I have used the Panda 100HP as a stop gap until I get into another M3/M5, but it's such a love hate relationship.

I hate the fact I have to literally try reverse gear five times before it goes into reverse. Yes I know there is no synchro and it helps to find go into 1st first etc blah blah.

I hate the fact I never used to commute in the first lane of a 3 lane stretch of motorway and I have to plan my overtakes.

But bloody hell. As a B Road blaster its brilliant and to be honest it grows on you.

We had a bit of sun today so I did a bit of detailing on the bodywork and faded plastic trims.

Thinking about getting 330i E93 to run alongside it.

The ST in the background is my wife's.

I had a 100HP from new and did about 60,000 miles in five years - find your comments a bit odd. Sounds as though your clutch is binding; on the very rare occasions when the gears had stopped to block engaging reverse I had to let the clutch in in neutral just once to give them a spin. If your 100HP's that slow there's something wrong with it - mine would do 85-90 all day in Europe up alp and down autoroute, with useful acceleration if traffic conditions demanded it. Agree with your minor road comment.

My 60bhp 1200 on 95RON is like a slug on mogadon. Put in some decent petrol and at least it wants to rev so you can plan an overtake and actually get past. It makes it satisfying to drive what is a low powered car.

A 100HP with almost double the power has to be much quicker to drive. Overtakes should happen almost without trying, though motorways will be tiring it's quick handling chassis isn't well suit to long straight roads.

If gear shifts are getting sticky, get the clutch checked out. A worn clutch bites near the top but wont release properly.

If the car has been driven slowly all its life the engine will be tight. A month of overtake everything in sight will sort it out.

98RON fuel makes no difference.

The ECU is tuned to 95RON.

Try the 4x4 with 65mm wide tyres and still only 60HP before you talk about planning your overtakes - When you get in to a normal panda from the 4x4 it feels like one of the more sporty fiat-corp racers, I can only imagine what a Panda with 100hp would feel like (and no the wife wont allow me a third Panda)

The normal 60hp panda tyrepile to the right of the 4x4..



/thoughts on your thoughts

babbo_umbro said:

I had a 100HP from new and did about 60,000 miles in five years - find your comments a bit odd. Sounds as though your clutch is binding; on the very rare occasions when the gears had stopped to block engaging reverse I had to let the clutch in in neutral just once to give them a spin. If your 100HP's that slow there's something wrong with it - mine would do 85-90 all day in Europe up alp and down autoroute, with useful acceleration if traffic conditions demanded it. Agree with your minor road comment.

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Coming from m series cars the panda must feel like it's going backwards!! the little motor is great fun to thrash but it has no torque so it always feels like your working hard to go quickly.
Reverse on mine is occasionally obstructive but if yours does it a lot I'd say something isn't quite right.