Honda track day (Keep reading)

[seli_babe]

Don't forget tho tyre's have a lot to do with it as well...

I've never driven a ford.. but I did see the RS video from Clarkson and that handled pretty well IMHO..

A lot is to do with the drivers ability too...

 

[Tony 156]

i could go into anul detail about the other cars there but i wont. im happy with my result and how the car handles, brands hatch in december hopefully with the same group so will see how we go there.

 

[seli_babe]

i could go into anul detail about the other cars there but i wont. im happy with my result and how the car handles, brands hatch in december hopefully with the same group so will see how we go there.

Just outta interest... have you driven any of the other cars? (by the sounds of it they are your mates.. )

 

[nick s]

if i compare my ibiza, (lowered 30mm on bilstein dampers and eibach springs) to my old 106 Gti, which was bog standard suspension wise;

106 had much better turn in, chuckability and alot more nimble. very predictable once you get used to the back end and easy to control and drive fast through twisties and inspires so much confidence.

ibiza has better levels of outright grip on high speed, sweeping corners and feels more planted. although it can't match the 106 at all for turn in or chuckability as it just slides everywhere. the 106 would outpace it easily on a set of tight twisties, but up a country road, a well sorted ibiza wouldn't be a million miles off IMO.

but at the end of the day, you don't buy an ibiza cupra for it's raw handling ability do you. it's an everdya confortable car with turbo grunt and decent spec level. wheras the 106 is just a go-kart/shopping car

 

[Tony 156]

driven the saxo before but thats about it, i have driven in my time quite a few cars from a rover 214 sli to a ferrari 355. in no way implying its anywhere slighty close to the 355 cause, well its not even worth thinking about, but out of the front wheel drive cars iv driven its the best.

also to get back to the original theme, this was an auto test that was timed and this was based on my results. i dont what this to get to an argument because i dont want to upset people.

i was simply saying that the ibiza is no way as bad as people make out from my experience.

 

[Shad]

Tony... I wouldn't read too much into the fact that I wasn't able to set any good times with my race car. Sprint driving is not something I do, and the car was far too stiff particularly for the handling circuits. Russ (who does sprint racing with his road going CRX) jumped into mine and straight away was over a second quicker than me. However, on a circuit I would have the upper hand as that is where my experience is. Two other race drivers drove my car and were both mighty, mighty impressed with the handling, and I'm sure in the right hands it would have been untouchable all day.

You should have let me have a go in your Ibiza and I could have given you another opinion

It looked ok from the sidelines, didn't appear to be lairy or unpredictable at all...

 

[Tony 156]

the 106 and the ibiza arnt in the same group, youve got 1100kgs of seat versus what 900kgs tops for a 106, laws of physics start to kick in then.

 

[PhilW]

Having said that, i found my car pretty good when i took it round Silverstone. Maybe its just uneven surfaces that it shits itself.

 

[Tony 156]

im guna say it not very forgiving, if you make a mistake or are to agressive the car lets you know. silverstone is a must for me next year, see how we get on then.

stiff chassis such as ours make a car quite "lively" so street driving does make it interesting. still saying that on the areodrome it seemed still well behaved.

 

[ibizacupra]

I reckon my beeza is pretty much borderline dangerous handling wise, back end is everywhere?

got rear spacers on there?

 

[Tony 156]

spacers a good idea or not?

 

[exsaxoboy!]

Im on my second ibiza. And ive had many cars aswell. Just gotta face facts, they understeer dangerously too much, and get scared when you brake hard! But the turbos are great fun in a straight line!

Billls ibiza maybe different, but i know he used to drive a mark 2, so he must noticed a lot of difference from that!

 

[Forbez]

Focus is an imense car handling wise, used to fly around the test track (read: roundabout) outside my old work place. I always tested the company cars on the same road!
Cupra handles well on it, compared to a MK4 astra, which i spun. 307 was fun too!

But as said, it could be down to driver, and also the way the driver chooses to drive.

Remember peeps, brake before a corner, not during!!

 

[ibizacupra]

spacers a good idea or not?

I started the fit spacers to ibiza's thing way back when....
so.. the reaons why?

Std ibiza is a parts bin special car from SEAT/VAG group.
Its mk2 golf wishbones, mk3 golf subframe, and polo 4 rear beam.

end result is.. 35mm narrower rear track than front.
in driving terms this is a nervous rear end on the ibiza, especially over bumps under braking. (allied to a nasty abs system it is at times downright dangerous)

Adding rear spacers in the order of 15mm/20m per side you square up the chassis and its much more stable & nicer..

So yea.. its deffo worth a go.

My ibiza handling out of the box was shite compared to my Jetta 16v on bilsteins and eibach arb's front/rear. Like 3-4 secs per lap slower than my jetta when it was chipped but on stock suspension. Shocking.

Different animal now, but then again its not ya typical ibiza anymore.

and plug mode on.. spacers with bolts are £79.10 plus carriage

 

[Jonzy]

Spacers make a huge difference, ive had them fitted for almost a week and the car is far more stable. 110% worth the cash, and probably the best mod done to an ibiza.

My poor choice of suspension (h&r) coupled with uk roads currently at their worst still make the ibiza quite a handful though.

 

[Simon L]

I've only once had a iffy 'almost lose the back end moment' and it was on the brow of a hill on a bend with ice. ha ha.

Whereas the majority of the time my ibiza wants to understeer.

 

[nick s]

tbh. the ibiza isn't as bad as people made out, when i was looking to buy one and read that they were shocking i was expecting the worst. i got it and obviously wasn;t patch on the 106, but now i've sorted the suspension out it's actually pretty decent. i don't see what the fuss is about. it's a perfectly capable car in the twisties. the only problem is the instant kick of the turbo which can cause it to wheelspin in the bends, hence understeering, but you can overcome that by simply putting it in a higher gear so the power isn't aggressive.

 

[exsaxoboy!]

Why would you put your car in a higher gear if you want to get round a corner quicker?you would be off boost then? Im sure most people who learn to drive there car properly can control the spin. Under steer and high speed braking are the main faults, althougth turn in can be a major problem.

Just my opinion ( My car has coilovers and 17mm spacers )IBIZAS dont handle. Good FWD drive cars that handle are,

Integra , civic tye r
Metros (There untouchable when lowered with a vvc lump)
106/saxo
Minis (New and old)
New feistas and focuses

Afraid well never touch any of them in the back roads!

 

[Rick-24]

well i think tony has got the right idea... i dont think the ibiza is anywhere near as bad as people say it is, and i came from a 205 gti and i actually think its better on flowing bends, very tight corners(like round abouts) the pug is alil better but its like 250kg lighter which has got to make a difference. i mean on the pug the back end used to wobble about like an egg in a ducks ass.....quite dangerous really. i found the pug understeer sometimes and then the back end would pop round, ibiza is has lot more rear grip, which explains why it understeers abit, im wondering how much caster ibiza has got, as more would make it turn more

 

[acidstrato]

try driving through some of the tight lanes here in south wales as quick as possible

some opinions may change

if your driving slow u wont notice much but pushing it, the ibiza is all wobbley and spongy