Aussie V8 vs Polo GTI?

[Sharkie]

Motor magazine (November 2006) did a 25 car Bang for your Bucks (BFYB) test including the:

This takes into consideration a standard Polo GTI and it is of course no match for an Aussie V8.

However ....

The moment a Polo GTI gets as much as only a chip it is an entirely different ball game......

A chipped only GTI will beat the V8s in in gear acceleration (typically 80-120km/h) and will hold its own against VZ and older SS's off the line if driven well and be slightly ahead of XR8's.

Further mods will see the situation even futher improve for the GTI. Mine will happily stick right next to a HSV VE R8 ...... much to the disgust of its owner ...... and Ford V8s are not a challenge.

BUT .... stay away from XR6 turbo's ...... they will eat you up and spit you out without too much effort..... provided they get sufficient tractioin off the line. Even their ingear accelleration is mind boggling. Pity it is such a cr@p car as it goes very well indeed.

[Sharkie]

Also .... something the R32 and R36 boys won't like, is that a modded Polo GTI will eat them for breakfast as well ......

.... especially ingear where the 4motion can provide no traction advantage.

[Pumpe-Düse]

A chipped Polo GTI will take an SS in-gear? Perhaps a VT 5.0, or even a VX 225kW LS1. Anything newer though and... well. Skeptical to say the least.

Though modified vs stock comparisons always amuse me. "My car is slower then yours, but if I do this and this to it... it isn't!"

To answer OP's question, a current VE SS or FG XR8 would absolutely demolish a Polo GTI in a drag race, and on longer tracks where they can stretch their legs, beat it. On tight stuff, the game would be a bit different, as they are... land yachts with big engines. They're good for their size/price... and that's about it. The non HSV/FPV models are too flawed in their suspension & brake setups to be a threat when it gets really twisty.

[Sharkie]

A chipped Polo GTI will take an SS in-gear? Perhaps a VT 5.0, or even a VX 225kW LS1. Anything newer though and... well. Skeptical to say the least.

And again we have a case where KW is taken as the determinant of ingear accelleration ..... it is not. Torque is what counts and a modded Polo GTI as a torque figure of 290NM/1000kg where as a VE SS has 297NM/1000kg. The big difference is how the respective engines makes this power ..... a Polo will do it at 3000rmin and a SS at 5500rmin, so in 3rd gear the following applies: (other cars added as a comparison)

911 S 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.8s
911 GT3 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.5s
911 Turbo 80-120km/h 3rd = 2.8s
Cayman S 80-120km/h 3rd = 4.2s
Mazda 3 MPS 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.5s
BMW M3 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.4s
VW Golf GTI 80-120km/h 3rd = 4.4s
Ford XR6T 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.1s
Ford FPV 80-120km/h 3rd = 2.7s
Holden Commodore SS 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.5s
Modded Polo GTI 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.2s (have heard reports of 3.0)

Also talking Bang for your Buck here .... not modded vs standard. A modded Polo GTI retaining stock driveability and reliability will cost you $32K, the cheapest SS $46K ..... not really a comparison there .....

Even a chipped TDI Polo will make a SS sweat to be in front in in gear work. Turbo engines are awesome when it comes to rolling starts due to the way they deliver their power......

[Pumpe-Düse]

And again we have a case where KW is taken as the determinant of ingear accelleration ..... it is not. Torque is what counts and a modded Polo GTI as a torque figure of 290NM/1000kg where as a VE SS has 297NM/1000kg. The big difference is how the respective engines makes this power ..... a Polo will do it at 3000rmin and a SS at 5500rmin, so in 3rd gear the following applies: (other cars added as a comparison)

911 S 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.8s
911 GT3 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.5s
911 Turbo 80-120km/h 3rd = 2.8s
Cayman S 80-120km/h 3rd = 4.2s
Mazda 3 MPS 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.5s
BMW M3 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.4s
VW Golf GTI 80-120km/h 3rd = 4.4s
Ford XR6T 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.1s
Ford FPV 80-120km/h 3rd = 2.7s
Holden Commodore SS 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.5s
Modded Polo GTI 80-120km/h 3rd = 3.2s (have heard reports of 3.0)

Also talking Bang for your Buck here .... not modded vs standard. A modded Polo GTI retaining stock driveability and reliability will cost you $32K, the cheapest SS $46K ..... not really a comparison there .....

