Towing With V8 (was: Boating with an S4)

[CLIFFORD ILKAY <clifford_ilkay@dinamis.com>]

Eyvind Spangen wrote:
>I've towed 4000 lbs with my car, and it went great - not the fastest
>acceleration, but the brakes did a decent job (brakes on trailer too)
>and for once-every-5-years towing, it's great. I use the hitch for a
>bike rack or smaller trailer at least once a month..
>
>My car is not quattro, so it will lose traction on uphill driving, but
>the hitch should not be loaded with more than about 50 kg (110 lbs) to
>preserve the best possible road grip both for the car and trailer..
>Wish I had quattro, but I'll stick with my 100CC (soon converted to
>100CD) for some more years.. 

Hi,

According to the owner's manual of my 1990 V8Q, towing capacity is:

Braked trailer	900 kg (2,000 lb.)
Unbraked trailer	680 kg (1,499 lb.)
Tongue load		75 kg (165 lb.)

This car is rated at 240hp at 5800 rpm and 245 ft. lbs. torque at 4000 rpm.
North American iron with this kind of power can tow at least double the
weight. e.g. the Chevrolet Safari minivan with the 4.3l V6, an engine which
has less horsepower and torque, can tow something around 5,800 lbs. A 2,000
lb. towing capacity is barely enough to tow a 21 ft. I/O boat and trailer.
Is Audi being conservative in its ratings or is there some other reason why
the V8 is rated so low?

Regards,

Clifford Ilkay
Dinamis Corporation
3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1419
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4N 3P6

Voice/Fax: 416-410-3326

mailto:clifford_ilkay@dinamis.com