mrjones
06-10-2003, 12:58 AM
Not sure if you guys know the A3 Turbo. It's a 3-door A3 with the 1.8litre Turbocharged Audi/VW engine (pay attention, Thomas). ;)
My friend has one of these and was preaching to me how he would dismantle my grandpa-mobile. In town maybe, but I still argued I had a fair chance on long distance.
Saturday morning I drove to Somerset-West (a neighbouring town which houses plenty of MB showrooms) and was standing at the first set of traffic lights into town when this Audi A3T came racing up to me. It stopped next to me, and the grey-haired gentleman behind the wheel looked bored and unhurried. We'd just come off a small highway, so I didn't think much of his hurried pace.
I was still looking at his car when the lights turned green, and the Audi took off with chirping front wheels, the TC trying to bring the power down. I put foot as well, but he'd already pulled 3-4 carlengths on me.
My C280 kept up pretty nicely, although I did lose another 1/2 carlength on 1st-2nd shift. As we were heading into town, we had to shut down just over 100km/h and slow down because of traffic.
He started weaving thru traffic and took off again. I was caught completely off guard, and kicked-down. By the time I was back in second, he was already halfway down the road. I followed his path through traffic and ended up behind him at the next set of lights.
With my hand on the gearlever (and that in "2"), my left foot on the brake, I waited for the lights to change. As they went red on the other side, I stomped the accelerator - my rear tyres started squeeling immediately, and by the time the Audi took off (and I simultaneously took my foot off the brake), one of the rears was already burning up.
Luckily my C280 found grip quite quickly, and this time I hung onto the back of the little A3 as if he were towing me. 1st-2nd shift gave him about 0,5 meters on me but I hung on.
As before, we had to shut down for traffic again, but I kept the C280 in "2"... a gap opened, and Audi-Man tried his tricks again. I punched the throttle (at about 5000rpm in second) and this time he didn't get away.
I nearly forgot to shift to "3" when my car redlined, but even after the shift I was still hanging on to the back of the Audi. We shut down again at about 140km/h, and I didn't find much in it. He pulled a bit (on shifts), I gained a bit, he gained a bit. The Audi is much smaller and lighter though, so he'd massacre me around the bends or a track.
As I turned off to the next MB showroom, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Yes, his car is faster, I'll admit that.
But a 50ish-year-old guy in a 2-door A3 Turbo racing a 25-year-old in a C280?
Shouldn't it be the other way 'round? :D :confused: :D
My friend has one of these and was preaching to me how he would dismantle my grandpa-mobile. In town maybe, but I still argued I had a fair chance on long distance.
Saturday morning I drove to Somerset-West (a neighbouring town which houses plenty of MB showrooms) and was standing at the first set of traffic lights into town when this Audi A3T came racing up to me. It stopped next to me, and the grey-haired gentleman behind the wheel looked bored and unhurried. We'd just come off a small highway, so I didn't think much of his hurried pace.
I was still looking at his car when the lights turned green, and the Audi took off with chirping front wheels, the TC trying to bring the power down. I put foot as well, but he'd already pulled 3-4 carlengths on me.
My C280 kept up pretty nicely, although I did lose another 1/2 carlength on 1st-2nd shift. As we were heading into town, we had to shut down just over 100km/h and slow down because of traffic.
He started weaving thru traffic and took off again. I was caught completely off guard, and kicked-down. By the time I was back in second, he was already halfway down the road. I followed his path through traffic and ended up behind him at the next set of lights.
With my hand on the gearlever (and that in "2"), my left foot on the brake, I waited for the lights to change. As they went red on the other side, I stomped the accelerator - my rear tyres started squeeling immediately, and by the time the Audi took off (and I simultaneously took my foot off the brake), one of the rears was already burning up.
Luckily my C280 found grip quite quickly, and this time I hung onto the back of the little A3 as if he were towing me. 1st-2nd shift gave him about 0,5 meters on me but I hung on.
As before, we had to shut down for traffic again, but I kept the C280 in "2"... a gap opened, and Audi-Man tried his tricks again. I punched the throttle (at about 5000rpm in second) and this time he didn't get away.
I nearly forgot to shift to "3" when my car redlined, but even after the shift I was still hanging on to the back of the Audi. We shut down again at about 140km/h, and I didn't find much in it. He pulled a bit (on shifts), I gained a bit, he gained a bit. The Audi is much smaller and lighter though, so he'd massacre me around the bends or a track.
As I turned off to the next MB showroom, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Yes, his car is faster, I'll admit that.
But a 50ish-year-old guy in a 2-door A3 Turbo racing a 25-year-old in a C280?
Shouldn't it be the other way 'round? :D :confused: :D