mk4 R32 general queries

[ml16]

Hi

I'm in the market for a new car shortly, probably in the next couple of months, so i'm doing my research on various cars. The mk4 R32 has come up as a possibility as i have always had a fondness for them. I do have a few questions though which i would like to hear some real responses and hopefully not too "one-eyed" about.

1. Fuel consumption, what are some real world figures to expect from a tank? Redbook quotes 11.6L/100km or something rediculous, i usually find those figures are a bit much though. Would 450km from a 60L tank be a reasonable amount with a mix of thrashing and normal driving freeway/city stuff? I currently drive an awd subaru and get 450-500 from a 2L turbo, so as long as it is similar i'm not too fussed.

2. Servicing. What are rough figures for servicing minor/major? Are there some things like timing belt?/chain that should be taken care of at major intervals?

3. Tuning. Now i know that getting more power out of an N/A is usually pointless, but are there good tunes offered to improve throttle response/smooth torque/power curves?

Look forward to some real/good answers from other mk4 R32 owners.

Cheers
Martin

[schoona]

Martin, first of I can recommend Mark's Workshop in Perth if you have any problems when you purchase one.
I drove a Supercharged R32 in Sydney that was originally charged by Marks Workshop (1200whp commodores and the like) with the gear being originally supplied by Eurospeed in Melbourne.
The owner was very happy with the work from Marks Workshop.


1. Fuel economy. My MFD on the way back from QLD (where I bought mine) was showing around 8.8l/100. On my way to work (a 50 km round trip i can sit between 8.8 and 9.5l/100) it depends how good a run i get whether i sit at the lower end or a little bit higher.

Range - 600km + (not much + there though!) from QLD. The last tank I got through (filling up in the middle of the red section in the gauge) I got 575.

Dare I say, you are looking at a performance car, with a thirsty V6 and a fair bit of weight (1455kg), fuel economy being a big consideration seems a little mismatched to this car. I'm 20 and have run it with no problems.

2. Servicing. I have been quoted $670 by a European specialist here in Newcastle to service it. Haven't got to a dealer yet to check pricing. Coming up towards 130,000kms. I could do it myself but would prefer the stamped log book.

3. Peak wise tunes wont offer much. Mine is APR tuned (tbh I havent bother putting it in "stock" mode so can't tell oyu the difference with a standard one) and I dont mind the feel of it. Needs more top end punch though. Hopefully a Milly will fix this a bit!

HTH, way more information on Watercooled about people looking for these cars, and can also check out R32OC for more info about the car.

Mal

[ml16]

Mal thanks for the response.

I have heard of MWS before and have seen/read about many of the cars that have come out of there, very impressed.

The fuel economy question is just a check, i know being a V6 it will be quite thirsty anyway, but i catch the bus to work and drive on the freeway to uni so it's no real worry. If a tank sees me out 5-7 days then i'm happy. It's what i currently get out of a thirsty Subaru. I guess the awd would also drain a bit too, if it were a fwd it might be a bit better, but im used to awd drivetrain loss and fuel economy issues.

Servicing seems expensive, is that a major service you have been quoted on? I know it's a euro and they come with the expense, but i wouldn't have thought that much more. I would always get log book servicing done on that sort of car too, they are rare and should be kept in tip-top shape as far as im concerned.

I think i would go for a cat-back exhaust along with some sort of tune just to liven it up etc. but would wait a while anyway.

Thanks for that though, does help a lot.