[wallabyguy]

As expected by many of us here on this board, VW has now confirmed the production of their "boxster fighter". Fact is this car has it's sights on the Elise.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=100879

 

[NMRJock]

I'll bet it weights ~3000#.

 

[thegit]

I'll raise you 3260Lb.
Their tiniest offering weighs more than an Elise.
And they forgot what the premise of the GTI was.
m

 

[NMRJock]

Sad but true. We have a TDI Jetta (our second). It's great for what we do with it, but it is incredibly bulky. I have an A4 too. It feels incredibly heavy despite its sport suspension. Another great car for commuting to work but certainly not a sports car.
I looked at the R32 thinking it would be a neat alternative to the Evo and the STi in the rally car for the street catagory. I like the car, but it really doesn't do anything that my A4 doesn't do. I had hoped that they might try to do some lightening. No dice.

 

[maxxfish]

Ugggh, looks like the Lexus.

 

[smoseley]

Looks more like a TT fighter.

 

[Robert Puertas]

When was the last time the American consumer had so many cool cars to choose from?

Long live the sportscar!

 

[fitfan]

VW does not have its sights on the Elise... what do they care about 2,500 cars a year? and VW has discovered the percieved quality of weight. make it thick and heavy and solid and you get that old school mercedes "thunk" they won't build it super light, fact is - they cant... VW does not have the platform or the components to build a feather weight. no - it will weigh a lot and get a beefy powerplant.

i like the styling! and it will probably be a really good car.

 

[sandsmuseum]

Bernd's daughter has an Elise

Way back when VW first tried the condept of the small Concept R, the press was quick to point out that Bernd's daughter has an Elise and he has been driving it around.

I would bet the weight and other minimial aspects of the car are not lost on him and that VW will come out with a car closer to the Elise than to the Boxster. The weight is a big issue and VW has the technology to get it right. Once you have a target in sight, the engineering follows.

It should be interesting to see when they finally produce it. There must be something they think they can do or Pischetsrieder would not give it the go ahead. He is a smart guy, better even than Lutz...

Michael

 

[MattG]

Nice looking car. I see it hurting S2000 & Miata sales more than Elise sales though.

 

[Ridgemanron]

The Car Dr., who's radio program airs on WOR-710 AM every sunday between 10 a.m. and 12 noon, is a master mechanic
who can also be seen on DIY (DirecTV)
doing full restorations. His name is Ron Ananian and, after more than 30 years
of operating his own garage in Warwick, N.J., feels he is expert enough to comment about all the cars he sees coming and going into his shop. According to him, VW stands for 'Virtually Worthless'
and especially so with regard to electrical systems, poorly insulated wiring, and lack of heat shields that are a horror show.

 

[darwid]

I read the weight was 1300Kg (roughly 2600lbs if I'm correct). It goes from 0-62MPH in 5.3s. Sounds rather good for 25000$. Not to mention all the creature comfort they were able to fit in that vehicle...

Here's the link where I found all this info:
(Price) http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/2003_fms_conceptr/

(Rest) http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/vwfrankfurt.htm

 

[Mean TT]

It is about time that VW and AUDI offer some real muscle into their cars. I am simply amazed that AUDI offers a 250 hp v-6 that is slower than their tunable 225 hp I-4 turbo. Simply purposterous.

VW needs to offer something exciting, and when I mean exciting I think it should appeal to a broader market than just those people who love hatchbacks. I know that the R32 is a nice car, but for the money, I will take an evo ro STI or even WRX, no questions asked. It is not even close to the same performance level as its competitors. The same is true for AUDI. There are the new M cars, the increadibly powerful AMG cars and then there is the 344 hp 4000+ pound S4.

