General Sei Sporting V Smart

[Zed One]

Originally posted by Steve C
Who's slagging off Smart cars. My comment was;

"at a pointless arguement! Why would you want to tune a 600cc engine??"

Let me qualify that, why would you want to tune any small engine? I have certain opinions about car modification and I personally think that spending time, effort and money on engines this small is a waste. Thats my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions, they're like arseholes, everyone has one.

If it was an 'opinion', why make it a 'question'?

I started off by answering your question, nothing more.
"Why would ANYONE want to tune ANY car?? Because they want to make it perform better!! Seems pretty obvious to me!!"

The rest of my comment was based around the comments made by some other members who were making vague, innaccurate and unfair comments about cars they obviously know little about? How could they make opinions without knowing the facts!![!]

As I stated, I have all respect for those who do not want to tune engines (big or small) because that's what they want.

What I would be interested to know (and I am genuinely interested - not just trying to bait an argument?) is why you can't see the need to tune small engines? Do you have a particular size where there becomes a relevance? Surely if someone wants to make a car go a little faster, there is relevance - regardless of engine size?

One argument I have heard in the past which really does annoy me is the old, "if you want a faster car - buy a sportscar"!!![!] Surely some people have cars that do everything they want them to, except go as well as they would like. Surely it would make more sense to tune the engine than buy a different car, regardless of the capacity of that engine.

I have a sports car (a pretty fast one too!) but also have a daily drive. The sports car is impractical for my 450 mile a week commute, so I have a Smart car to deal with the daily city life where I live, as well as the country lanes where I travel to get to work.

I have tuned my 600cc car because what else will give me 50+MPG (in tuned form!), cheap road tax, cheap insurance, keep me dry & warm in all weathers (ruling out motorbikes!), lots of fun, easy to drive in city traffic (in auto mode), great to blast through lanes (6 speed manual mode), looks cool (in my opinion), has ABS, traction control, air con, AND can park where NOTHING else can in congested Bristol streets......I have no need to lug a rear seat around, so the two seats and lack of luggage space suit me fine.

This car is the only thing that can offer me all that I want, but it just doesn't go the way I want it to in standard form. No other car can fit the bill as well, so the only option was to tune it....

I now have a car that WILL do all the above AND go the way I want it to.

Does your opinion cover such things as suspension as well? Does tweaking suspension or fitting wider wheels only have relevance on bigger cars? Surely these things are also born out of a quest for better performance, because going round a corner is just as much a performance requirement as accelerating - regardless of engine size.

Do you find the Mini Cooper (classic shape), or even the Fiat Cinq Sporting 'not needed' because they are a 'tuned' version of a small engined model?

Steve, as I said before - I am not trying to bait an argument, I am just very interested to hear your actual opinion on WHY you don't see the need to tune 'any small engine'? I hope I have shed some light as to why I choose to modify (tune) cars, and to share my opinion as openly as possible.

If you lived nearer, I'd offer to meet & buy you a pint (or three!!) so we could discuss further and show you I'm not an aggressive person - a very intersting topic is this??

Regards,

Bruce.

 

[Steven]

Hmm, that's a bit of an essay.

My problem with this (using your Smart as an example) is that no matter what you do to it it will still be a Smart. It's not quick and never will be, it's not a sportscar and never will be, and it's throwing money down the drain to pretend it is, but that's your choice.

At the end of the day it's a 600cc two-seater, as my old Granny says, "you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear".

www.forzafiat.com

There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness.

 

[arc]

so all the cars you've had are completly standard Steve C ?


Cinq Sporting - and yes, its broom yellow!

 

[The Negotiator]

It's true for me, but I am only on my first lol.

My first signiture (a lot of thought put into it): If you can't find the switch to switch your fogs off I am sure I can help you! Damn fogs.

 

[The Negotiator]

I do however understand and agree with Steve when he talks about people who throw disproportionate amounts of money at a car to squeeze a small improvement out of it when that could have been used as an investment towards a better car etc.

My first signiture (a lot of thought put into it): If you can't find the switch to switch your fogs off I am sure I can help you! Damn fogs.

 

[arc]

Look at it from a different view. Modding a car is a hobby. A modded car stands out from all many, many standard ones and to some people that matters


Cinq Sporting - and yes, its broom yellow!

 

[Dr_Pepper]

Just read all through this and I agree with Bruce/Zed One entirely. Personally my car is standard and I have no interest in tuning at all. However if people want to tune their cars then fine by me! You can't say "what's the point" with a small engine, well point is I guess to make it go faster, also a bit of a hobby I would imagine.

No you can't make a smart into an F1 car, but if you want to "throw disproportionate amounts of money at a car to squeeze a small improvement out of it" or otherwise it don't bother me, good luck hope it's an enjoyable project

As for street racing: Don't do it

"The new rules are very simple, the FIA will keep them to themselves until such a time as Ferrari needs them" Patrick Head

 

[Alex22]

No street racing is coolB) .................in fact i'm off to farnham now to race some smarts!

Jus joking.