Even a chipped TDI Polo will make a SS sweat to be in front in in gear work. Turbo engines are awesome when it comes to rolling starts due to the way they deliver their power......

Where did you come to the conclusion that I assumed that kW is what counts when it comes to in-gear acceleration? Did I say that anywhere? Perhaps I'm blind and didn't see where I said it?

299.43Nm/tonne for the SS VE btw (1770kg & 530Nm).

That's a nice set of numbers you have there. Do you have sourced proof for them? Its all well and good to post some up, but where did they come from? Especially the "modded Polo GTI." I like that one. The word modded introduces many, many variables. Modded can mean anything from an aftermarket air filter to a 1000hp aftermarket engine with a tube-frame chassis... and anything inbetween.

There's also common sense. Not everybody will buy and modify a new car. So your $32k Polo GTI with no more warranty, or big risk of that... vs a 46k SS that's still faster anyway with full warranty.

Sorry, but I remain a skeptic. The day I see a chipped Polo GTI with nothing else done to it even hang with a stock VE SS or even VZ SS, or hell, a VYII SS with the 245kW/465Nm LS1... I become a believer. Untill then...

PS - What exactly is a Ford FPV? That can mean alot of things? GT? GT-P? F6 Typhoon? F6 310? Force 8? Super Pursuit? F6 X?

[Sharkie]

All the figures are as per Motor / Wheels magazines published with the exclusion of the modded Polo GTI.

For the Polo I've taken 3 provided figures and averaged them out. I've heard reports of 3.0s but on average most of the reported figures are around 3.2-3.3. Some have even been posted in other threads on here. My own car has returned 10 runs averaging at 3.22s with the latest G-Tech Pro SS. Lowest of 3.17, highest of 3.47. And that was before my FMIC went on.

Sorry, FPV is the latest turbo 6.

I suggest you take a chipped Polo GTI for a drive and see what it feels like. Maybe 1 of the chipped Polo GTI owners in NSW can help you out.

Don't knock what you don't know.

[VW GTI]

That's a nice set of numbers you have there. Do you have sourced proof for them?

It was from a magazine, it was posted in another thread around here if you want to search for it. The chipped Polo GTI time came from timed tests as obviously that wasn't in the magazine...

There's also common sense. Not everybody will buy and modify a new car. So your $32k Polo GTI with no more warranty, or big risk of that... vs a 46k SS that's still faster anyway with full warranty.

Not everybody will buy a boganed up family car (SS) for 46k either... stupid comment

Sorry, but I remain a skeptic. The day I see a chipped Polo GTI with nothing else done to it even hang with a stock VE SS or even VZ SS, or hell, a VYII SS with the 245kW/465Nm LS1... I become a believer. Untill then...

I beat a VZ SS to 80km/h the other day, quite easily, still pulling away and you can tell he was trying cos he was pissed and flew passed me when I stopped at the speed limit. You've obviously never been in a tuned Polo if you don't believe it.

[Sharkie]

Sorry, went back and had confirming a look ...

VE SS manual in 3rd = 3.6s
VE SS V manual in 3rd = 3.8s
VE Calais auto in drive = 3.5s

Which means the Comodes are even worse than originally thought ...

[Sje88]

Thats what i was after, thanks

[RhysQ]

funny you should say this. my mate and i were on our way to a friendly game of ten pin bowls when we were joined side by side by a smart ass in an '06 bright yellow HSV GTO. he grinned at me, gave his beast a rev and hit the throttle. at the same time i dropped back to 2nd and punched the hell out of it. much to his disguist i slowly pulled away from him until we hit higher speeds at which he slowly past. next set of lights i sat behind him for a launch. we took off from the lights and to save myself runnig into his ass i had to change lanes and move past him with a smile til once again the higher speeds where he caught and slowly past...where he then continued on accellerating way beyond the speed limit.

*EDIT* oh, and i forgot to mention, about 2 or 3 sec after i let off the gas a wrx that was behind me at the lights came rushing past still trying to catch.....BAHAHAHAHA.

*EDIT #2* oh, and also, i realised about 5 mins later that i had my A/C on setting 2 the whole time. now for those Polo GTI owner out there, you know what i'm talking about when i say that the A/C in our cars really kill the power. i was p*ssed off about this.

i must admit i was very impressed with my little beastie and the abilities against the Aussie V8 beast!

~145kw Polo GTI (RRP$26,990 + $2000 APR flash) vs 297kw HSV GTO (RRP$78,990). hmmm