Supras and a martial arts badges?

[herbiemercman]

Hi Dudes, When the first Supras appeared on our roads they stunned everybody with their fantastic looks and performance, it was in the same "ball park" as the E-types created.

Many years have passed for me, twenty three of them, since i bought my beast, but IMHO the aesthetics have not degraded like it has done for 99% of other sports cars. During this time i suffered light hearted abuse from my Brother Adrian who bought a Mk4 TT and used to refer to my 5 speed 220 BHP car as "the slow one"in Pub conversations etc., his car was auto and circa 330BHP, both cars black and looked the same.

Anyway i never thought a day would come , which came for me 3 years ago, where i got my NA-T conversion, my brother, (God Rest His Sole),tried to be nice about me now having the 100 BHP edge, he tried it out and also commented on the gear changing he liked.

So that is the background to my threads title in that in recent times traveling on the faster roads i find that many motorists, including the ones in hot Audies, Mercs, Jags, and the tuned smaller cars, have a may be, honest but wrong belief, that the Supras were no match for them. I know some of them would be a match for even the tuned Supras, but they back off, this to me is like you being in a pub in an altercation and you know the other party involved does martial arts, and metaphorically speaking, wares the badge, as in my thread's title.

There have been times in the past where i felt like setting fire to my machine when it was an NA, after being blown away with a Golf GTI etc.

Many of us want to "be the fastest" or beat your contender at arm wrestling etc, i was Chairman of a Baxi bikers club, all "knee down nutters", BBC (Baxi Bike's Club), 42 members and i think this way of thinking developed there for me. What do you think? Herbie.

Edited April 14, 2020 by herbiemercman (see edit history)

[rider]

Only once have I ever got into a my car is faster to the limiter than yours NASCAR style battle was persuading a M3 to pull over on the Autobahn after many miles of outside lane hogging. That was 20 years ago now and I know I could never be that aggressive behind the wheel today. Chill and cruise is more my way with an old car piloted by an even older driver. this way other motorists have time to engage with their smiles and thumbs up and proper conversations at traffic lights. I don't even know when the Supra will be next out to play, I was going to tax it for six months from April but that hasn't happened.

[ben_harmer32]

Mine is BPU which i have done purely for my benefit, i like the way it feels and sounds. I rarely 'race' anyone, i'm getting to old, like my license and usually have the kids in the car. I may put the foot down every now and then if i see someone staring etc. To be honest even with 450bhp i think these days the Supra will struggle to keep up with a lot of the newer hot hatches. With modern gearboxes, suspension and brakes (and a lot of them with decent power themselves) the Supra doesn't stand a chance. But it's way more of an icon and i think a lot of people assume when they see them on the road they're running 800bhp+, so i just pretend i have no point in trying against them, give a little blip of the throttle to make the turbos chirp then carry on cruising.

[The Raven]

Like ben said, most people assume they are 800 bhp monsters. I dont ever feel the need to prove them wrong

[herbiemercman]

My machine has a LSD and and a fairly lowered axle ratio and accelerates very quickly up to the silly"speeds which even the new hot hatches fall back and most give up. There may be a few, IMHO who think i have the 800BHP as you mention, and give up, but nothing has left me to date. I cruise i would say 70% of the time and just have the odd spert, it is getting rare for the odd dual especially with congestion and the speed camera technology.

 

Ben's comments re: "The Supras will strugle to keep up with hot hatches" and "Supras don't stand a chance" is no way with me, with a good NA-T, and certainly not my experience. I would have to agree with the NA Supra, but not the tuned TT's. Herbie.

Edited April 14, 2020 by herbiemercman (see edit history)

[ben_harmer32]

My machine has a LSD and and a fairly lowered axle ratio and accelerates very quickly up to the silly"speeds which even the new hot hatches fall back and most give up. There may be a few, IMHO who think i have the 800BHP as you mention, and give up, but nothing has left me to date. I cruise i would say 70% of the time and just have the odd spert, it is getting rare for the odd dual especially with congestion and the speed camera technology.

 

Ben's comments re: "The Supras will strugle to keep up with hot hatches" and "Supras don't stand a chance" is no way with me, with a good NA-T, and certainly not my experience. Herbie.

 

Just to clarify what i meant by hatchbacks, the ones like the AMG Mercedes A45 and the new Audi RS3's. They're all packing around 400bhp

[herbiemercman]

Just to clarify what i meant by hatchbacks, the ones like the AMG Mercedes A45 and the new Audi RS3's. They're all packing around 400bhp

 

Hi Ben, Yes i know that, but with the Supra's aerodynamics and handling,and stability at the "silly" speeds, and circa 50 more BHP, the hot hatch drivers will have a lot on their hands, to even edge away, certainly we wood stand a good chance, not no chance as you put forward.

Like the pub analogy, you may just about get knock down in a fight, but the other person will at least know they have been in a fight. Also the cars you refer to are silly money, and not all drivers can "read the road" safely at high speed. Herbie.

Edited April 14, 2020 by herbiemercman (see edit history)

[herbiemercman]

Like ben said, most people assume they are 800 bhp monsters. I dont ever feel the need to prove them wrong

 

Hi Raven, Your right, you don't need to prove them wrong, your just letting them think that we drive old hasbeens which is far from the truth.

Many Supras which look good and are very fast are a match for most cars, that is why people love them. Yes the Supra is a good posing car, but that is not my bag. Herbie.

[Style]

Supras don't really handle well at all (unless you've built one for it) so as soon as you reach a corner, a hatchback with half the power of the Supra will end up miles ahead. Couple that with the lag of a single and they're a dot on the horizon before you know it. Even if we're talking about straight line stuff, aerodynamically there isn't much of a difference either. It's not like you're racing square blocks or anything. If a basic NA-T is leaving A45 AMG's and RS3's behind then you're either racing a kitted replica, or they're not aware they're racing at all.

 

The only thing a Supra has over modern hot hatches is the ability to cruise at a high speed as that was what they were made for. Effortlessly covering large distances in comfort.

[Mo Reviews]

Put a decent driver behind the wheel of a TTRS, A45 or RS3 and they'll make the average Supra look silly around a track. But, as Style says, as grand tourers, that's not what these cars were actually built to do... if people modify them to do things they weren't originally designed to do well, then they're part of a very small group of cars that can look good doing things they weren't actually built to do. However, in fairly standard form, their grand touring pedigree tends to shine through.

[Mk4Gaz]

I can tell you with certainty that my brother had an a45 amg, and that thing flew!

 

 

 

[mc92]

Don't care if mine is slow it looks cooler than everyone else.

[herbiemercman]

Supras don't really handle well at all (unless you've built one for it) so as soon as you reach a corner, a hatchback with half the power of the Supra will end up miles ahead. Couple that with the lag of a single and they're a dot on the horizon before you know it. Even if we're talking about straight line stuff, aerodynamically there isn't much of a difference either. It's not like you're racing square blocks or anything. If a basic NA-T is leaving A45 AMG's and RS3's behind then you're either racing a kitted replica, or they're not aware they're racing at all.

 

The only thing a Supra has over modern hot hatches is the ability to cruise at a high speed as that was what they were made for. Effortlessly covering large distances in comfort.

 

Hi Style, I have to agree with your last paragraph at the end of your post, but all my comments were based on A roads and M/ways where the Supras come into their own, i know that "scratching" in bendy country roads is for the little snot boxes, especially the 4 wheeled drive cars. I bought my grandson a Subaru Impretsa running a 350 BHP Greedy turbo, i tried to keep with him but my car just did well on the straight bits, but its "horses for courses". I experienced the same situation on the big 1,000cc bikes, several of us from the BBC were returning from the IOM ferry and we came to a bikers dream road, but, when we passed through Killmarnock village about six guys joined us on off road/ sit up road bikes, we could not keep with them, their machines were designed for flying round corners and great manuverability.

Anyway i like the way my Supra behaves where i want it to, the big roads where it can perform, with great stability, aerodynamics, speed and comfort and safe and stable in windy wet weather, which the hot hatches do not like. This is where my car operates for me most of the time and to date, it does it so well. I am not really a poser, but having said that a lot of people ask what the car is and how much they like it, these cars are old beasts and i try to ensure that it is not a myth and will always be sought after, if some members think it is a good looking chugging relic then they are not a true Supra owner, this is just, IMHO. Herbie.

[herbiemercman]

Put a decent driver behind the wheel of a TTRS, A45 or RS3 and they'll make the average Supra look silly around a track. But, as Style says, as grand tourers, that's not what these cars were actually built to do... if people modify them to do things they weren't originally designed to do well, then they're part of a very small group of cars that can look good doing things they weren't actually built to do. However, in fairly standard form, their grand touring pedigree tends to shine through.

 

Well said Adam, but in the right situation on roads built for muscle cars the Supra will take some beating, and the power and performance has been kept in pace over the 27 years by people like us in this Club, not just a £45K snot box hot hatch on lease purchase. Most drivers i come into contact would never think my rocket ship was a touring car, in most cases they do not see me for long, on big roads, not twisty roads through villages. If a couple of hot hatches like the AMG and the Audo RS3 can out run us in some circumstances, then this is a tribute to 23 year old cars, which are not on a rental agreement, and most owners probably would not know where their engine was.Herbie.

