Just thought i'd use my first post to say hi to everyone.

Picking up a 07 plate 100hp tomorrow morning in black - been looking forward to it for ages.

Wanted one a while back but all funds went on a wedding instead so now i've got the go ahead from the wife to change cars i've managed to persuade her the panda is exactly what we need

Not had a fun car to drive since I sold my Accord type R for a motorbike. Have been cruising around in the wife's baby blue 1.0 seat arosa for years now - that certainly didn't do much for my street cred - part of the reason I am relieved it will soon be replaced by the panda.

Just hope it is as fun as everyone says they are - will it ever replace my favourite car to date, a 106 GTI?? Only time will tell.

Look forward to getting useful info from the forum - next, what induction kit do I go for? Decisions decisions...

Welcome to the FF!

The 100HP is one of probably only a handful of cars anywhere near oldskool cars like the 106GTi. Sadly, for me almost everything now is so heavy and sanitised, or ridiculously over-powered, over-tyred or over soft-touch-plasticed. Or a diesel!

Good luck for tomorrow! Let us know how you get on.

Great little car, never tire of it. Leave the sport button at all times

Welcome Danny.
I'm glad you've come to your senses and are spending your hard-earned money on cars rather than fritter it away on women and weddings!
Just imagine you are driving a kart when you are in your 100HP and you will get the most from it!
Don't waste your money on modifications, spend the cash on fuel and drive the bugger!

Hmmm I dont think the 100hp will replace a 106GTi either .Only similarity I can think of is mpg although in fairness the 106GTI is possibly 2 or 3 mpg lower again .The 106 is perhaps over two seconds faster to 60 mph ,way lighter ,more basic ,less harsh , more supple suspension ...As the years pass by 'GTi' cars are just more and more over tyred ,over specced ,and under 0-60'd!!!I saw in an old ad just yesterday that the 1984 Fiat Ritmo (Strada in UK) 130TC did 0-60 in 7.7 seconds !!!My old Opel Kadett GSi 16V (basically a stripped Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v-157bhp in a sub 1000kg car that had a 1.2 version in the model line up! )had a 0-62mph time in the owners manual of 6.9 seconds and if anything felt faster...I would have to admit though that in tight bends or on roundabouts it was a dog but in a fast sweeping bend (even in an industrial estate never mind on a motorway)it stuck like glue.
Ive been running my 100hp a few months now and am trying to sell it .While it has a lot of likeable traits-and I think the Panda is a smashing car all round - I think Id prefer a multijet version what with my high mileage .Even one of the most regular posters here , Track Day Queen , has said that if youre only getting the MPG of a 2 litre (or less perhaps !I had a Celica would do about the same, 38mpg and the 2 litre Kadett would regularly top 40mpg -AND 140mph-and yes even on the same tankful sometimes!!!)maybe some should just get a 2 litre instead (although obviously there are insurance issues etc )

Hi Danny!

I hope that by the time you read these replies, you have been out and enjoying your Panda?

In value-for-money terms, the 100HP is a winner. I've almost covered 60k in mine and apart from the fuel issue, it has been a superb car.

Let us know your first impressions.

It's a good fun car really. Though I think you'll find that you won't get the lift off oversteer you get with a 106. So it won't quite be the same.

So it's very much over tyred in comparison and you really have to work it hard to bring the rear end into play. So it does handle a bit on the safe (understeery) side.

Having said that it can still be something of a hoot, especially down a fast A road. For some reason you always seem to be doing about 80mph.

The ride is a bit stiff on the rear, but other than that it's a pretty easy car to live with on a day to day basis. I've had mine over 18months now and I do really quite like it.

Picked up the car this morning - glad to say everything has been good so far - did have one downer though. Not 2 hours into ownership someone has decided to put a nice parking dent right on the crease of the door! Lucky it'll only be £30-35 to fix!!

Anyways onto to rest of the posts...

Welcome to the FF!

The 100HP is one of probably only a handful of cars anywhere near oldskool cars like the 106GTi. Sadly, for me almost everything now is so heavy and sanitised, or ridiculously over-powered, over-tyred or over soft-touch-plasticed. Or a diesel!

Good luck for tomorrow! Let us know how you get on.

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Thanks - glad to have a new forum to scour now! Totally agree with your comments there - was pleasing to see the panda come in under a ton given, like you said everything has become heavier since the old school GTI's etc.

Great little car, never tire of it. Leave the sport button at all times

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From the moment I left the dealers it has been in sport mode - steering feels a little too light without it to be honest

I'm glad you've come to your senses and are spending your hard-earned money on cars rather than fritter it away on women and weddings!

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Oh definately - the wedding killed the £ which is why we didn't pick up a panda earlier - now the wife had her dream wedding I was given 'permission' to go get a car that is a little more fun to drive - the panda has all the extras you need, is cheap to run and insure and I think it looks damn cool too.

Hmmm I dont think the 100hp will replace a 106GTi either .Only similarity I can think of is mpg although in fairness the 106GTI is possibly 2 or 3 mpg lower again .The 106 is perhaps over two seconds faster to 60 mph ,way lighter ,more basic ,less harsh , more supple suspension

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Agreed, the 106 will be a hard car to replace - fast it was - mine was RR'd at 140bhp and weight 950kg the car surprised quite a few in its day - MPG wise I wouldn't get much more than 30mpg but that could have been down to the way I drove it. Also, supple ride, probably not seeing as it was lowered 50mm

I hope that by the time you read these replies, you have been out and enjoying your Panda?

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Covered about 50 miles in it so far - that was a pretty boring journey to take the wife shopping though. Got back to where I use to live and to some of my favourite roundabouts - car handles pretty well, plenty of grip and pretty good steering feel. Situation wasn't made any easier with the wife screaming that the car can't 'handle' it - i've told her to read the reviews but she just don't listen!

The ride is a bit stiff on the rear, but other than that it's a pretty easy car to live with on a day to day basis. I've had mine over 18months now and I do really quite like it.

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I think the ride is pretty stiff all over - it does like to bounce quite a bit. Lucky enough I know most of the potholes around here since I avoid them like the plague when i'm on my motorbike.

Car feels pretty nippy, pulls well and cruises comfortably at 80mph - will be good to get to know the car a bit better as I add on the miles - seeing as the weather is getting more settled down here, seems like the timing couldn't be better for me to get a little more acquainted with the car

Will try get some pics up later - not that you lot haven't seen a bog standard black 100hp before

Bit of a long post I know...sorry!

Glad you are enjoying it.

They certainly are fun cars to chuck around and great fun up a good A road.

Enjoy.