Sportline...

[former member]

I'm all for sports vans. I don't see the issue. Any vehicle can be fun to drive with the correct setup. So sports is a good word. Not the t6 sportline though. The transit m sport is nice.

Vans nowadays are not vans. They drive like big cars.

They weigh two tonnes or more.
They have a high CoG.
They are very front-heavy.
They come with little engines and are 99% diesels.

My Cali doesn't drive anything like my Subaru or BM. Definitely comfortable, quite nippy for a camper but miles away from a car and not in the slightest bit Sporty.
It's like a fat bloke wearing high end track running shoes...

 

[RattyMcClelland]

I partially disagree. Slap some decent coilovers on there and the handling is transformed with a lower centre gravity, add your favorite big wheels and wide tyres.
Still weights less than a Bentley conti. Same stock weight as a r35 gtr if you assume it's a panel van .
Not including the California if course.

The t5 is a very capable handling machine. Might not be saloon car fast but it can be fun. Hence the word sports.

 

[former member]

A Bentley has either massive V8 or V12.
A GTR has a near 600bhp turbo six and does well under 3s to 60.

They have four wheels like a van but that's about it.

A 4motion 204 is nippy and handles tidily but try and drive one like a sports car and you'll crash.

My modest, old 165bhp Subaru family estate isn't sporty either but it would still whip ten shades out of any production VW van on any road at any time. As would most mid range repmobiles. Even cheap hatches would give a van a hard time if driven well.

They are quick; for a van. But the gap between a car and a van is still too wide thanks to the fundamentals of weight, height, mostly FWD, light rear end, etc.

But an estate is nowhere near as good to sleep in; we did so while the T6 was on order. Rubbish tea making facilities too.

 

[DaveBos]

I saw Guy Martin's van the other week on TV, seemed pretty sporty, he averaged 150mph for 90 miles on American roads, was a Ford as well

 

[former member]

I believe that van is ever so slightly modded...

 

[DaveBos]

That's naughty.

 

[RattyMcClelland]

A Bentley has either massive V8 or V12.
A GTR has a near 600bhp turbo six and does well under 3s to 60.

They have four wheels like a van but that's about it.

A 4motion 204 is nippy and handles tidily but try and drive one like a sports car and you'll crash.

Not crashed yet. You don't need power to have fun but if course secretly it helps... alot. The handling of the van can be fun and sporty for a large vehicle. I'm not saying its a out and out dedicated sports vehicle but it can be compromised to be more sporty and fun imo for the type of vehicle it is.
Fwd sports cars exist. My Prelude is fwd, will out handle many cars. The back end won't come out though. Much modified though.

 

[former member]

Not crashed yet. You don't need power to have fun but if course secretly it helps... alot. The handling of the van can be fun and sporty for a large vehicle. I'm not saying its a out and out dedicated sports vehicle but it can be compromised to be more sporty and fun imo for the type of vehicle it is.
Fwd sports cars exist. My Prelude is fwd, will out handle many cars. The back end won't come out though. Much modified though.

I pics? I do like sorted Hondas. Drove around both islands of NZ in one.

 

[RattyMcClelland]

I have tons of build photos but no decent overall photos.
It's spent most of this year getting the engine rebuilt and forged twice to run the supercharger properly.

Last stages of tuning at the moment.



Old wheels

 

[former member]

What power?

 

[RattyMcClelland]

It was around 244whp and 198wlbft @12psi on they old setup. So just over 300bhp.
New setup is slightly higher compression and reworked head and a 3" exhaust instead of the old restrictive 2.5" mugen twin loop.
Psi has dropped to 10psi because the exhaust is more free. I expect it makes more power especially from 7-8.5k rpm where is dropped from the restriction.

We will see. It's revs very quickly and is instant throttle response and torque and it has a shorter final drive so it gains speed even quicker.

 

[former member]

It was around 244whp and 198wlbft @12psi on they old setup. So just over 300bhp.
New setup is slightly higher compression and reworked head and a 3" exhaust instead of the old restrictive 2.5" mugen twin loop.
Psi has dropped to 10psi because the exhaust is more free. I expect it makes more power especially from 7-8.5k rpm where is dropped from the restriction.

We will see. It's revs very quickly and is instant throttle response and torque and it has a shorter final drive so it gains speed even quicker.

Must be pretty rapid - Hondas are usually pretty light. I do like superchargers too - far less lag than turbos.

My M135i is predictably standard but the factory 320bhp usually seems to be 340ish on dynos and the 335lbs-ft is pretty much always over 350 so it's a nippy little thing. It's not exactly a lightweight but it still shifts pretty well.

 

[RattyMcClelland]

Yer the new 3ltr twin turbo bmw engines are superb. Stunningly smooth and epic power delivery.

 

[former member]

Yer the new 3ltr twin turbo bmw engines are superb. Stunningly smooth and epic power delivery.

Mine's actually one turbo - the N54 (in the old 335i, the Z4 35i, etc) was two (as was my 335d), the N55 is a single twin scroll turbo. The new M140i is the same too with even more power. Certainly goes well and surprisingly good on fuel when you don't spank it.