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Who's been up against a scooby?

karlosR

TORQUEY, NOISEY V6
Mar 10, 2006
1,469
0
BEDFORD
i span my LCR on a wet roundabout, it was my own fault (ESP was off) i wasn't going quick but the rear pirelli's needed replacing. it was certainly an eye opener
 

Sisson

Club member
Aug 18, 2005
1,662
0
Derbyshire
I went up against a Scooby WRX two weeks ago.. the bug-eyed one...

It was a rolling start from 25mph to 90mph and i pulled around 3 cars lead then we slowed and went at it again from 50mph to silly figures and agian i pulled 3-4 lengths out this time...

He was deffo going for it as i could hear his engine screaming its nuts off and it had a dump valve aswell...

Unfortunately it was the 240bhp model so it only has around 155bhp atw and less torque than mine so it was a good match IMO
 

xJib

Full Member
Now when will people realise that you can’t compare a car you’ve see someone else drive as having worst handling/goes slower/has a nicer smelling magic tree. For all you know the person driving could have the skill of a coma victim.

The only way to compare any two cars is to drive them back to back.
 

Ruddmeister

Everything in Moderation
Jun 23, 2003
8,218
1
Weston-super-Mare
en.wikipedia.org
Now when will people realise that you can’t compare a car you’ve see someone else drive as having worst handling/goes slower/has a nicer smelling magic tree. For all you know the person driving could have the skill of a coma victim.

The only way to compare any two cars is to drive them back to back.

That's true some of your driving is appauling :hide:
 

KaraK

Suspiciously Absent
Feb 28, 2003
238
0
Cumbria, UK
Visit site
Unfortunately it was the 240bhp model

which one would that be then?

Std Bug-Eye WRX = 216BHP
WRX PPP ~ 260BHP
WRX STI = 265BHP
STI PPP = 300BHP

Not that I'm disputing your result - a std or even poorly driven PPP MkII WRX would struggle against a remapped PD130 Ibizia from rolling. Its just that unless you happen to know the particular car (and the driver) very well you really dont know what you are up against.

As xJib says really - a back to back test with same driver (with equal experience in both cars), road & conditions is the only way to get an even remotely accurate comparision of two cars.

There is a pretty intense twisty road near me and my housemate in his 1.2 Clio Billabong will walk all over me in the scooby. Not because of the cars but because he knows the road far better than I do (he has driven it 2x a day for about a year and I've driven it about 5 times) and because he is more prepared to drive with less safety margin than I am.
 

slinger

Full Member
Dec 18, 2005
142
0
north of watford
ruddmeister talked of being careful if you swap front tyres to the rear or just change the front tyres leaving the rears old and worn with less grip.......my '54 LCR has now done 18k and it has standard p zeros [which i know most don't like, but i find fine] in that time the front have been changed [at about 12k] so i don't drive it hard "that" much, not mega hard anyway and the rears are doing ok, reckon maybe another 6 - 8k and they'll want doing, or till they reach the tread bar, but really i think i'll change earlier reading that, i took it out and drove it hard, well by my standards hard, down some old country lanes on saturday night and it gripped fine, quite impressed tbh, but the handling of a standard R isn't that good - better than most things i've driven mind [astra estates and rover diesels! ;) ] but wasn't as good as a civic type R or an old k reg 2.2 vtec prelude, which tbh was a really fun car to drive! for the money it cost a guy i work with [just over a grand] it was a superb motor.

as i only drive my lcr hard every now and then, i'm happyish with the handling, but if i was a serious fast road driver then the handling must be changed - spending a grand or so on some decent matched springs/dampers or coilovers and ARB's would be well spent and i'm sure you'd notice the difference straight away.......it'd ceratainly give you more confidence.
 

jayblue

Guest
Had a play with several scoobies, a new WRX which fell back 2-3 car lengths from 30-70, and an old WRX STI which must have had some major mod's as he was seriously quick, although that was at lower speeds so his 4wd was giving him an edge.
With regard to tyre's i definately agree that new fronts and worn rears is the quick way to the nearest bush in the wet... i'm SO glad i leave the ESP on! Changed the rears now and the balance is much better but before the oversteer was very unpredictable and snappy. Have to say i think the LCR handling is ok, not brilliant, but it does reward you with a lot of grip when you hook it up right.
 

