Some of you may have figured out... I'm a car guy. I just love cars. I work on them and fix them up to my tastes.
This blog has been dedicated to my Golf R but I also have a 2003 S2000 with a Comptech supercharger and just picked up a 1987 E30 with a S52 swap which is the same powerplant as a E36 M3.
My buddy stopped by and wanted a ride so it become a demo test drive of all the cars and myself explaining to him what I like and dislike about each one.
Each of these cars are beasts in their own rights and each generation are considered one of the top cars of the times. Bimmers always been self labeled as
The Ultimate Driving Machine for a reason. The S2000 had the highest horsepower liter car for many years and not many this date had a 9000 RPM redline!!! Can you say VVVTTTAAAAAAC???!!!!!! The MK7 Golf R is the fastest Vdub ever produced from the factory until the next Golf R400 comes but that's a different story.
E30
- S52 M3 drivetrain (240hp to flywheel)
- 2600 pounds approximately
- Rear wheel drive
- 5 speed manual transmission
- Stock suspension w 205/55/15 Dunlop summer tires
- Very peppy to pretty darn quick
- Linear powerband
- Sits high in seat and higher floor than other cars.
- Plenty of space all around. Think a green house.
- Full of options for a 80s car but primitive to the 21st century
- Installed Z3 steering rack so very responsive, almost twitchy
- Takes turns very well but has lots of body roll
- Predictable in the turns. Easy car to drive
- Ok brakes. I'm sure great for the time
S2000
- AP1 2.0 liter (240hp to flywheel but low boost supercharger adds 80hp)
- 2750 pounds
- Rear wheel drive
- 6 speed manual transmission
- Coilover w 255/45/17 Federal RZR summer tires
- No bottom end torque but when in VTEC...Watch out!!!
- Supercharger works best in high RPMs as it's a linear power delivery as is stock motor
- Sits very low to floor like being part of the ground. Soft top up has huge blind spots
- Can feel claustrophobic. 2 seat roadster with literally no wiggle room. Think jet cockpit
- No options for the time besides a hardtop and accessories. No packages until the AP2 CR came
- Electric steering but very very very responsive. Did I forget to mention quick too?
- Takes turns like "being on rails"
- Can lose it in twisties due to snap oversteer. Not for a noob driver
- Great brakes for the time. Car is so light and low that big brakes for the streets aren't necessary
Golf R
- 2.0 liter turbo (290hp to flywheel but JB1 adds 45hp)
- 3340 pounds
- All Wheel Drive - Haldex meaning front wheel drive most of the time until traction loss
- 6 speed dual clutch automatic
- Stock suspension w 225/45/18 Dunlop summer tires
- Peak torque comes at 1500 rpm. Still has some turbo lag but not much.
- Pulls you in your seat but doesn't feel fast but it is fast. Think time warp
- Sits comfortably with clear visibility throughout.
- Back seats have plent of room
- Electric steering but progressive and responsive
- Takes turns well but must turn off nanny settings to a degree
- Being front wheel drive bias it understeers you more confident you won't spin out
- Awesome braking. Some feel it's too grabby but it gives high confidence on stopping power
Conclusion
The E30 is the most "raw" car of the three. There's no push start, climate control, traction control but did have ABS for it's day. It's a box on wheels. Handles great and has more potential to handle and go even faster. This car is a sleeper. It can get you in trouble when you want trouble. Decent daily driver and weekend warrior at this level.
The S2000 is no box but it's noisy. Adding the supercharger and the Invidia dual exhaust it makes it even more so. I can't order food at the drive thru easily without killing the motor. Rev it past 6k and it's loud but you know, it's sweet at the same time. It's salty sweet. People think you want to race but I know this car even boosted is no straight line killer. It's a track star and canyon carver. It's a car that you can get yourself killed if you're not paying attention like playing with a sharp blade. I would consider this as a part time driver not a daily unless you want to be always on high alert. I feel like I'm working out at the gym when driving this car.
The R the 21st century box on wheels. Some have joked to me it's a mini mini van. Plenty of luxury items like seat heaters and back up camera but why no memory seats? Moonroof may be a good option for some people but you won't get it in North America. It doesn't have a linear power band as the other cars but it's not that crazy high peak torque that jerks you around and beats you up like my old Evo X. I have to say this is one of the best daily drivers I've owned. Fast when you need it to be, shifts fast and you don't need to think about it unless you want to go full manual mode, and keeps my body in that Zen state (fair quiet) until I want to hit the canyons or go all out launch mode. It has a understeer bias but reducing the nanny sensors helps make it a little tossable. It's a heavy car so tossing it isn't that easy but the turbo and haldex does it thing.
These three cars are totally different animals but in the end all give you that Quagmire "giggity" feeling. Pick your poison and enjoy.
I wanted to add that my buddy felt the E30 was great for what it is and even though I took the same corner faster in the R it was so refined that the S2000 felt faster. Our senses can fool us.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to post comments questions.
