With the R32 in a close 2nd followed by the GTi then the XR5.

They arent cheap for a hatchs tho are they. So really the people that are buying them probably have the money to pay for the upkeep.

[Guest Mashrock]

R32 Golf for the win!!!

fook yeah!

they go so good standard - driving assists

turbo one of them and your going to have yourself a handfull

[scathing]

Thanks to hot hatches coming back into vogue, the guys making them are engaging in a power war.

The problem is that high-powered FWD cars suck...as evinced by the Astra VXR and Mazda3 MPS, both of which have major powerdown issues. The tricky LSD in the new Focus is apparently a pain in the arse, too.

Give me a RenaultSport Clio any day. The one I test drove a few years ago was a hoot to drive, and didn't have too much power for it to handle.

[666DAN]

The VW R32 is awesome, lots of good examples selling from mid to low 40K, damn options like this make me rethink my V35 turbo project....if only I can make that turbo fit in the cramped VW bay????????

[mad082]

The problem is that high-powered FWD cars suck...as evinced by the Astra VXR and Mazda3 MPS

that is a problem. even my missus SSS pulsar (natro sr20) has torque steer issues. i had a magna with just over 170hp at the front wheels, and torque galore, and it would wheelspin rather well.

Edited August 31, 2006 by mad082

[thorpe84]

yeah whats the golf engine? turbo ?

[someonestolecc]

x2 post

[someonestolecc]

r32's for 40k !! wow

[dangerous_daveo]

yeah whats the golf engine? turbo ?

R32 is a 3.2L V6. The GTi is a 2L turbo.

[funkymonkey]

mitsubishi colt gheyvolution turbo with chromies FTW.

1.5L turbo with a 5 year warranty.

[rb26s13]

mazda mps turbo thingy is 4wd from memory

[scathing]

that is a problem. even my missus SSS pulsar (natro sr20) has torque steer issues. i had a magna with just over 170hp at the front wheels, and torque galore, and it would wheelspin rather well.

I used to have a Pulsar SSS. I found it quite drivable....for a FWD car. All FWD cars will torque steer.

I drove a DC5 Integra Type-R, and now that thing torque steers (especially with that LSD). I hadn't driven a FWD car for around 2 years when I took one for a thrash, and punching out of a corner and revving it out to redline induced some steering wheel tug I mistook for hitting a pothole at first.

The Clio is the same. A bit of tugging at the wheel, but you just hang on to it. There's less finesse when dealing with the wheel, but you can drive around it.

I'd hate to try it in something with as much midrange as a turbo engine though. You'd spend too much time fighting the wheel to drive.

[Cubes]

that is a problem. even my missus SSS pulsar (natro sr20) has torque steer issues. i had a magna with just over 170hp at the front wheels, and torque galore, and it would wheelspin rather well.

My otherhalfs brother has some thing to do with Mitsi's and often brings me a new model magna to have a thrash in.

Personally the AWD magna was a hoot, it handled well and I thought it was damn fun to drive.

FWD in the magn'a suck, the 3.5ltr it was okish but now they have dropped the 3.8ltr in it the thing simply spins way too easy with the manual, the auto spins easy too but its easy to get off the line cleanly.

Another interesting thing to note is Mitsi's have clearly not uprated their trans to handle the extra torque of the 3.8ltr as they now majorly back off throttle between gear changes in the auto. Any one who's driven a car that majorly backs off throttle between gear changes knows how horrible such a car is to drive.

So in short.. compared to their previous models the Fagna 380 felt cheap, just something not right about it.

One of the early VRX 3.5ltrs had a really nice tight LSD with horrid torque steer to boot. Its interesting to see how Mitsi's have played with the LSD's tightness through the models. Now its almost non-lsd as they slip in to open wheel so damn easy, as a result torque steer is considerably less.

[PHATR32]

dunno bout hatches, but i notice turbos are making their way back.