Edited April 14, 2020 by herbiemercman (see edit history)

[herbiemercman]

Don't care if mine is slow it looks cooler than everyone else.

 

Hi MC92, If you are happy for your car just to look cool then that is your pleasure of ownership, in my home town of Wigan, with women who were trying to look the upper market part, we used to refer to them as "fair coat but no knickers", basically you may as well put an old taxi diesel engine under your hood. Sorry but we all have different needs and ambitions and there is nothing wrong with that. Herbie.

[herbiemercman]

I can tell you with certainty that my brother had an a45 amg, and that thing flew!

 

 

/QUOTE]

 

Hi Gaz, There are lots of very old Supras that can "fly" and the applause would be for the guy that built it. Herbie.

[herbiemercman]

Hi Guys, You must know that i like the MK4 Supra and i have tried to explain why, i just cannot handle the owners who think these cars are not still in the "Top Ten" on performance, in the arena they were designed for, and most of all still being developed by supporters of the breed who are keeping them in the "Top Ten" for several attributes of, speed, stability, good looks, comfort, and the credit going to them, NOT like the lease hire club dudes with the hot hatches. Herbie.

[navtrd]

For a car that came out in 1993 I think it still does OK power wise at bpu level, new cars are quick but supra still looks better

[mc92]

Hi MC92, If you are happy for your car just to look cool then that is your pleasure of ownership, in my home town of Wigan, with women who were trying to look the upper market part, we used to refer to them as "fair coat but no knickers", basically you may as well put an old taxi diesel engine under your hood. Sorry but we all have different needs and ambitions and there is nothing wrong with that. Herbie.

 

ok

[bignum]

I think the main difference is that most people don`t want to loose their licence so give it some beans upto 80/90 leptons, aye remember leptons;) then back off, if you`ve got the balls to carry on after that then fair play.

What you should do is get your car on a track to have some real fun and push the limits properly in a safe environment, i started 17 years ago and still have "the bug" with only 2 tracks to tick off in the uk and not being big headed but also the fastest supra around the Nurburgring.

[Mo Reviews]

I think the main difference is that most people don`t want to loose their licence so give it some beans upto 80/90 leptons, aye remember leptons;) then back off, if you`ve got the balls to carry on after that then fair play.

What you should do is get your car on a track to have some real fun and push the limits properly in a safe environment, i started 17 years ago and still have "the bug" with only 2 tracks to tick off in the uk and not being big headed but also the fastest supra around the Nurburgring.

 

Do you have any links to your brake set up bud?

[bignum]

Do you have any links to your brake set up bud?

 

Hi mate, its basically this caliper,https://trackformula.co.uk/product/ap-racing-pro-5000-r-9660-caliper-18mm-pad/

With brackets and bells from Reyland, http://www.reyland.co.uk/

Then i have a couple of contacts for Discs and pads, used from btcc teams.

I had to get anti rattle springs for the discs as they are floating design and made my own springs for the pads to as they rattle when driving on the road,

Bare in mind this setup is more racecar than road, like no dust seals on the calipers etc, they have got road version calipers called Radical i think.

[Mo Reviews]

Hi mate, its basically this caliper,https://trackformula.co.uk/product/ap-racing-pro-5000-r-9660-caliper-18mm-pad/

With brackets and bells from Reyland, http://www.reyland.co.uk/

Then i have a couple of contacts for Discs and pads, used from btcc teams.

I had to get anti rattle springs for the discs as they are floating design and made my own springs for the pads to as they rattle when driving on the road,

Bare in mind this setup is more racecar than road, like no dust seals on the calipers etc, they have got road version calipers called Radical i think.

 

Thanks bud!

 

How does this set up compare to the K Sports everyone else seems to be using at the moment?

[bignum]

Thanks bud!

 

How does this set up compare to the K Sports everyone else seems to be using at the moment?

 

Do you really want me to answer that lol, the ksports are ok but for me it was the readily available pads n discs that makes the ap setup a no brainer, i get through a pair of discs each year and probably 3 sets of pads, so after selling my previous brembo setup(which was ok) i`m basically now running this setup for free.i bought 10 sets of discs and pads so i`m good for a while.

[Mo Reviews]

Do you really want me to answer that lol, the ksports are ok but for me it was the readily available pads n discs that makes the ap setup a no brainer, i get through a pair of discs each year and probably 3 sets of pads, so after selling my previous brembo setup(which was ok) i`m basically now running this setup for free.i bought 10 sets of discs and pads so i`m good for a while.

 

Got you! Thanks bud.