Skoda Laura vRS launched @ Rs.15.19L

prithwi-81 · 22nd September 2011, 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by anekho

Found this video online - shows off some of the Laura's capabilities! The Laura's are driven by Rally Drivers. A must watch for the Laura vRS enthusiast!

Skoda Laura RS performance drive video by dwsAuto - YouTube

Enjoy

Pretty silly video with no point what so ever... So much body roll in a rally would send you flying into trees... also *** has a touchscreen+sunroof+steering wheel got to do with rallying??

Ever sat in a Rally-Spec Evo/STI/WRX? Bodyroll = 0, even with thin sway bars (which help grip in uneven surfaces without compromizing handling)..

Rideheight is good if your rallying, but needs much stiffer dampers and springs... and needs to go on a diet. Engine is good enough, maybe a mid range turbo rather than a low range turbo would really liven up this car..

Behemoth · 22nd September 2011, 13:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by prithwi-81

Pretty silly video with no point what so ever... So much body roll in a rally would send you flying into trees... also *** has a touchscreen+sunroof+steering wheel got to do with rallying??

Ever sat in a Rally-Spec Evo/STI/WRX? Bodyroll = 0, even with thin sway bars (which help grip in uneven surfaces without compromizing handling)..

Rideheight is good if your rallying, but needs much stiffer dampers and springs... and needs to go on a diet. Engine is good enough, maybe a mid range turbo rather than a low range turbo would really liven up this car..

Well said Prithwi! But all in all you put a Rally car on the normal roads and people will complain of very stiff ride and lack of creature comforts. This car is just an attempt at making an everyday car a little more sportier and giving the driver a Pseudo-thrill of driving a rally-car! The Laura, especially the TSI has always been a good driver's car, this only makes it only a wee bit better!

motor_breathing · 19th October 2011, 11:24

In Carwale the Bangalore Ex Showroom price seems to be increased to 15.8* L from 15.6*L

. Mods are you planning for an official review of vrs?
TIA, MB.

Bomi · 19th October 2011, 12:14

Does anyone have the 0-100 timing of the Old vRS and the new one? Thanks in advance.

Monaro CV8 · 20th October 2011, 23:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by motor_breathing

In Carwale the Bangalore Ex Showroom price seems to be increased to 15.8* L from 15.6*L

. Mods are you planning for an official review of vrs?
TIA, MB.

That would be interesting!
The members can then compare this vRS with the older version (octy) ..

stanjohn123 · 11th November 2011, 02:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monaro CV8

That would be interesting!
The members can then compare this vRS with the older version (octy) ..

I would like to see a comparison between the base petrol Laura 1.8 TSI with the Laura VRS. I want to see if it really is value for money and deserves the VRS badge ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethanhunt123

Sorry to break your bubble again. Lets see.

BMW 320d in Delhi = 25 L INR
BMW 320d in UK = 28-30K GBP = 21-22L INR

Chevrolet Captiva LT in Delhi = 18.3 L INR
Chevrolet Captiva LT in UK = 22-23K GBP = 17.2L INR

Audi Q7 in Delhi = 55L INR
Audi Q7 in UK = 45k GBP = 34L INR

So apart from Q7, where is the difference you were talking about my friend ?

I think Dharmana's prices are OTR prices and I think it's pretty close to what we would pay here down in Chennai.

ethanhunt123 · 11th November 2011, 03:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

I think Dharmana's prices are OTR prices and I think it's pretty close to what we would pay here down in Chennai.

I took ex-showroom prices both in London and Delhi.

Harbir · 11th November 2011, 07:14

My reference is the US. My 330i cost me $41,000. At the time the dollar was 40, but even at today's 50, thats about 20.5 lacs.

My 2007 4 cyl camry cost me $19,000, or 9.5 lacs. I had an Accord EX-L, top of the line with V6 and 6 speed manual transmission, navigation, leather, the whole shebang, which had a list price of $30k, and I bought it for $25k at year end sale. Thats 12.5lacs.

When I bought my LotusSport, I was offered the base specification Lotus Elise for $38,000 on discount, 19 lacs.

Cars are hideously expensive in India. and if they are also hideously expensive in the UK or australia, that still makes no difference given how low median incomes are in India.

In the UK, a Polo is a cheapie bargin bin special, the passat is a run of the mill family car. In India, a passat is a car was the upper middle class, if not the out right wealthy.

Harbir · 11th November 2011, 07:42

As far as suspension set up goes, how pliant it should be, what the ride height should be, how much roll is suppressed is down to the road surface conditions.

It is a complete fallacy that cars must be glued to the road with rock hard suspensions to be considered good handling.