GoGoCinquecento, your burning up the quater mile!!

 

[Zed One]

Originally posted by Alex22
No street racing is coolB) .................in fact i'm off to farnham now to race some smarts!

Jus joking.

Aww I'm stuck at work and gonna miss out on the fun!!

I'm still puzzled though Steve (I'm not picking on you BTW - just love a good debate! [8D]!!)

The Cinq Sporting is a more expensive modified version of the original car, so surely this is a Silk Purse kinda scenario?

Also (maybe feeling a little defensive towards the poor old Smart here :I) if you are against tuning of 'small engines' - do you share the same opinion about all the modified Cinq's, Sei's et-al that many of the members of this forum own? I haven't seen you raising the same points about any of these?

I agree that there is a threshold of where tuning becomes impractical on an economic basis, but this again comes down to personal preference. I like to tune a car to improve the dynamics where they can be used. I have spent around £600 on the actual engine mods on the Smart - but this has yielded a 90% increase in power & torque. This is not disproportionate amount on a car that costs around £8,000 new. I wouldn't spend any more because I have achieved the result I wanted - all within a package that meets my needs. I don't pretend it's a sports car, I never have - it's a Smart and will always be a Smart - just a fair bit quicker than how it was originally [8D].

I agree that you view this as money down the drain - as you said, your opinion, but this doesn't mean that it is money down the drain to the owner....if that is what he wants to do.

I spend very little on clothes (yes I have a limited wardrobe - but Amanda accepts me for that!) She spends a LOT on clothes, very little on her car, because this is her passion/hobby etc...

Same logic can be applied to those who spend a lot on drink, holidays, decorating the house etc. This is why I love the world we live in....the sheer diversity - because everyone has something they enjoy spending their money on. For me (and many on this forum from what I can gather) this is cars. I admire the enthusiasm of those people and wouldn't diminish that no matter how much I like or dislike what they have done, just as I respect those people who prefer the purity of the car as it is, and do not wish to change it....like yourself .

Blimey - another essay! Sorry to go on.....must get back to work!!

Nice site BTW - (forzafiat) very infomative.

Regards,

Bruce.

 

[HP]

My 2 penn'orth - I mod mine as a hobby. I like cinqs, and a lot of other cars too, could have bought a bigger/faster/smoother/quieter car for the cash but didn't want to.
I personally feel there's something special about a car you've made 'yours' - whether it comes from the looks or the satisfaction of nailing the throttle and taking it right up to the redline (and beyond:I) in 5th - knowing an ordinary one just couldn't do that.

To an extent, with modding I think there's a bit of 'if you have to ask the question...'

Pete.
1242cc cinq,turbo cinq,Cinqs&Seis Yahoo group,Clubcento

 

[MarkG]

Why tune a small engine? Well in my opinion it's due to room and weight, of course a V8 would be more powerful and could put more power out but it just won't fit and the weight of it would make it pointless.
The fastest kit cars on the market are now super light with highly tuned motorbike engines, these things would eat most road cars for breakfast.

 

[Steven]

OK, maybe my problem is with the Smart. I've added induction kits etc in the past to small cars, but really? To a Smart? [V]

www.forzafiat.com

There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness.

 

[Zed One]

Originally posted by Steve C
OK, maybe my problem is with the Smart. I've added induction kits etc in the past to small cars, but really? To a Smart? [V]

www.forzafiat.com

There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness.

Steve - feel free to come over to Bristol & I'll happily take you out for a blast in the Smart....you never know, you might be able to see the logic after all?

The point of tuning a Smart is as valid as any other car. Maybe you don't particulary like the car itself, which is fair enough - I accept that, we all have differing tastes after all, but my reasons for tuning it still stand.

I have the tiny car I need, with all the gadgets (air con etc..) I want, and it also now goes VERY well - so that it can EASILY cope with some of the cut & thrust of the city streets, dual carriageways, fast 'A' roads and country lanes in which it has to function on a daily basis. It's as fast as I want it to be - and that can only be a good thing...??

Seriously - the offer stands, come over & I'll take you out in the Smart...........and in the Z1 (roof & doors down!! [8D]) and in the Delica if you like!! - then you'll see the logic in why I own each one. They all serve a purpose, and luckily for me, they all serve that particular purpose perfectly!! (I am a lucky, LUCKY man!! )

It's been a great debate/discussion....same time next week maybe?? (you can choose the topic!! )

Regards,

Bruce.

 

[Steven]

Fair enough, if the Smart suits you then all the best with it. I've actually been a passenger in one and I have to admit I was actually embarrassed. :I They do handle like a roller skate though and I can see how they would have an advantage in city driving. The fact that you own other good cars redeems you however, so I'll let you off.

www.forzafiat.com

There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness.

 

[MarkG]

I think that's part of the point of tuning small cars with small engines, people expect them to be slow and not have any go in them so a certain satisfaction comes from the look on drivers faces when you fly past them[8D]

 

[Steven]

I appear to have lost this arguement, so I'll concede defeat. [V]

www.forzafiat.com

There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness.