How fast is fast?

[alex d]

Ok, everyone likes to have a fast car, even better if it's faster than your neighbour's, but in this time of 11sec pump gas VWs, what do you consider the minimum to qualify as high performance VW? I mean, even a humble 16sec VW is much much faster than a stock one.
For me, anything faster than 15,00 in the quarter would do! Of course a 12sec car is a blast, but with a mild car you can have lots of fun too, in fact as you will drive it more often you will enjoy it more!

what do you think?

[Zach Gomulka]

I think with anything faster then 13.0 you will spend more time wrenching then driving. But then again, there is nothing wrong with that!

[j-f]

I never drive a Hot Bug (hope to finish my first hot 1600 engine to try this next summer) but, to realize of fast is a bug wich make 15 or 16, I compare with contemporaries cars. For example a 16v golf make 16s @ 1/4 mile. It begin to be interessting...
But, it's also a subjective thing. Soms will behappy with 15s and others only fund funny a 12s car 

[Frank LUX]

Once you hit the 13's you can call yourself Fast...

My 2cents...

Frank

[Lee.C]

whats does DKP say 13.99 thats pretty dam fast in my book 

[jick]

yeah.....i reckon anything sub 15secs  can be called fast.....

[richie]

Nothing is fast enough,but 9s would be a start!!!   cheers richie,uk

[Diederick/DVK]

i have no experience yet, but i agree with the greenhearts quicker than 15.99 seconds in the 1/4 mile is fast! 

under 13 secs just seems like madness to me 

[Lee.C]

here's a link that might help you compare times of some factory cars - checkout some of the later Porsche 1/4 mile times

http://www.exoticcarsite.com/0-60-quarter-mile-times.htm

[Diederick/DVK]

here's a link that might help you compare times of some factory cars - checkout some of the later Porsche 1/4 mile times

http://www.exoticcarsite.com/0-60-quarter-mile-times.htm

good to see i can keep my dad's car as a benchmark after all as it needs precisely 15 sec. 

[Jon]

All things considered, I think 100 hp in a bug is a fast bug...  when you are able to take most everyone at the traffic lights you have a "fast bug" Driving 12-13s is stupid fast... then you really have to refrain yourself when you are on the street...

These are my opinions, I have a humble 13.5 ET but I don’t think its fast... but easily lethal on the street :-)

[BeetleBug]

Well, this is actually a good question and personally I don`t think there is one answer to it. There is no doubt that a 14 second bug is fast! It might not look that impressive down the strip but it is dangerously fast on the street. Take my bug for instance, first season it went 14,3 and I was very happy with it. I could take it everywhere, it pulled strong and I sure as hell scared a couple of BMW`s on the street. Next season it went 13,3 - still with a original super beetle gearbox and still I could take it everywhere. By this time I was getting used to it and I even started to loose my respect for it. Well, this season it went 12,5 with the new engine and if I use earplugs I can still take it anywhere. It starts every time and apart from changing the oil and checking the valves I have not touched it. The major difference this year is that the car is capable of scaring me and my respect for it is back. Every time I fire it up it brings a huge smile on my face and every time I take it out on the street I can`t stop myselves laughing out loud. Traffic lights and BMW`s is no longer any fun because they do not stand a chance - heck, I`m so busy holding my steering wheel and changing gear that I no longer have time to look in the mirror to see their reactions.
For the first time in three years I don`t have the same urge to go faster because I don`t believe it will get any funnier than this without costing a lot of money and time. I`m in this for the fun - not the timeslip! 

BeetleBug

[Trond Dahl]

hehe... fun reading Kalle :-)
I believe the question was, when can we call an engine high perfomance. The answer is not simple but I don't think you need to run 13's before you can say you have a high performance engine.
Let's not forget that pushing 100hp + from a 50hp engine is pretty high performance for that one engine. Even if 100hp in it self might not be very impressive in general speaking.

[BeetleBug]

I believe the question was, when can we call an engine high perfomance.

No my dear, the question is; how fast is fast - and my answer is that it depends on who your asking. Today you need to have a 10 second time slip or faster to impress kids and besserwissers
but I`m pretty sure if you take them for a ride in a 13 second bug, on the street, they will piss their pants begging you to stop.

I`m not saying my car is fast but as long as it is fast enough to give me a laugh and a scare I have reached my goal... at least for a while 

Yours truly 

[Tim C]

I agree, it's about personal preference, a quick ET is the ultimate for many people, personally I like the ability to drive on the street when and where I want and have useable power.