I remember when I drove the first WRX, I was surprised to find that the car had lots of body movement. It had long travel suspension, soft springs, stiff dampers, a tall ride height and it was brilliant. It flew over road imperfections as if they just weren't there, its tyres pumping furiously over bad surfaces while the body remained on an even keel and the steering remain unpreturbed. Ideal for a perfectly smooth track? no way. perfect for the less than perfect roads of pennsylvania? absolutely.

and there was another lesson. On a whoop-de-do road that has lots of up and down movement, you need the suspension to be soft in rebound. when you go over a crest at speed, the body will tend to continue in its upward trajectory, even while the road has stopped climbing or has dropped away. In this circumstance, you want the suspension to rapidly extend so that the tyres can stay stuck to the ground even while the body of the car heaves upward. but and you need correspondingly appropriate compression stiffness so that when the car settles back down on its springs, it neither bottoms out nor does it bang hard on unyielding suspension.

moreover, the movement of the body is a very power "seat of the pants" feedback mechanism for the driver. Unless you're a very very good driver (nobody I know who hasn't actively raced for years is that good), the feedback and communication your body picks up from the feel of the car as it rolls and pumps up and down is a very vital part of both the enjoyment and the safety of driving fast because the car communicates to you loud and clear what its doing and how much more you can get away with. In the real world (as opposed to on a race track), when you cannot commit 100% due to safety concerns (and you can't, never mind the bunkus you read in the british car mags), when you don't know what the road conditions are around the next corner, a car that gives you the confidence of being able to tackle whatever lies around the corner is far more vital than one that can go faster on a race track but is too stiff and uncommunicative for the real world in the hands of ordinary enthusiast drivers.

Thats not to say that soft is automatically good. Its certainly not. Its very easy to slam a car down to the pavement with short stiff springs and thick anti-roll bars. you'll end up with a car that most ordinary enthusiasts will think "wow, this handles great!" But it far more challenging to set up a car so that it has the suspension compliance and control in order to fly over bad and imperfect surfaces, to be both soft so as to absorb the imperfections and to also be firm enough to be responsive and grippy.

few cars are that good and manufacturers don't typically bother with this kind of set up.

One of the most remarkable cars in India on that front was the indian market Opel Corsa. it was high, it was soft, but the way it flew at high speeds over road imperfections without ever becoming preturbed was rally car good. You could go flying around very high speed corners with deep pot holes and the car would just SAIL over them while clinging tenaciously to its line and reacting to driver input midturn without ever getting upset. just brilliant. perfect for a race track? no. Brilliant for indian roads? Beyond any other car I have driven in India.

So brings us to this Laura. I have not driven the Indian market EVO so I don't know whether it has had its suspension tuned for rough surface conditions (the US market one certainly hasn't) and can't offer a comparison with the Laura. I also can't say whether the Laura's suspension is just soft and squishy like a luxury car's or whether it has the sort of tuning that makes for very good handling in Indian conditions.

it'll be interesting to find out. I should see if I can get a test drive

nik_kapur · 11th November 2011, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harbir

My reference is the US. My 330i cost me $41,000. At the time the dollar was 40, but even at today's 50, thats about 20.5 lacs.

My 2007 4 cyl camry cost me $19,000, or 9.5 lacs. I had an Accord EX-L, top of the line with V6 and 6 speed manual transmission, navigation, leather, the whole shebang, which had a list price of $30k, and I bought it for $25k at year end sale. Thats 12.5lacs.

When I bought my LotusSport, I was offered the base specification Lotus Elise for $38,000 on discount, 19 lacs.

Cars are hideously expensive in India. and if they are also hideously expensive in the UK or australia, that still makes no difference given how low median incomes are in India.

In the UK, a Polo is a cheapie bargin bin special, the passat is a run of the mill family car. In India, a passat is a car was the upper middle class, if not the out right wealthy.

Buddy, you must look at the prices of hatches in India. Some of the cheapest sticker prices in the world. I think its this category that truly reflects India and its buying ability.

Harbir · 11th November 2011, 10:17

yeah, I agree. the prices of the alto and the santro and the fact that most indians can't by even those shows the true buying ability of Indians.

.anshuman · 11th November 2011, 10:39

Note from Support: Closing this thread. Please continue the discussion in the Official Skoda Laura VRS Review thread. Thanks

19th October 2011, 11:24	#318
motor_breathing BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 267 Thanked: 213 Times View My Garage	re: Skoda Laura vRS launched @ Rs.15.19L In Carwale the Bangalore Ex Showroom price seems to be increased to 15.8* L from 15.6*L. Mods are you planning for an official review of vrs? TIA, MB.
	() Thanks

19th October 2011, 12:14	#319
Bomi BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 284 Thanked: 77 Times	re: Skoda Laura vRS launched @ Rs.15.19L Does anyone have the 0-100 timing of the Old vRS and the new one? Thanks in advance.
	() Thanks

