I had a good reminder of how unappreciated the RS2 is last night... I went out to pick up a chinese - funny how you end up waiving the free delivery some nights :mischeif:
I had a fun drive a few miles across town, taking the route with most roundabouts, hump back bridges n' dips. I've been so used to plodding around in low gears with my newfound low-end torque I forgot how lively this thing is when you keep it in 1st/2nd. Apart from a little understeer it gripped like a baby to it's mother, responding quickly and precisely to subtle turns of the wheel, tearing up the tarmac with its neck-snapping torque every time I mashed the loud pedal...
...so I came cruising up to a set of lights rather lazily, chinese on board. A bling pearl white range rover pulls up to the left. Then, an obnoxously loud 206-or-something similar that is no longer recognisable due to the excessive body kits applied pulls up on the right. The young yuppie drivers inched forward, eagerly glancing over at each other... Light goes green and they both nail it. At the same time I 'launched' with a mere 2000rpm. The hot-hatch screams to the redline in 1st, taking a lead and the range rover bogs down but not far behind him. About 2 seconds later the RS2 came on boost, screaming to the readline in a seeming instant launching it a car's length in front of the pair. I shoved it hard into 2nd and re-applied WOT. The boost needle pinged to 2.1bar and it was all over - they were miles behind. I coasted to a stop in the next turning lane - and this was the best bit - the hot hatch driver crawls by with his head craning out the window staring at the grill before limping off. About 5 seconds later, it's de ja vu as the landrover with all windows down crawls by with driver and passenger leaning out to glance at the subtle beast that just oblitterated their pride & joy...
So there it is... the RS2 is still a real sleeper
I had a fun drive a few miles across town, taking the route with most roundabouts, hump back bridges n' dips. I've been so used to plodding around in low gears with my newfound low-end torque I forgot how lively this thing is when you keep it in 1st/2nd. Apart from a little understeer it gripped like a baby to it's mother, responding quickly and precisely to subtle turns of the wheel, tearing up the tarmac with its neck-snapping torque every time I mashed the loud pedal...
...so I came cruising up to a set of lights rather lazily, chinese on board. A bling pearl white range rover pulls up to the left. Then, an obnoxously loud 206-or-something similar that is no longer recognisable due to the excessive body kits applied pulls up on the right. The young yuppie drivers inched forward, eagerly glancing over at each other... Light goes green and they both nail it. At the same time I 'launched' with a mere 2000rpm. The hot-hatch screams to the redline in 1st, taking a lead and the range rover bogs down but not far behind him. About 2 seconds later the RS2 came on boost, screaming to the readline in a seeming instant launching it a car's length in front of the pair. I shoved it hard into 2nd and re-applied WOT. The boost needle pinged to 2.1bar and it was all over - they were miles behind. I coasted to a stop in the next turning lane - and this was the best bit - the hot hatch driver crawls by with his head craning out the window staring at the grill before limping off. About 5 seconds later, it's de ja vu as the landrover with all windows down crawls by with driver and passenger leaning out to glance at the subtle beast that just oblitterated their pride & joy...
So there it is... the RS2 is still a real sleeper
, but in the S4 is perfect ! Also for our knees and legs!
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