Re: Comparing Units

[Linus Toy <linust@mindspring.com>]

From: Sargent Schutt <sargent@novagate.com>
SNIP
>'niche'. Name one other production car that is relatively unaffected by
>altitude (turbo) and road conditions (all-wheel drive), and available in
>coupe, sedan, or wagon variants to suit your particular needs. Audi is it.
>Volvo is pandering around the outskirts of this 'arena', but doesn't yet 
>make a car that challenges Audi in performance with awd (the current 
>wagon is only a light pressure turbo, and is the first ovloV awd offering). 

i've been trying so hard to avoid this one, but...

Volvo's AWD wagon (the V70) is available with both the LPT (V70 AWD) and
the much heftier T-5 (V70 AWD R) version.  (IOW, you get a real choice in
engines.)  Unfortunately, V70 AWD with either engine get only the 4sp auto
(Win some, lose some--the V70 T-5 --front driver--is available with a 5sp).
 oh well--don't blink, you might miss the shift:  the LPT goes 0-60 in
8.1sec, the T-5 about a second faster.  

Before you completely dismiss these numbers, this is for stock engines: 
LPT:  2.4 liter, 190hp @ 5200rpm, 199 lb ft @ 1800rpm
T-5:  2.3 liter, 236hp @ 5700rpm, 243 lb ft @ 2700rpm
and since these engines are Motronic controlled, a simple chip change makes
for great entertainment :)  Someone on the T-bricks list noted that there
is no intercooler on the engine (why bother at low pressure?), so a much
shorter intake tract (much less lag)--i guess you brake-torque the T-5 to
get the same thing :)
--ldt
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* linus toy                       email:  linust@mindspring.com      *
* mercer island, wa                                                  *
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