TBH I can't say that my 20VT's performance off boost has really bothered me,I certainly find no problems driving it either in town or out on the open road,it's just a matter of learning to stay on boost .

Admittedly it's been nearly 3½ years since I last drove my 16v but I can honestly say that the only thing I really miss about it is the steering feel .

Baz

Conclusion:
16V + Flea chip = I'm in

I've always said the 16VT brakes felt better, and the steering, and the engine revs easier, oh and the dash is nicer!

I'm with Barnacle on everything he's said to be honest!

It is for sure a GT car, not a sports car, and it's good at it too, especially for what they are selling for now!

I still miss my 16VT!

Gareth

slightly off topic but as we are comparing, - my 20v handles a world better since i put some 17" rims on it, anyone else noticed the difference in theirs?

however the 16v does feel totally different on the road, it feels a whole lot lighter for a start (im guessing the reason is obvious)

but more chuckable if you like, not that i do much 'chucking' these days, after driving a lorry all day at a maximum of 56mph a coupe of any sort feels like a rocketship!!

my daf does have 580bhp though...

I love driving all the Coupe models as they all have different qualities, good and bad

C'mon Neil,surely you must be impressed with the 20VT's RED hazard warning switch rather than the 16v's PINK one .

Were the hazard switches red on the 16v's when they came out the factory?

Baz

Baz,

I'd have agreed with you completely 6 months ago when I had my 20VT, I thought it wasn't that bad off boost and was actually OK around town (I only had the 20VT and a Diesel Turbo Peugeot at the time. The Peugeot needs the gears working to get anywhere, so the 20VT felt much nicer).

It's only since moving to a largish NA engine that I have realised how much difference the turbo makes (for better and worse! )

Cheers

Ben

You have a point there, it has to be said.

Intersting thread, guys, I've only driven the one model, and indeed only the one Coupe so I have very little to compare against. I do find some of the comments interesting though, I must just have got used to how mine feels.

Off boost performance. One day I'm going to find out what spec my turbo is one day but until I do, I'm going to guess that it's spooling quicker than the standard one. The result of this is that even from low revs it feels torquey (is that a word?). My previous two cars have been an Omega Elite 3.0 V6 and a 2001-spec Lexus GS300 3.0 straight 6 so I'm used to torquey engines. Granted, it doesn't pull in the same way but it feels as though it has real guts low down. Result of all this is that I very, very rarely take mine above 3500-4000rpm, I don't feel any need around town, it pulls in 3rd or 4th from barely above idle. The odd occasion I travel the A66 takes some getting used to to get the most out of the car, it feels like it's screaming at 4000rpm.

Motorway. Can agree with the comments about the motorway suiting the car, it suits the ratios nicely, mine being the 5 speed. From when I bought the car, 5th is a great motorway gear, the car being happy to pull hard when required at anything like motorway speeds.

I would agree the Coupe is a great GT too. It's comfortable enough for long journeys and has the comfort gizmos to suit. It suits me well for the M1 commute and the return journey to Cumbria just as well. But as above, I find it great in town/traffic too.

Silly question time, why the heck did you buy one then?

Tsk. How on earth can I complain about it properly if I don't have one?

But barnacle, everyone knows complaining about something using unfounded and invalid evidence is much more effective!



-wolfman

They are both very different beasts

I got to drive a 16v about 18 months ago and I was very surprised by it.
The steering was firmer/heavier than a 20VT, which I wasn't expecting, but it felt better. It also felt much more balanced than a 20VT on the nice set of twisties that was on my test track

The 16V engine was a sweetheart, great low down oomph and a beautiful noise that egged you on to go faster/use the full rev band, I can see why 16V's don't be great on fuel, you enjoy listening to the engine too much

If I lived somewhere with miles of country roads before you got to motorways, I'd have a 16v, but nearly all my trips in mine are long distance mostly good single carriageway roads over here, so the overtaking power of the 20vt comes is essential As does the fuel economy, but most of all the refinement and wonderful warble of the 5-cylinder when pressing on

Neil have you ever compared a 16v to a 20v?

No. I've driven several 20v over the years, but never for any length of time and usually when people have said 'come and tell me what this funny noise is' so no real grounds for comparison.

I have chased through the countryside with them in my 16, and the occasional straight line drag from the lights, and there's nothing in it. Can't comment on the handling, though.

In a very recent Performance Car magazine there was a very interesting Prodirve article. When on the subject of tyre size, the guy said that a larger profiled, thinner tyre would provide more feedback and a more progressive feel than a wider, lower profiled tyre. Other things to consider was the self straightening quality of a thinner tyre as well as the 'extra' suspension a softer, larger tyre wall gives.

This might explain why a lot of people comment on the 'feel' of the 16v as it runs 195/55/15s doesn't it?

I'd also like to add that there really is nothing between the 16v and 20v on my new calculator either, something like 0.22secs over standing 2 miles

I'm sorry, but this site does not condone racing on public roads

Tsk, newbies!

this is a marvelous thread

you could some up coupes as female stars

the 16na is pure and in the designers original form/ unspoilt...ie Keira knightly or maybe Scarlet Johanson

were as the 20v turbo is more jordan or pamela anderson

but the 20v turbo with a bonnet vent would be jackie stallone

only my views of course

I would further ellaborate on the different 20v turbo models there.

20vt Turbo - Victoria Beckham (attractive but a bit bland with no make-up)
20vt Turbo, Plus Model / Leather Racaros - Cat Deely (classy but with a naughty streak)
20vt Turbo, LE Model - Jordan (the slutty red underwear look)

I'm sorry, I have to disagree; for those of us of a certain age, the 16NA could only ever be one of two women: Jenny Agutter or Audrey Hepburn. Probably the latter.

I reckon Jenny Agutter could turn from 16v NA to fully modded 20VT when the mood took her

'Walkabout' - 'nuff said

Was thinking 'An American Werewolf in London'... and the same as you re 20vt!

I don't think I could compare any Coupe to Jordan.

Unless it was loud, lacking in substance and had a nasty plastic bodykit.

who? im a tad young for this conversation i think?

Well, yes, but you were busy being born around the time I bought the 16v!

Utter rubbish! I think you'll find the the 16V N/A was styled with Alexandre Bastedo in mind (her from the Champions ).

Oh Lordy . . . .

Well, there's nothing like a well-considered, eloquent and persuasive response.

And that was nothing like.... etc

However, as the author of this (pretty good) YouTube vid, its clear that you might have just a little bit of bias

Gushing praise for the Lampredi twincam lump