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FK8 FN2 to FK8 advice

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19
Hi guys,

So i actually bought an FN2 Type R recently with 19k miles on the clock. I had a plan to either Supercharge or Turbo the car as a weekend. They look pretty amazing boosted.

However, i started thinking about costs and re-sale values. I estimated i would spend approx £15000 on the FN2 including Turbo, LSD, Upgraded Brakes and Suspension etc. The issue i had is i would probably lose this money if i decide to get rid of the car.

Therefore, i have decided to consider buying a new FK8. I know these cars are retaining value extremely well, therefore, i will retain my money reasonably well.

Obviously i have watched numerous video reviews on the FK8 and to be honest i haven't seen a bad review yet other than the looks of the car.

I want a drivers car which is why i chose the Honda in the first place as all other hot hatches seem to have got a little boring. Very capable but boring. The only other hatch i looked and was the new Hyundai i30N which look very interesting. However, i have read a few reviews with owners reporting build quality issues.

I am looking for some honest feedback from FK8 owners and even better from people who have previously owned an FN2 which was boosted that have gone to the FK8 to give me some real world comparisons. I would imagine the FK8 handles the power very well compared to the tuned FN2 in terms of chassis, handling, braking etc.

Any feedback would be fantastic.
 
Can't give you a view vs FK2 but my previous car was a Scirocco R (face-lift 280ps).

Personally despite the big power difference on a short blast to 60 I can't feel any noticable difference in acceleration. In fact the book time is identical.

I will say the way it gets there though is much more planted and measured. No torque steer and round the twisties you can really feel the diff pull you back in.

I've no doubt the ride quality is better than the FK2 from what I've read but for daily driving I'd still stick a smaller set of wheels on for comfort, tyre choice/cost and to protect the rims, doesn't take much to damage them given sidewalls are like wafers.

The noise is a bit crap but I dont think you need much to improve it, a res delete or aftermarket resonated exhaust will be just enough. Although lots of people go for intake over exhaust.

My view... Stick an exhaust, smaller set of wheels and stage 1 map on and you'll absolutely not regret it.

(to note I've got an exhaust, panel filter and tuning box on at the minute. Smaller wheels and stage 1 are coming)!

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With out wishing to be rude, the FN2 was not that great a car, the FK2 or FK8 is a massive step up in all departments. It is relatively speaking cheap to increase power but as a comparison it is quite a big car in comparison. Some would say harder to hustle along a B road although I find the pin point handling negates this. Sinking 15k on a car worth 10k is nuts, trust me I have done the same, albeit not an FN2.
 
With out wishing to be rude, the FN2 was not that great a car, the FK2 or FK8 is a massive step up in all departments. It is relatively speaking cheap to increase power but as a comparison it is quite a big car in comparison. Some would say harder to hustle along a B road although I find the pin point handling negates this. Sinking 15k on a car worth 10k is nuts, trust me I have done the same, albeit not an FN2.
My mind just assumed he said FK2... Not FN2!


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I have seen some fn2s on insta recently with superchargers or turbos putting out big numbers, and I am sure there’d be a riot to drive and very raw compared to the FK8, but I think youd need your head tested to sink that much into an one. You wouldn’t get your money back and not sure how reliable it would be. And it’s an fn2 with all due respect so yes you’d leave lots standing but I don’t often look at one and think great car mister and I know how snobby that sounds, but when I look at an ep3 I doth my cap...

The FK8 is a different league in terms of comfort etc as you’d expect from a newer design, performance wouldn’t be much in it and the fn2 would possibly feel more raw and to some more exciting but I know where I’d stick my money!
 
A friend of mine has a turbo FN2 running 450hp, it has coilovers and LSD and a bunch of other complementary modifications.

He says it’s goes like stink and handles amazingly. If that’s what you want then why not but I have to say I’d rather have the newer less modified car personally.

I’m not so fussed about driving a car that feels raw these days, I’m enjoying the FK8 feeling more refined most of the time and having the driving modes makes it feel more focused in the +R option which is enough for me. I don’t miss my DC5 from this point of view.
 
If I had to design this type of car for myself, the FK8 would have been the finished article. I just can’t fault it. Yes, they have had some teething problems, gearbox crunch, random electrical problems, but they seemed to have either been ironed out or can be sorted out by a decent dealer.
 
If I had to design this type of car for myself, the FK8 would have been the finished article. I just can’t fault it. Yes, they have had some teething problems, gearbox crunch, random electrical problems, but they seemed to have either been ironed out or can be sorted out by a decent dealer.

Even the arse end??


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I had an FN2 for 2 years and thought it was an absolutely brilliant car. It was my daily drive, track car and road tripper - many miles covered and great memories made, I still miss it to be honest. I also thought the design was way ahead of its time:

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That being said, I bought a new FK8 last year and it's better in pretty much every conceivable way. The biggest leap forward is the chassis - it makes the FN2 feel heavy and spongey. That's despite having had (on my FN2) brand new spring/dampers all round, a more aggressive LSD fitted and a much more aggressive geo set up.

The only thing I miss about the FN2 is the engine. In many ways you could have more fun on the road with it - you'd need to wring out the entire 8200rpm and bang through the gears to get the best out of it. The chassis also felt more exploitable on the road, you could throw it around with very little finesse, and it'd just grip, grip and grip.

To me, to supercharge or turbocharge it would miss the point of the car. A standard FK8 still absolutely destroys highly tuned FN2 or EP3s in outright performance terms (I do in mine, every track day), and no doubt does so far more reliably. In an FN2, I think more power would highlight all the flaws in the chassis that the very linear, responsive, and low powered NA engine masks.

My advice: if you want a great all round fun car for circa. £10k, buy an FN2 and do some choice chassis mods (springs/dampers, LSD, geo) which help to transform the car. If you're looking for a big step up in performance and appreciate a truly great chassis, buy an FK8.
 
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