83 replies to this topic

[stevie_n1]

Buddy bought one yesterday and called into me in it so had to take it for a drive. Had it in track mode and although my ST is stage 2 there didn't seem to be much power difference in it. Now no doubt if we went head to head he would come out on top but he forked out double for what i payed for the ST. Anyone feel the same. The RS is a rarer beast and will hold value better but i cant see the value in buying one. I was hoping to make the step up in the next few years but dont think i will now.

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[caprixpack]

I'd love a MK2 rs but I'd be worried about it every time I left it, and worried about some clown running into it. The Main bonus of the mk2 fl is it doesn't stand out (unless electric orange) and can quite easily be missed.

[s66anb]

Buddy bought one yesterday and called into me in it so had to take it for a drive. Had it in track mode and although my ST is stage 2 there didn't seem to be much power difference in it. Now no doubt if we went head to head he would come out on top but he forked out double for what i payed for the ST. Anyone feel the same. The RS is a rarer beast and will hold value better but i cant see the value in buying one. I was hoping to make the step up in the next few years but dont think i will now.

Once mapped they are brilliant. Probably the best car I've owned and when you get to know the car it's handling is amazing especially on track. The back end can slide about when pushing it in corners and roundabouts but is very controllable. But when I say push it you really need to be on it as the grip is at a different level to other cars I've owned anyway

[stevie_n1]

Once mapped they are brilliant. Probably the best car I've owned and when you get to know the car it's handling is amazing especially on track. The back end can slide about when pushing it in corners and roundabouts but is very controllable. But when I say push it you really need to be on it as the grip is at a different level to other cars I've owned anyway

Didn't get to test it properly around the twisties but straight line wasn't impressed. No doubt a remap would really wake it up

[s66anb]

Yes I will say they are slow and I wasn't impressed with straight line speed when I bought it. But that cars got kuch more going for it than outright speed. I reckon my mates ep3 type r was as faster than it when it was standard he was running 230bhp.

One thing I will say about them though is the engine fail which we already know I think. My engine went at 28k luckily for me I had already sold it when it was on 27k and I warmed the car and let it cool as you should. The car was only mapped to 375bhp. I've also seen on bdperformance that there seems to be alot of engine failures. My car had the headgasket done at I think about 22k

[McGherkin]

The Mk3s are slow in a straight line but that's not the point. Rear biased slidey AWD is sadly a rare thing these days, gone are the days of DCCD Imprezas and Evos where you could plant the throttle on corner exit and it not just wash out wide in a boring mess. Everybody I know who's had/driven one says they're hilarious fun on the limit. Sadly though they're a bit like a Pulsar GTI-R, I'd love to have a chuck around... just not in one I have financial responsibility for!

[stevie_n1]

Hopefully he doesn't have bad luck engine wise but i warned him to make sure it was warmed up before driving it on as its his first petrol car having performance diesels all his life he was used to getting in and driving on straight away. Would definitely like a go around a track in it that would test the full potential of the car.

[severn77]

Totally understand what you are saying, I nearly bought one 3 years ago but was so underwhelmed with the test drive it felt slower than my mp275 I didnt bother in the end. Im sure they are quicker than my ST but they just dont feel quick, as above maybe a stage 2 remap would make it a different animal.

Took my ST to stage 2 and bought a brand new tranny connect van for similar money as the RS would have been.

I still keep getting the urge to get one though if I could find the right one with stage 2 and no issues engine wise which would always be a concern following the head gasket issues on earlier cars

[Jason Sullivan]

You have to own a MK3 RS for a while to really appreciate how capable they are. A quick test drive in a std one will be a little underwhelming. Mine has Pumaspeed MAXD 400 on it and it's a different animal and superb on track love snapping the back end out 

[s66anb]

My old one



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I've also recently drove my mates one which is running a stage 2 nexus map from sitech racing and it was bonkers. It made 465bhp but isn't forged so I think it won't be long before it goes boom.

[sttwoton]

2.3 is not a strong engine, but what a fabulous car.

[Jason Sullivan]

My mate is running a Sabre tuned MK3 RS pushing out 530bhp with WMI...now that's bonkers 

[Noisy Boy]

I'd love a MK2 rs but I'd be worried about it every time I left it, and worried about some clown running into it. The Main bonus of the mk2 fl is it doesn't stand out (unless electric orange) and can quite easily be missed.

A MK2 RS in Ultimate Green would have a place in my garage anytime........and it would only come out in summer.

[Srea064]

The RS MK3 is all about the fun factor and it’s amazing grip on a twisty B road, love it.

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[Drewcole]

Yeah not about the straight line speed in them, it is about the speed you can carry through the corners and how it makes you feel connected to the car. 

The standard ST petrol or diesel are brillinat handling cars and inspire confidence, the RS just steps it up a level and offers more. 

Any ST that has been mapped to whatever stage is going to feel / be quicker than a car that hasn't got the stock power to match... not really comparable, but sort out the weak points of the RS and map it, then you are in a different world.