200Q: Ruminations on low-end torque

["Arun Rao" <rao@frisbee>]

	Last week, when I read on this list that the 20V Turbo I-5 had
	peak torque at 1,950 rpm, I was quite curious. As someone pointed
	out, it's pretty hard to have the turbo spooled up at this (almost
	off-idle) engine speed, so maybe it's really a red herring.

	I drove my '91 200Q a lot this weekend (up to the Sierras and back)
	and had a real blast. On the other hand, try as I might, I could
	see no evidence of this vaunted low-end torque. Off-the-line, my
	Charlie Smith assisted '85 5KT seems as fast or faster -- I would
	certainly think twice before challenging Mustang 5.0's at the
	toll plaza.

	I haven't really done any A-B comparisons (like having my wife
	race me -- NOT!), so it's just possible that I'm not used to
	the lack of drama in getting up to speed. But from a seat-of-the-pants
	assessment, it would seem that the 20V Turbo I-5 is very much
	like other 4-valve/cyl turbo engines: serious amounts of horsepower
	and torque above 3,000 rpm, but much less potent at lower engine rpms.

	Mind you, I'm not really expressing disappointment here -- hard
	to be disappointed with a car that will accelerate uphill at 75 mph
	in *fifth* gear :-)  But I'm almost tempted to believe that the
	peak torque rating is a typo.

	Any comments, O Knowledgeable Ones?

	-Arun

	'91 200Q, 38K mi
	'85 5KT, 119K mi

--
Arun Rao
Scientist
Pixar
1001 W. Cutting Blvd.
Pt. Richmond, CA 94804
(510)215-3526