Taught a lesson by a people carrier!

[Olly P]

Well, almost...

Sitting at the lights when I see a blue Vauxhall Zafira VXR pull up next to me:



The chap revs the engine and I can hear he must have some sort of bore exhaust on it.

I don't bother prepping for a quick launch because, well, it's a people carrier

Lights go green and he flies off! Jesus christ!

Uh oh, time to gun it. First gear, second, third, 1.1bar of boost throughout and finally I'm next to him. In to 4th, foot to the floor and gradually I pull past him.

Wow, that thing is flipping quick

Next set of lights he pulls in behind me. Lights go green, again not an aggressive start from me (not going to kill my clutch for the sake of a vauxhall), full boost as I enter second, into third and fourth and he's only two car lengths behind.

I let him pull next to me and ask what sort of power he's putting out.

290bhp and 355lb.ft

I laughed approvingly as he booted it off, dump valve pssshing.

(fyi, I'm running close to 300bhp / 290ft.lb @ 1.1bar)

[matt_mr2t]

Haha, brilliant, gotta love a "Q cars" surprising people!


My friend had a Zafira GSi and had to keep replacing the turbo/manifold as it was faulty. (Under warrenty) Eventually Vauxhall just fitted the turbo from the VXR, he said it was much faster and more reliable with it.

[Dale_V]

Cant help but think its a failure of life if you have to resort to buying one of those

[matt_mr2t]

Cant help but think its a failure of life if you have to resort to buying one of those

Or, depending on what your life plan is, a success. Perhaps the owner dreamed of being a family man?

And, regardless of the performance, looks etc, they're worth a heck of a lot more than the majority of members cars on here. So, I would suggest, that the owner is most probably doing quite well for himself in that he can support a family, probably owns a home and drives a reasonably valuable car.

On the other hand, there's a whole host of single, 25-30 year old blokes here driving £2k cars and living in their parents houses.


So which would you say had made a success of their life?

[Dale_V]

Cant help but think its a failure of life if you have to resort to buying one of those

Or, depending on what your life plan is, a success. Perhaps the owner dreamed of being a family man?

And, regardless of the performance, looks etc, they're worth a heck of a lot more than the majority of members cars on here. So, I would suggest, that the owner is most probably doing quite well for himself in that he can support a family, probably owns a home and drives a reasonably valuable car.

On the other hand, there's a whole host of single, 25-30 year old blokes here driving £2k cars and living in their parents houses.


So which would you say had made a success of their life?

same could be said for people driving such cars as Hyundai/kia's etc. Pile of xxxx, many worth multiple times more than alot of the mr2's on here, but to me they are still classed as failures in life. Also most certainly financed which goes against them doing well for themselves. They are cars you buy to go from A-B, imo the zafira is in the same league, except it has a powerfull engine which defeats the object in what it was made for.

[matt_mr2t]

Like I say, if the fella has a family he's going to need something bigger than a 2 seater sports car, or even a hot hatch, so the Zafira, to me, makes perfect sense.

My mate has 2 kids and can barely squeeze them and the things that go with having 2 kids in his Focus ST. If he has another one he'll need something with more space. What else is out there that can put a smile on your face but still seat 7 people?

[pistol pete]

not always..
i love my cars and other than my lil d and kel... they high on my piority list..
but i do also understand that to some they just want a car that starts in the morning.. some people hate cars and see them as a nessecity thats all.. so when people like kia offer 7 year warrantee.. then its perfect for someone like the

[matt_mr2t]

I personally would say a man with a lovely wife, a few kids, a nice house and a brand new car, no matter what it is, has made an exceptional success of his life. Compared to say a man of the same age, driving a 20 year old car worth peanuts and living in his parents house.

And for the record, I fit the latter of that quote, but would eventually like to change it to the former.

[alan wheeldon]

I love cars like that, Propper sleeper!

I never underestimate vehicles on the roads nowadays, you just never know what power they are pushing out.

I remember being in Spain in my MR2 Turbo and I couldnt get away from a Fiat Multipla!! God knows what he had under the bonnet but it was bloody rapid

[pistol pete]

I personally would say a man with a lovely wife, a few kids, a nice house and a brand new car, no matter what it is, has made an exceptional success of his life. Compared to say a man of the same age, driving a 20 year old car worth peanuts and living in his parents house.

And for the record, I fit the latter of that quote, but would eventually like to change it to the former.

Ha i can sort of take that as a thanks..

I have my own house and wife.. and wife has a nice new(ish) mini cooper s whilst i still have fun with my cars..

