Funny that, these two were also on my list.

I had an Evo 1 until recently. It was pretty quick -  I discovered after buying it that it a pukka chip and was giving around 250bhp - on the roads it handled beautifully, and in the wet was awesome.  A friend following once on a cross country run in a 200bhp Mini Cooper S works came nowhere near keeping up.

However the leather interior and especially the dash creaked and rattled continually, which didn't exactly help ones confidence in its built quality, and there are stories of the bodyshells suffering structural failures. Mine spent a considerable amount of time in the workshop as well, mostly niggly stuff but the costs quickly added up.

As it was supposed to be my fun car I tried it on the track. The little bit of understeer that is very reassuring on the road turned into terminal front-end plough at track speeds. And within about 5 laps I had boiled the brake fluid and cooked the pads....

I sold it to buy a 520 Tourer family wagon, and then sold my Westfield for a M3 E30. Once this is on this road I'll tell you how it compares with the Intergrale.

SS7

yeah, build quality is always an issue with integrales. My mates one hasnt seen a road for about 9 months!

niggles!

quattro turbo is one of my fav cars of all time.

quite funny really followed one the other day near bluewater, kent. driven by a elderly chap pulled up at lights together(looked like something at santa pod). Lights turned green and off we went. neck and neck in 1st and 2nd then i did have the better of it by a good car in the end. very satisfying beating this icon even though it was in a straight line. Think it was a 10v and not a later 20v model. Those 3 cars are definately in many peoples top ten for sure 

I used to own a 1989 8V Intergrale and now I own a 1988 M3 EVO,

Out of the two, the Lancia felt faster but that was probably due to it been modified up to about 220 BHP. Saying that I once had a "slight" race with a M3 at high speed, the M3 had the edge on me, but before things got to serious I had to back of as a suspension bush that had disintegrated was shacking the car to bits.

.

With regards to the Quattro I once had a full on race with one from stand still, it was very exciting and thinking of the scene now brings a smile to my face, any way it was a clear win for the Lancia.

When it comes to the handling I have not yet been in a car that has handled as well as the lancia. But to be fair I have not learnt how to handle the M3 to be able to push it to any limits.

I will finish on this scene, once a long term friend was travling with me in my lancia, and incident occurred in which I droped to second gear and buried the throttle into the carpet, there was a very loud bark, a high pitch scream then a whistle from recycling dump valve as a backed of the throttle.

All this caused my companions head to thump into the headrest, to which he asked with a pale face thinking we had been hit from the back what was that ? to which I replied 220 horses.

My same friend has also traveled with me in the M3 under similarly circumstances, unfortunately I could not cause a similarly reaction.

[QUOTE=JudgeBaxter said

M3 has a higher top end but will initially get left behind and will not really start to reel in the grale until 115/120mph and will then glide by the grale's 137mph top speed onto it's top speed. ]

I agree the M3 has the higher top end but I must add I once had my speedo shwoing 145mph and  i still had a few thousand revs left to give.

It could of been down to dodgy instruments from lancia, prehaps I will never know.

Hi Dave

You are correct, I over looked that very important point my car was not standard.

But on the point of increasing power it is so much more easier with a turbo car don't you think?

Also I agree the BMW feels more reliable and more set up for every day events, saying that did I use my Lancia every day for a about 3 years trouble free besides a few oil leaks.

Take care now

If I had the option of owning one of the two I would stick with the M3 as they are hard as nails, from what I have seen so far!

Think of the Intergrale as a Rally car that was made into a road car and the E30 M3 as a touring car that was made into a road car, that’s the difference between them!

There is an early Integrale in my class at the hillclimbs and sprints - F reg car, pretty standard with a chip.

My M3 - standard with a remap always beats him.

An Integrale has always been on my wish-list. The fact that it's Italian and will fall to pieces (allegedly) puts me off.

All of the box-arch specials are tempting and with a lottery win I'd get one of each - Integrale, Ur-Quattro (or a short-sport if money was no object) and  a Golf Rallye (As well as the M3 of course).

and golf rallyes are getting cheaper!

although G laders are great engines , the g60 engine does not have much tuning potential unless you chuck loadsa cash at it.

Rags wrote: and golf rallyes are getting cheaper! although G laders are great engines , the g60 engine does not have much tuning potential unless you chuck loadsa cash at it.

From what I can recall The Golf Rallye was not a touch on the Integrale in pure driving terms and arguably was not even as good as its Golf 16V brother. It was hardly an quicker and maybe a little slower. 

The VW Motorsport Golf Limited was a more interesting proposition (supposedly 210 bhp) but as only about 70 of those were produced  , all LHD and in the 4 door shell, you would have your work cut out to find one. I saw one in Germany about 7 years ago and it sounded great with the supercharger whistling but I suspect even that would not be as good as the Integrale.

the golf rallyes are 8v supercharged all left hookers and all4wd. The only difference with the limited is obviously the standard shell and 8 extra valves.

Obviously the rallye is not a patch on the intergrale or the s14'd beast of an m3. Having said that though, the howl of a glader is great!