2001 Saxo VTS track toy

[simonsaunders]

Originally Posted by hard_corejoeboy

Fair enough same here but only cos the manual has more to torque (70nm)

I would have thought DSG would have been better for this car?

Whichever way you look at it, DSG is just an auto. I don't think that it adds much to the driving experience, would be useful on the motorway but detract when pressing on. Autos make me feel like an old man!

Lots can and will disagree, but for me, it was a £1,500 option that I could very much regret. The 'free' manual was the only sane choice for me.

[Phaeton]

Originally Posted by simonsaunders

Whichever way you look at it, DSG is just an auto.

Nope completely different to a standard slushbox auto

Originally Posted by simonsaunders

I don't think that it adds much to the driving experience,

Think you are wrong, otherwise BMW/Ferrari/Lambo wouldn't fit them

Originally Posted by simonsaunders

would be useful on the motorway

Incorrect of the places they would be useful motorways are probably the least

Originally Posted by simonsaunders

but detract when pressing on.

Disagree again, the DSG would change at the right place rather than you thinking you're changing at the right place

Originally Posted by simonsaunders

Autos make me feel like an old man!

Ah maybe we have the answer, I am an old man

Originally Posted by simonsaunders

Lots can and will disagree,

We do, we do

Originally Posted by simonsaunders

but for me, it was a £1,500 option that I could very much regret.

But now I am in complete agreement, adding £1.5K for the box is riduclous.

[hard_corejoeboy]

I'd like the dsg when it came to track work as the auto rev match must be very handy

[simonsaunders]

Originally Posted by Phaeton

Nope completely different to a standard slushbox auto

Think you are wrong, otherwise BMW/Ferrari/Lambo wouldn't fit them

Incorrect of the places they would be useful motorways are probably the least

Disagree again, the DSG would change at the right place rather than you thinking you're changing at the right place

Ah maybe we have the answer, I am an old man

We do, we do

But now I am in complete agreement, adding £1.5K for the box is riduclous.

I'm not going line by line, but in summary I think that I tested 3 different DSG cars before settling on the manual. Price was a factor, but as a performance car I just didn't see what joy the DSG brings.

It does bring lots of convenience and I'm sure that in a straight line, whilst I'm slotting cogs, the DSG will gap me. The DSG is faster and more economical and more convenient, but for driving joy when cracking on... Has to be 3 pedals for me.

I think Porsche agree with me... The 911 R - built for joy and not laptimes or lazy performance - comes with a stick. The GT3 'ultimate performance' and Turbo 'the grand tourer' - autos.

But it is nice to have a choice. I've had autos before and I'm not a Luddite. But I picked the car for a bit of fun in a practical shape and this time I thought that the manual shifter added to that. That manuals are a minority these days probably means that I'm out of sync, but there is not a bone in my body that wants DSG*.









*Ask me again when I've spent 3 hours crawling around the M25...

[simonsaunders]

Originally Posted by hard_corejoeboy

I'd like the dsg when it came to track work as the auto rev match must be very handy

I'll get more pleasure doing it myself.

What you can't do with a DSG box is find 1st instead of 3rd... Which might be welcome!

[lukewic]

cant wait to start mine!

[simonsaunders]

So I've completely done nothing with this, but it is for sale with no reasonable offer refused. Some nice bits on it and spares, needs a little recommissioning before going back on track.

Shame Photobucket have killed my pics.

PM me for a chat.

[axsaxoman]

the real reason why all super cars +high bhp cars hae some form of "dsg" --flappy padels /auto is simple
the power is too great for a normal clutch --as you would not be able to work the pedal if it had a real clutch and the ecu can then control what goes on -saving the transmission from damage
even an m3 don,t let you have its full bhp till you are over 130mph and in top gear --
you never get anything like full bhp when setting off and in low gears cos boy racers would be killing themselves and the car
its not good biz to kill your customers --so even when you turn all gadgets off as you think --they are not really fully off -the ecu is still doing things in the background to save the car +you
its also the reason all the mega powered cars are 4wd -very few drivers could handle those sorts of power through 2 wheels ,even a real raw -no ecu control 300bhp@wheels is a real hand full for most,even if it,s rwd
300@wheels for front wheel drive is not for the unwary or faint hearted and only for dry days ,thats why there are no OEM cars made with silly figures for 2wd at the front

[simonsaunders]

Originally Posted by axsaxoman

the real reason why all super cars +high bhp cars hae some form of "dsg" --flappy padels /auto is simple
the power is too great for a normal clutch --as you would not be able to work the pedal if it had a real clutch and the ecu can then control what goes on -saving the transmission from damage
even an m3 don,t let you have its full bhp till you are over 130mph and in top gear --
you never get anything like full bhp when setting off and in low gears cos boy racers would be killing themselves and the car
its not good biz to kill your customers --so even when you turn all gadgets off as you think --they are not really fully off -the ecu is still doing things in the background to save the car +you
its also the reason all the mega powered cars are 4wd -very few drivers could handle those sorts of power through 2 wheels ,even a real raw -no ecu control 300bhp@wheels is a real hand full for most,even if it,s rwd
300@wheels for front wheel drive is not for the unwary or faint hearted and only for dry days ,thats why there are no OEM cars made with silly figures for 2wd at the front

Traction was really poor over winter, even with all the clever stuff going on... damp and cold really showed the challenge in getting that grunt down through the front wheels. Much better in spring onwards.

On track, in warmer, drier conditions, heck is it fast and really easy to drive fast too. Never worked so little to go so fast! One of the reasons why the track Saxo has been parked up and unused. The Cupra is just a world away.

Probably go RWD and NA next, whilst you can still do that in something new / reasonably new. Make of that what you will. That is 2 years away from now though, so we'll see what is out there then. Maybe the initial hype might have subsided then an you might be able to get a good deal from Ford on a 5.0 Mustang. You couldn't get a deal 18 months ago and you still can't get a good deal now!

[simonsaunders]

I put this on a couple of FB pages - UK based French track cars and a Saxo buy and sell site and the demand has been phenomenal!

A little bit sad to say that it won't be around for long by the looks of things, but I'm not going to do anything with it in the short to medium term so better that it gets in the hands of someone that will get some use out of it.

[elliotthorwood]

Thought i recognised the name on fb! if you weren't so far from me i would have snapped this up the day it went for sale lol!

[simonsaunders]

All good things come to an end:



Chap brought a battery with him (car had been standing for over a year and done about 10 miles in the last two), Saxo started first turn of the key after a second or two of turning over. Bloody cheeky little scamp.

Got on to the trailer under its own steam. :thumb:

Paid the asking price, no messing.

He drove from Lincolnshire to Kent in order to add Saxo number 4 to his collection. Heading back there tonight. With a 4, 5 and 7 year old in the car. Wife at home with a 1 year old!

Certified loon!

Enjoyed this car and not that I feel passionate about it, but better to go to a Saxo nut than the scrapper.

****

Always found this forum interesting, useful and with an enthusiastic, knowledgeable user base. Hope that it survives despite dwindling numbers and maybe enjoys a resurgence as these become collectible.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.