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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