I am slightly different as i own my house its mine.. but my mother lives here.. it was to help her get away from living in wales where she hated it had no friends or family..
hoping to get rid of her and her husband next year.. then it will be back to fully be ours again like it used to be


as said be wary of any modern cars...
mate at work has a fully standard looking vxr... pushing around 330hp as its courtney tuned...

[matt_mr2t]

Watch out for the Insignia VXR as well - 320bhp 4wd and being turbo, is only a couple of bolt ons away from 400bhp I would imagine.

[michael]

I had 7 people in my Zafira in comfort at the weekend, can't say I ever managed that in my MR2...

[matt_mr2t]

I had 7 people in my Zafira in comfort at the weekend, can't say I ever managed that in my MR2...

Ahh, you must be a failure too

[willfinch36]

I personally would say a man with a lovely wife, a few kids, a nice house and a brand new car, no matter what it is, has made an exceptional success of his life. Compared to say a man of the same age, driving a 20 year old car worth peanuts and living in his parents house.

And for the record, I fit the latter of that quote, but would eventually like to change it to the former.

Its called LLoyds TSB. Finance. for some.

[willfinch36]

I personally would say a man with a lovely wife, a few kids, a nice house and a brand new car, no matter what it is, has made an exceptional success of his life. Compared to say a man of the same age, driving a 20 year old car worth peanuts and living in his parents house.

And for the record, I fit the latter of that quote, but would eventually like to change it to the former.

Its called LLoyds TSB. Finance. for some.

and erm what car do you drive?

[matt_mr2t]

I personally would say a man with a lovely wife, a few kids, a nice house and a brand new car, no matter what it is, has made an exceptional success of his life. Compared to say a man of the same age, driving a 20 year old car worth peanuts and living in his parents house.

And for the record, I fit the latter of that quote, but would eventually like to change it to the former.

Its called LLoyds TSB. Finance. for some.

and erm what car do you drive?

I'll quite happily admit that to date I fall in to the latter bracket, and that includes the days when had a nice MR2 turbo too.

You have to have the money to pay the finance to support that sort of life. A nice house, a car, an at home wife and a few kids dont come for £3.65 a week ya know.

[willfinch36]

Just because I drive a car worth £5k doesnt make me poor lol

I just dont want to fork out £20k on a car like an astra XVR etc that is no faster. and more common, an astra

[matt_mr2t]

Just because I drive a car worth £5k doesnt make me poor lol

I just dont want to fork out £20k on a car like an astra XVR etc that is no faster. and more common, an astra

Dude, I didnt say you were poor.

I said you (not you actually, I was speaking to Dale at the time)) shouldnt suggest a happy man, with a car worth a fair wack, a house, wife, children is a "failure" because he hasnt got a sports car.

I have a car worth a couple of hundred scrap value, I'm not poor. I could be deemed a failure though being 29 years old and still single, living at home with my parents.

[pistol pete]

Just because I drive a car worth £5k doesnt make me poor lol

I just dont want to fork out £20k on a car like an astra XVR etc that is no faster. and more common, an astra

Dude, I didnt say you were poor.

I said you (not you actually, I was speaking to Dale at the time)) shouldnt suggest a happy man, with a car worth a fair wack, a house, wife, children is a "failure" because he hasnt got a sports car.

I have a car worth a couple of hundred scrap value, I'm not poor. I could be deemed a failure though being 29 years old and still single, living at home with my parents.

to me no one is a failure as long as they are living life and enjoying it
does not matter what tehy do and how theydo it ( as long as its not ruining someone elses)

mate at work matt has just turned 37 got with his missus just year before last and having a kid due next month he left it later than some.. but he enjoed his time before ...

its however the person wants to live their life

[Mike]

Quite apt that I'm reading this thread with "Stepbrothers" on in the background Its different these days though Matt. For our parents generation it was the done thing for couples in their mid twenties to be married with children and living off of the husbands lone wage. Today it can often cost more to rent a modest property per month than it does to pay a mortgage, yet now you need 30k plus to put down as a deposit if you want to buy your own house, so WTF can you do?

I earn more than the average wage yet I cant afford to rent or buy a house. If it wasn't for the military I'd still be living at home. My friends who have their own place, are married, drive new cars etc all do so because they've been helped out by their family financially and every valuable item they "own" is on credit (and when it comes to cars, is boring!). The only one who wasn't helped out and who doesn't have masses of debt yet owns his own place is always utterly broke. Its much much harder to leave the nest without relying on the state these days Matt.