Turbos and maturity...(long)

[only5kgt@uswest.net]

I figure I have a unique perspective on this... quick
rundown of my cars of the past, in order from the first:
'85 Chrysler LeBaron GTS Turbo
'86 Saab 9000 Turbo
'74 BMW 3.0s Bavaria (miss it)
'86 Toyota Celica GTS (lemon)
'86 Saab 9000 Turbo (didn't learn)
'87 Audi 5000CS Turbo (the infamous Naut Blue Whale)
'84 Dodge Diplomat Police Interceptor (pizza delivery and
impromptu demo derby)
'85 Audi Coupe GT (currently great)

I'm 23 and nearly insolvent much of the time. Still, half of
my cars were turbocharged. Never a single turbo problem, not
even on the Chrysler. Thus, I am conditioned to think of
turbos as a part of every well-designed induction setup...
not unlike FI... why turn down free power (the only drawback
is lag) when it can be made as durable as Audi made it on
the I-5? I meant that somewhat rhetorically- I've enjoyed
many, many engines sans pos. manifold pressure- but very few
struck me as better off unboosted (BMW six comes to mind. I
even drove a turbo Mopar 340 once- fun, fun, fun)
Big engine vs. smaller turbo engine- I can see the bigger
motor's advantages in some areas. But what about big engine
vs. big turbo engine? Too much is just enough...

Comparatively, my father has driven Saab Turbos almost
exclusively since '84... no turbo trouble there either. He's
thinking about a 1.8t A4 (to keep stock!) and has "no
interest" in the 2.8 version- doesn't understand the point
of it.

I compare the MC engine to the 100 HP 2226 version, not to
the 4.2 V8- the fact that it can often  run with the V8 in
instrumented testing is a pleasant surprise. Where's the
4.2tt?

Turbos are exotic devices that deliver a different sound and
feel than any NA motor. They evoke the fastest racers ever
(Porsche Can-Am, 1500cc '80s F1, etc)- if we wanted just a
big V8 roar, we'd buy Vettes (no offense meant whatsoever to
Bob Dupree- monumental achievement there with Team
LT-1)...and whenever I experience said roar, I always think
it'd be improved with some good wastegate noise, a jet-like
scream, and that unmistakable shove in the back.

Which I miss when I drive the otherwise lovely CGT... so
much so, in fact, that an MC is in the cards sometime soon
for it! One step closer to my dream of a 20v ur-Q...
someday. Those exemplify *my* idea of what a car should be-
and different strokes for different folks, indeed.

Just my .02
Rob