11th November 2011, 07:14	#323
Harbir BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 920 Thanked: 1,025 Times View My Garage	re: Skoda Laura vRS launched @ Rs.15.19L My reference is the US. My 330i cost me $41,000. At the time the dollar was 40, but even at today's 50, thats about 20.5 lacs. My 2007 4 cyl camry cost me $19,000, or 9.5 lacs. I had an Accord EX-L, top of the line with V6 and 6 speed manual transmission, navigation, leather, the whole shebang, which had a list price of $30k, and I bought it for $25k at year end sale. Thats 12.5lacs. When I bought my LotusSport, I was offered the base specification Lotus Elise for $38,000 on discount, 19 lacs. Cars are hideously expensive in India. and if they are also hideously expensive in the UK or australia, that still makes no difference given how low median incomes are in India. In the UK, a Polo is a cheapie bargin bin special, the passat is a run of the mill family car. In India, a passat is a car was the upper middle class, if not the out right wealthy.
	() Thanks

11th November 2011, 07:42	#324
Harbir BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 920 Thanked: 1,025 Times View My Garage	re: Skoda Laura vRS launched @ Rs.15.19L As far as suspension set up goes, how pliant it should be, what the ride height should be, how much roll is suppressed is down to the road surface conditions. It is a complete fallacy that cars must be glued to the road with rock hard suspensions to be considered good handling. I remember when I drove the first WRX, I was surprised to find that the car had lots of body movement. It had long travel suspension, soft springs, stiff dampers, a tall ride height and it was brilliant. It flew over road imperfections as if they just weren't there, its tyres pumping furiously over bad surfaces while the body remained on an even keel and the steering remain unpreturbed. Ideal for a perfectly smooth track? no way. perfect for the less than perfect roads of pennsylvania? absolutely. and there was another lesson. On a whoop-de-do road that has lots of up and down movement, you need the suspension to be soft in rebound. when you go over a crest at speed, the body will tend to continue in its upward trajectory, even while the road has stopped climbing or has dropped away. In this circumstance, you want the suspension to rapidly extend so that the tyres can stay stuck to the ground even while the body of the car heaves upward. but and you need correspondingly appropriate compression stiffness so that when the car settles back down on its springs, it neither bottoms out nor does it bang hard on unyielding suspension. moreover, the movement of the body is a very power "seat of the pants" feedback mechanism for the driver. Unless you're a very very good driver (nobody I know who hasn't actively raced for years is that good), the feedback and communication your body picks up from the feel of the car as it rolls and pumps up and down is a very vital part of both the enjoyment and the safety of driving fast because the car communicates to you loud and clear what its doing and how much more you can get away with. In the real world (as opposed to on a race track), when you cannot commit 100% due to safety concerns (and you can't, never mind the bunkus you read in the british car mags), when you don't know what the road conditions are around the next corner, a car that gives you the confidence of being able to tackle whatever lies around the corner is far more vital than one that can go faster on a race track but is too stiff and uncommunicative for the real world in the hands of ordinary enthusiast drivers. Thats not to say that soft is automatically good. Its certainly not. Its very easy to slam a car down to the pavement with short stiff springs and thick anti-roll bars. you'll end up with a car that most ordinary enthusiasts will think "wow, this handles great!" But it far more challenging to set up a car so that it has the suspension compliance and control in order to fly over bad and imperfect surfaces, to be both soft so as to absorb the imperfections and to also be firm enough to be responsive and grippy. few cars are that good and manufacturers don't typically bother with this kind of set up. One of the most remarkable cars in India on that front was the indian market Opel Corsa. it was high, it was soft, but the way it flew at high speeds over road imperfections without ever becoming preturbed was rally car good. You could go flying around very high speed corners with deep pot holes and the car would just SAIL over them while clinging tenaciously to its line and reacting to driver input midturn without ever getting upset. just brilliant. perfect for a race track? no. Brilliant for indian roads? Beyond any other car I have driven in India. So brings us to this Laura. I have not driven the Indian market EVO so I don't know whether it has had its suspension tuned for rough surface conditions (the US market one certainly hasn't) and can't offer a comparison with the Laura. I also can't say whether the Laura's suspension is just soft and squishy like a luxury car's or whether it has the sort of tuning that makes for very good handling in Indian conditions. it'll be interesting to find out. I should see if I can get a test drive Last edited by Harbir : 11th November 2011 at 07:44.
	() Thanks

11th November 2011, 10:17	#326
Harbir BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 920 Thanked: 1,025 Times View My Garage	re: Skoda Laura vRS launched @ Rs.15.19L yeah, I agree. the prices of the alto and the santro and the fact that most indians can't by even those shows the true buying ability of Indians.
	() Thanks

11th November 2011, 10:39	#327
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	re: Skoda Laura vRS launched @ Rs.15.19L Note from Support: Closing this thread. Please continue the discussion in the Official Skoda Laura VRS Review thread. Thanks Last edited by GTO : 11th November 2011 at 16:39. Reason: Changing review link to page 1, instead of page 2 of the review
	(1) Thanks