If It Ain't a Turbo, Anything Less than 2.0L Ain't Hot-Rodding

When I was driving my Waja 1.6L (M), I thought I was among the fastest on the road. Generally, I was. But each time I came up against cars with bigger engines, I found my car severely wanting.

I'd heard of port & polish and engine blue-printing as means for ramping up the engine's horsepower, but they were just too costly and time consuming.

That's when I realised, if I wanted more power, I needed a bigger engine right off. Nothing less than a 2.0L engine would do, and if I had extra money, I could always ramp up the horsepower later.

Sure enough, these days, anything less than a 2.0L car poses little challenge for my Kia Forte 2.0SX.

This is why I can't help feel a little sorry for all those racer boys who drive sporty looking hatchbacks mated to 1.6L engines that are not equipped with turbo, like Satria Neo CPS and Ford Fiesta. They spend so much and get so little.

Of course, most people spend only on what they can afford when it comes to fast cars. I know because I'm still like that - if I had more money, I'd always choose to buy a faster car.

Nonetheless, I've learnt that there's not point in sporting fast looks on a car that won't go as fast as you'd like, which is why I fail to see the point in garish looking spoilers and skirting for cars that are actually quite slow, like the Neo CPS, Ford Fiesta and Honda City.

For me, understated beauty speaks volumes when it comes to speed, like the VW Golf and Scirocco - these cars are anything but garish, and just by looking at them, you know they're fast.

If you want to go with a small engine car and you're into speed, be sure to choose something with turbo in it, like the Peugeot 308 Turbo. It may look a little weird but it really is fast. Otherwise, you'll just be dreaming of hot-rodding, instead of doing it for real.

Car manufacturers will peddle you all sorts of gizmos like gasoline direct injected (GDI), dual CVVT and even dual clutch. At the end of the day, your 1.6L car would still be slower than most 2.0L cars, unless you go down the port & polish, engine blue-printing, slap-on turbo path.

So, don’t be easily taken in by cars like the Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Veloster.

Aiming for the Peugeot "Pug" 308 GT Instead

It's funny how an unkind remark can become a catalyst for my making one of the biggest financial decisions in my life - instead of getting the Peugeot "Pug" 308 Turbo HP as I initially planned, I'm forgoing that and getting the Pug 308 GT instead. I'm even forgoing the Proton Exora as a third car for the family.
"Anonymous" said in his or her comment on one of my blog posts the other day, "Christ!!! Boring blog here u've got", which was fair comment, albeit unkind. More importantly, "Anonymous" added, "except for the pic of yr nice ride but high on maintenance after 3 yrs. Cheers!" (see http://grinnerscarsmalaysiablog.blogspot.com/2009/05/forced-to-migrate-from-yahoo-360.html#comments)
And that got me thinking. Despite the Ford Focus S2.0's steep maintenance cost, it's quite a looker still.
In fact, that was the main reason why I bought the Focus S2.0 in the first place. I didn't care much about the fact that there were far better performing cars out in the market then. I also didn't care that it wasn't as popular as the Honda Civic.
The first time I saw the Focus S2.0, which was in a poster advertisement hung on one of the pillars at Mid Valley Megamall, I said, "If only I could afford such an beautiful but expensive car." Back then, I could only afford a Proton Waja.
About two years later, I bought a Focus S2.0.
Who knows? Two years from now, I may be able to afford a Pug 308 GT.
Meanwhile, I can continue enjoying the Focus S2.0. It may not be as powerful as the Pug 308 Turbo, but it's still better looking (at least to me).
Of course, getting the Pug 308 GT would involve making lots of sacrifices. Firstly, I'm going to have to put aside quite a lot of money in order to get one.
This means forgoing the Exora, as I mentioned earlier, and a family driver to chauffeur my kids to school and back - or rather, I'm going to have to be the chauffeur, at least until my kids are comfortable with the idea of changing to a school closer to our new home in Glenmarie Cove.
Secondly, I'm going to have to resist my desperate urge to get the Pug 308 Turbo! The feeling can be so intense, I find myself dithering between not buying and buying almost on a day-to-day basis.
Thirdly, the Pug 308 GT is going to be even more expensive to maintain than my Focus S2.0.
But what the hey! It's probably one of the most affordable performance cars that isn't too far off from the mid-range price band - I won't feel so guilty breaking my resolve in sticking to mid-range cars.
But then, I have about two-years cooling off period. Who knows? Maybe I won't get a Pug 308 GT after all and just stick to driving my, by then, old Focus S2.0.
Then again, if I do get a Pug 308 GT, one of the things I'm going to have to do is get bigger tyres and get ZR rated ones at that - currently, the car's tyres are too thin and only R-rated :P