Put it this way, AUDI a premium car manufacturer has no cars that can complete 0-60 in under 5 seconds. The only one they have that is close is the S4 (5.1-5.6 convertible), and while it has a nice interior, they have just redesigned the exterior and it looks bad IMHO. Compared to the M3, (existing 333 hp soon to be 400) the M4 (400 hp) the M5 (507 hp) and the concept of a middle ground between the M 400 hp and the new 330 which will have close to 260 hp which is reported to be a turbocharged engine in the neighborhood of 320-340 hp, it is clear that AUDI and VW need to play catch up. For their attempt to catch up I am greatful, although I suspect that the 250 hp VR6 will be the powerplant for this concept - as usual

VW has recently make disturbing progress away from turbocharged engines without offering a suitable replacement. If they want to go the NA route, fine. They better realize that the 400+ hp LeMans sports car that will sell for 100-150 thousaind dollars already has a few different names "C6, ZO6, GTO (I know a stretch), Charger, AMG, M 4, M5, M6, Bently Continental, Austin Martin, just to name a few. Oh yeah there is also a new fererri coming out, should have more hp from the same size engine as the LeMans, without the 2 turbochargers. Who can deny the amazing tuning potential of the EVO (400+ wheel hp) and the STI. Oh yeah, and sone of these cars cost less then the least expensive cars on the AUDI line!

 

[MOKOSpeeD]

The concept R looks good; way more exciting than the Boxster and S2000. The exterior still can't compare to the Elise's though. Have you sat in one??? The exterior looks good even from the inside. If the Elise didn't exist, I just might favor the production version of the concept R over the S2000 and Boxster.

 

[ConeFusion]

I read the weight was 1300Kg (roughly 2600lbs if I'm correct).

1300kg is 2866lbs.

Nice looking car. If they can keep the price at a reasonable level, it should do very well.

 

[GabbaGabbaHey]

Older info: http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=5443

 

[RallyElise]

I have a VW R32. I have an early early Elise (chassis # in the low 300s).

As I wrote in Lotus Lines, the Evergreen Lotus Car Club newsletter, this month, I think they are both fantastic handling cars and I think they are comparably fun to drive. The Elise does it the Chapman way, through lightweight (my Elise was 705kg when last weighed) and simplicity. The R32 does it the German way, through "robust" engineering and gizmos (my R32 weighs more than twice as much as my Elise). I still love both cars.

The guy who said that the R32 doesn't do anything his A4 does do has obviously never driven a R32, though they strike me as apples and oranges. I have driven both and I know what I prefer. I also test drove TTs (both 225 and 3.2 DSG) and I left underwhelmed. After I test drove the R32, I stopped looking and put two cars in my collection up for sale.

alan

 

[Dan]

Put it this way, AUDI a premium car manufacturer has no cars that can complete 0-60 in under 5 seconds.

Not it the US, anyway. The RS6 does 0-62 in 4.7, and it's a big fat wagon!

 

[Mean TT]

Not it the US, anyway. The RS6 does 0-62 in 4.7, and it's a big fat wagon!

I know. Also I exaggerateda little bit, AUDI did import 825 RS6 cars with 450 hp in 2003 - amnd then discontinued them. However, my point is that it just makes no sense to me! There is no explanation for not offering a performance car that can even compete with cars in its price range in perfomrance tests.

As for the R32, I have driven one. I also used to own a TT 225 that I modded. There is definatly a group of people who like hatchbacks, and a larger majority that can't figure out what a performance hatch is trying to be. IMHO I think they just look silly. I think that the R32 was a step in the right direction, but instead of a VW Phaeton, engineering shoud have been invested in a 300+ hp agressivly styled and AWD Jetta type car. Something that could directly compete with the EVO, STI, WRX or even move it upscale and compete with the luxery brands, although I think that this would be something that AUDI should do.

I will never buy another AUDI again that does not actually have a performance "pulse". While the TT was fun, it was not a performance machine. When Honda Accords come stoch with more hp and costs half the price, something is amiss. Of course the other option is the lighten their car up, by about 1000 pounds a piece, but that is not happening anytime soon.
:no: