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Re: 200Q: Ruminations on low-end torque



     I recently had a chance to drive a '93 S4, and to
     compare it with my IA Stage I '90 200Q. The big difference
     was definately the low end. In city traffic, it was *amazing*
     how you never needed to get the engine much above 2200 rpm to shift
     up. Plenty of pull below 2000 RPM.

     We never did a bumper to bumper run, and it seemed once they
     got going, the 200 did not suffer any major disadvantage. But
     that low end got the S4 off the line and down the road
     well ahead of my car, and was much more "low key" in traffic
     because of the earlier shift points.

     Tom F.
     90 200 TQW IA Stage I


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Subject: 200Q: Ruminations on low-end torque
Author:  RAO (INTERNET.RAO) at HR
Date:    3/12/96 12:11 PM


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        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