Indeed, when you compare them to cars of a similar age with wishbones the Polo is outclassed in the handling departement. It doesn't help that the Mk3 Polos have a slightly loose front end either, as they're essentially a slightly lengthened Mk2 Polo - and in the process lost some of the front end rigidity.dreadly wrote:I thought the polo's main handling problem was the use of track control arms, instead of proper wishbone type suspension?
Nothing that isn't fixable though. You can make/buy a front brace bar to stop it flexing at the front quite so much, which also helps to protect against the dreaded chassis leg split too. Lowering them a bit helps, as does the addition of nylon ARB mounts designed to pull the ARB to a more effective position for a lowered car. Wishbone conversions are available, but you'll pay a lot for them!
As for G40s being fun to drive - I'll second that. Stock ones are easy to drive, and useable every day. A stock one should have no trouble on seeing off the likes of Saxo VTS, 106 GTI and give much tastier machinery hassle too.
I use my 160bhp G40 as my only car, and now I've got used to its paddle clutch I don't have any issues with driving it in traffic. It's not as easy to drive as a stock one, but the extra performance makes up for that! Civic Type Rs, Focus ST170, older Scoobies, Cooper S Works, 1.8T Golfs are all easy pickings. Throw about a grand at a stock G40 and you'll be up to 140-150bhp depending on engine health.