To me, with my tall 4th gear in "Euro cruise" mode, 120mph is fast enough in a 40+ year old car, especially coming through a tunnel and driving at that speed straight past a traffic policeman!!! Luckily, the feds were in a Land Rover Discovery!!! I just kept on going 

[Trond Dahl]

No my dear, the question is; how fast is

...
"what do you consider the minimum to qualify as high performance VW?"  was the question I was refering to. And I think we need to seperate a racing engine from a "normal" high performant engine, which in my eyes can be as simple as a powered up 1776... Back in the day I'm sure such engine was spoken of as a high performant engine.

Again, this is all relative to whom you ask and in which setting. Perhaps we should ask the question: What is not concidered a high performance engine. Might be a bit simpler to answer then :-)

[alex d]

uh, well, the original question was...both 
interesting discusion here!

Of course as I only have funds for a mild engine (I expect to run 14s) I have to convince myself that that's fast enough 

[The Ideaman]

Zach ran 14.80's with a 1600.  It isn't the quietest setup, but was relatively inexpensive and fuel efficient!

[Zach Gomulka]

Zach ran 14.80's with a 1600.  It isn't the quietest setup, but was relatively inexpensive and fuel efficient!

Why thank you! I need a 5th VW so I have an excuse to build a clone of that motor

[Tobi/DFL]

Hi Jim,
I think you are right.For about 2 and a half years I´ve been driving my daily driver from and to work each day with its stock 34bhp engine and sliping clutch. That was a terrible time especially in the rush hour (as far as you can talk about a rush hour when you are living in Wolfsburg... ).
For about one year now I have a mild 1776 in that same car and I remember the first day I drove it to work very well! I was over the moon as now I could overtake those trucks that I could never ever even think about overtaking with the stock engine before...so I thought this car was now very fast BUT it didn´t take long though until I got used to it and now I´m thinking about upgrading to a daily driver 2L engine (if I had the money...).
I also own an ovalwindow that runs high 12s that isn´s driven too regularly in the summer month. Believe me...each time I take it aout for a ride around town I have a BIG smile on my face being scared about it at the same moment as this car handles absolutely different to my daily driver. I think that you have to differ between fast on the road and fast on the track...
Bye,

Tobi

[ESH]

From a personal perspective I think you're always one step behind what you consider 'fast'.  To me 13's in the 100's is 'square' when it comes to a street car. After some time chasing that I recently got there with what is effect a daily spec motor with a GT box. It'll be fast in my book if and when it does a 12 and I hope to be there at some point next year, I think it has it in it though I may have to use slicks and maybe empty the fuel tank a bit. That's for me personally though, I think to the man in the street any tuned Bug would be considered fast, you tell someone their 'Hot Hatch' is slower than their neighbours old Bug and they'd probably laugh but the fact is there are many Bugs out there that would out gun many 'hot hatches' and that's pretty damn cool. Everytime I think of that I smile, anytime I see that I laugh, it is for want of a better word brilliant! Only thing better is hauling in 4th and looking down at the tach and seeing 6000+ rpm as you flash some sports car out of your way.

Funnily enough the only time I have been genuinely scared in a Bug was at something like 50mph, in a '52 on crossply's on a very dark wet night. No light, brakes or steering, frankly it was utterly terrifying!

[surferboy]

From a personal perspective I think you're always one step behind what you consider 'fast'.  To me 13's in the 100's is 'square' when it comes to a street car. After some time chasing that I recently got there with what is effect a daily spec motor with a GT box. It'll be fast in my book if and when it does a 12 and I hope to be there at some point next year, I think it has it in it though I may have to use slicks and maybe empty the fuel tank a bit. That's for me personally though, I think to the man in the street any tuned Bug would be considered fast, you tell someone their 'Hot Hatch' is slower than their neighbours old Bug and they'd probably laugh but the fact is there are many Bugs out there that would out gun many 'hot hatches' and that's pretty damn cool. Everytime I think of that I smile, anytime I see that I laugh, it is for want of a better word brilliant! Only thing better is hauling in 4th and looking down at the tach and seeing 6000+ rpm as you flash some sports car out of your way.

Funnily enough the only time I have been genuinely scared in a Bug was at something like 50mph, in a '52 on crossply's on a very dark wet night. No light, brakes or steering, frankly it was utterly terrifying!

spot on i reckun and well put

[H67bug]

anything to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds is quick to put it in context with a new car.

For me 13s is fast ennough, 12s would be great.

How fast is fast enough? Depends who you are alongside at the start line  ... 13s didnt feel fast enough when I was being whooped but it did leave me with a grin from ear to ear that last whenevr I think of it.