8v or 16v?

[The Silver Surfer]

I have to disagree. The 5 GT Turbo is great car. I have 16v GTI and a R5GT Turbo. The 5 is more fun, the way it boosts is just awesome. The 16v you have to rev the tits off to get a rush, the five boosts you feel it then its over.

However I have GTI 16V for a good reason they are solid, safer and don't rattle as much.

There are good 5GT turbos but you have to look hard and be careful when buying, but you have to with any 20 year old car.

They are both great HOT HATCHES

OK the 5gt turbo is made form thinned down bean tins as well. 

don't buy a gt turbo ( if you could find one ). A 20 year old renault is gonna be a huge expensive ball ache.

I've owned both at the same time so for what it's worth....

8v is probably best for day to day driving.

16v is scary fast over 5k revs but you need to drive like a nutter to reach that after 2nd gear.

you decide....

[monkeyalan]

I never said they weren't great cars , I always thought they looked ace if left pretty much alone.

I'd have one as a weekend car if i could afford to keep it going and could find a good non modded one.

All my experience of them ( friends cars )  in the 90's seemed to involve a lot of blowing up and falling to bits tho'.

[danny_p]

what i rember form mine was if trying to drive sensibly it felt so utterly gutless,  the moment started giveing  it some the motor cam alive and wanted to go in some serious order,  was constantlywanting to wheelspin it's way up through the box if given half a chance. a seriously fun littel car and one of the quickest i've had, pitty it ate engines turbos and boxes  

[The Silver Surfer]

It's very interesting how many peeps on here have owned 5 GT turbos as well  as GTI's.

I love my GTI 16V it's a better all round, all year car than any other retro hot hatch you can put your hands on.

I always fancied having a RS turbo escort phase 2.

Any comments on what these are like. Or is this hijacking the post 

[Re-rewind]

16v all the way, I say this based on the freeer characteristics of the engine personally and that the 8v feels a little strangled in comparison

[sidecarphil]

i have had a lot of turbocharged cars and all i can say is , once they are blown they are trouble 

take the good old pinto stick a turbo on it and the cossie motor blows up on tap

i have a love / hate relationship with turbo's i'd love to have one again but i hate the re-build / reliability issues 

well i've discovered mk2 golf's and phew there is no turbo'd one (can't comment one the G60)

[Jungle_Don]

i cant make my mind up! its not not about other peoples opinions its down to which i prefer i prefer the 16v engine but im not sure if id rarther have a small bumper 8v they look more retro.

[shakeyjake]

The 5 will be fun but the engine has been put together by a hooky plumber and they arent alot quicker than a corsa gsi - which is the slowest hot hatch around.

[Horney]

i cant make my mind up! its not not about other peoples opinions its down to which i prefer i prefer the 16v engine but im not sure if id rarther have a small bumper 8v they look more retro.

You can get 16v on small bumpers.

Nick

[Jungle_Don]

wahooo i have test drivern 2 8vs and 1 16v i drove the 8v 1st and i was like this is niiiiiiice and quite quick didnt want to rag it as it was a test drive  drove another 8v that felt the same really and i drove a 16v last nice and the 16v deffo feels quicker low down it feels like the 8v but after the revs build up  it really gets going and keeps going and going and going where the 8v needed a gear change, both nice cars to drive also the 16 sounds reallly nice when opend up.