Focus S2.0 vs Peugeot "Pug" 308 Turbo HP

As I said I would, I test drove the Peugeot "Pug" 308 Turbo HP to see how it would measure up to my Ford Focus S2.0. And the verdict? The Pug is better in almost every way.

Sigh! Now I really have a problem on my hands.

If the Pug were inferior, I wouldn't be so, so tempted to buy it come September 2009 when my bonus comes in. As it were, I'm sold on the idea of buying it!

Despite being powered by a mere 1.6L engine, the Pug's turbo charger makes it churn out as much break horse power (Bhp) as my darling Focus S2.0. But since it's a smaller-engine car and hence lighter, the Pug's acceleration is far superior the my darling Focus.

How superior? My Focus is fast. It terms of acceleration, it'll leave most cars behind from 0-100Km/h.

The Pug? It'll leave my darling Focus in its wake.

Plus, being in the Pug makes me feel like I'm really in a modern car - digital displays, automatic sensors, more contemporary cabin layout, etc. So much so, compared to the Pug, my darling Focus feels rather basic and even dated.

And the car is about the same size, too.

Of course, the Pug's rear is not quite as nice as my darling Focus' rear. But it's not like I can't get used to that, just like how I got used to the plain looking rear of my Focus.

What's more, the Pug would come with factory fitted 17 inch rims and tyres - no need to spend extra money swapping out silly 16 inch rims and tyres like I had to with my darling Focus. And if I get tired of them, next bonus cycle, I would put in 18 inch rims and tyres.

But then, all this excitement and anticipation could be for nothing.

Right now, I'm pretty much taken in by the Pug. However, I have till September to make my final decision.

This cooling off period might result in more sensibility taking hold.

For example, with all the electronic bling-blings that go into the Pug, after its 3-year warranty period ends, it'll be a real headache footing the repair bills for those electronics.

For that matter, the whole idea of getting a new car is so that I don't have to worry about my Focus' steep maintenance costs. With the Pug, the costs would be about the same, if not more.

In which case, it could be like jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.

Still, the Pug is such an excellent car. Although I'm so much in love with my darling Focus, right now, I can't help but feel that I have to have the Pug!

Anyway, if you're in the market for a mid-range pocket rocket that costs about RM115,000, forget the Ford Focus S2.0. Go for the Pug.

Peugeot 308 – Ugly in a Nice Way

The Peugeot 308 Turbo is reasonably affordable at RM111,000. Although it is powered by 1.6L engine, it can churn out up to 150Bhp, thanks to the turbo addition.
This allows the 308 Turbo to be both fuel economical as well as powerful.
Unfortunately, the 308 Turbo looks like an old 307 that has been squashed at the front by a giant’s foot – not a pretty sight.
Some cars look pretty while standing still. Some cars look pretty when on the move.
Some cars look pretty when standing still and on the move.
The 308 Turbo? It just looks frekking ugly.
And then something happens. Your eyes adjust, you get used to the lines and curves, and all of a sudden, it becomes cute.
Nothing about the car has changed. It’s your preference that’s changed.
And that’s pretty much how the evolution of car design takes place. What’s butt ugly one day becomes beautifully trend setting the next.
My Ford Focus S2.0’s warranty period is coming to an end soon. And if I decide to buy a replacement, after the end of that period, it’d probably be the 308 Turbo.

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Addendum: I've made arrangements for test-driving the 308 Turbo this weekend in Bangsar, KL. This would give me a chance to compare the 308 Turbo's performance against the Ford Focus S2.0's performance.
Will blog about the experience soon.