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[brillomaster]

wouldnt have thought you see enough snow in Wallingford to warrant winter tyres, i'm further north than you and didnt have any snow at all the winter just gone!

Winter tyres aren’t just for snow, as the name suggests they are for “winter” and work better than normal tyres under 7 degrees.

not necessarily... sure winter tyres are way better on snow and ice, but if it the roads are dry, i'd rather be on summers, regardless of temperature...

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[IroningBoard]

Depending on how bad your insurance currently is, one of the options available to you is an ECU remap - will literally transform the power you have currently (but most likely load your insurance 10 to 20%)

Is the clutch or other transmission / engine components different between the 20i and 28i?
Interesting idea, but I'm concerned about premature wear/failure on other engine components..

 

[Timmyboybunter]

Is the clutch or other transmission / engine components different between the 20i and 28i?
Interesting idea, but I'm concerned about premature wear/failure on other engine components..

I don't know too much about the 4 cylinder models, I'm sure Mr SmartBear will be along with some decent information at some point.

From reading various posts the last couple of years, the 18i, 20i and 28i are mechanically the same engine wise (though most debates/arguments seem to at some point suggest otherwise), the only real difference being the 28i came with larger brakes - making the 18i plus a remap something of a potential bargain.

By the same logic, mapping a 18i or 20i up to the same power as a 28i you could argue should also be safe - though all 3 of them can reach 280bhp plus (which, for the 18i, is a staggering increase).

The pros/cons of remapping cars in general could be discussed for hours. Generally, engine components/general parts are designed and engineered with a degree of tolerance far higher than their eventual application - so upping the power should be relatively safe. It goes without saying however, that throwing more power through something will inevitably stress it a degree more than not doing so.

I'm a big fan or remapping, turbocharged cars at least, and have been doing so since I owned a Seat Leon Cupra 180 bhp (simple map up to around 210 to 215 bhp) in the early 2000's - indeed, my current family wagon is a 170bhp Skoda Octavia VRS diesel with a simple stage 1, yielding around 200 to 210 bhp. I've never had any kind of issue that could be chalked up definitely to a remap.

Worth some research, draw your own conclusion, check the insurance implications (and read up on 4 cylinder timing chain failures on the E89, of which I've seen mentioned). A remap on a 20i would be night and day different

 

[Beeacon]

For tyres, and having a set of winters myself, I think if I was to do it again I would have a set of summers for summer, and a set of CrossClimate tyres for winter. The UK winters are cold but usually above freezing, but are mostly very wet. A crossclimate tyre is significantly better in these instances, and you will only find that a dedicated winter tyre is better when it starts to get below freezing cold.