Chris 16v

Full Member
Nov 10, 2005
261
0
My best mate at uni had a bug eyed Sti with the prodrive kit - 305bhp - faster than anything i have ever been in by far, even four up it pulled away from an lcr with ease
 

warren_cox

Back from the dead
i don't think the LCR handling is appauling. The harshness of its suspension set up can make it skittish over rough surfaces which is where you can tend to lose your grip and as a result power application to the tarmac.

I tend to find if you drive the LCR with some respect, and don't overdrive it you can carry some decent pace cross country. Trying to change direction in short succession can be interesting at speed, but 1.4 tonne objects don't like changing directions quickly.

Track days are a great way to find the limit of the car, as the Leon can catch you out when the back end decides its breaking free.

As for one car faster than another - I don't dare to enter the debate anymore, the modern 'superdiesel' has put wind up the sails of the average hot hatch, and I never cease to be amazed by what cars can turn in a respectable effort against what on paper seems quite a quick car. Today 300bhp is borderlining on run of the mill, even if you've got the torque to match it.
 

jonjay

50 Years of 911
Jun 27, 2005
5,843
1
Essex
i don't think the LCR handling is appauling. The harshness of its suspension set up can make it skittish over rough surfaces which is where you can tend to lose your grip and as a result power application to the tarmac.

I tend to find if you drive the LCR with some respect, and don't overdrive it you can carry some decent pace cross country. Trying to change direction in short succession can be interesting at speed, but 1.4 tonne objects don't like changing directions quickly.

Track days are a great way to find the limit of the car, as the Leon can catch you out when the back end decides its breaking free.

As for one car faster than another - I don't dare to enter the debate anymore, the modern 'superdiesel' has put wind up the sails of the average hot hatch, and I never cease to be amazed by what cars can turn in a respectable effort against what on paper seems quite a quick car. Today 300bhp is borderlining on run of the mill, even if you've got the torque to match it.
Top post i totally agree.
 

awelch

. . . . .
Mar 1, 2006
151
0
I think the handling of the Leon is good for its purpose, it was never released as a raw, unrefined hot hatch like the clio cup or CT-R. The leon was meant to be a bit of a compromise aimed at a different market, slightly older people who want more than just out and out pace.

So they loaded it with extras, tried to dial in a progressive ride and uprated the power to make up for the compromise in handling, after all most people dont intend on track days or on the limit journeys, (its just us!!)

But the potential for modification on the LCR's is great, it takes suspension and engine mods very well, so if thats what you're after it is possible with a bit of £££.
 

Reg

Professional Detailer
Oct 10, 2005
962
0
Berkshire
Totally agree with the last few posts - main killer on the LCR is its weight. Its a very comfortable car to do miles in, has the toys fitted, and is a fat b'stard as a result. The single biggest killer for performance/handling/brakes and economy.
 

jonjay

50 Years of 911
Jun 27, 2005
5,843
1
Essex
Totally agree with the last few posts - main killer on the LCR is its weight. Its a very comfortable car to do miles in, has the toys fitted, and is a fat b'stard as a result. The single biggest killer for performance/handling/brakes and economy.
I do agree but I think thats what makes Leons in general feel solid and has that 'squat' feel on the road. I wonder what the difference woould be if it was 100-200kg lighter...?
 

Scoobers

Midlife crisis ...
Mar 26, 2006
53
0
London
I've beat an STI before.

Pulled up next to me at the lights. Gave me a funny look, possibly because the road went from 3 lanes to 2 after the lights.
When the lights changed he dropped it; Blooody quick, not quick enough to beat a 600cc Bandit ;)

Didn't last long, bike tops out at too soon.