Dunno, but an engine's demonstration of it's potential to do "work" is the total Area Under the (torque) Curve, with the point of max torque its best output. The AUC is an irregular shaped area on a printout bounded by two ordinates representing torque at idle RPM and at maximum RPM, an abscissa across the bottom representing the range of RPM between the two ordinates, and enclosed across the top by the measured torque curve. The point of max torque is obviously where the engine is making the best use of the fuel/air being supplied to it. Whether it is the most economical compared to road speed, again, dunno. When I was involved in dyno-work we were working for the maximum AUC over the broadest range of RPM before fall-off on the high end. When dealing with a pair of sucking, whistling, twin-choke, side-draft Weber carburettors (40/45 DCOEs), fuel economy was not on anyone's mind!
Took my car back to the dealer this week and let the salesman drive the car He could not believe how smooth the car shifted, hold the gas and the computer optimizes power this little sucker is a bag of fun. You wont miss the air leaks with this car
karl
They weren't "air leaks;" that's just how Weber DCOEs sound.
My son is 26 years old if it were not for his mean old Dad he would have never driven a car with a carburetor (aka air leak) I love the sound of side draft Webber's at full chat, the youngsters don't know what they are missing.
karl
My son is 26 years old if it were not for his mean old Dad he would have never driven a car with a carburetor (aka air leak) I love the sound of side draft Webber's at full chat, the youngsters don't know what they are missing.
karl
...I don't let up on the accelerator in corners, letting the ESP reign me in...
Ummm, ESP shouldn't be substituted for sane driving... during a driving school I put a BMW 3 series into a spin WITH their version of ESP on. It's possible to do it if you push hard enough.
Ummm, ESP shouldn't be substituted for sane driving... during a driving school I put a BMW 3 series into a spin WITH their version of ESP on. It's possible to do it if you push hard enough.
I only do the ESP thing when I don't have traffic around me, in potentially wet or sanded roads, or with others in the car. I also try to only "bump" the ESP, just a brief flash. Sorta like knowing how to turn your tires right to go left, if you pardon the Cars reference.
I've found the 15 mph shifts keep the engine from bogging, but I won't have the tach pods installed until May 1. My shifting may alter then, because a 4,000 - 4,500 RPM shift seems optimal based on torque. I know I could drive "greener", but I don't want to discourteously impeding traffic, and driving the smart a little harder still has about the same acceleration as most V6-es do.
Last edited by geochemistry; 04-18-2008 at 09:18 PM.
Reason: 45,000 rpm??? Oops, fat fingers!
I know this may start some flames, but I wonder if there is an easy way to remove these darn paddles? They get in the way of the stalks and on the rare occasion that I use manual the stick is fine with me.
I drive by the scangauge, always trying to go higher and higher. While I know the fuel gauge indicators are not a true indicator of how far you can go, yesterday I made 102 miles on the first bar. I can't manually do what the computer can and living in a flat area I don't sense the computer is lugging the engine all that much. Since I brag about the mpg I want it to be all that is can be.
In "D" the premature shift into 5th drives me up the wall.
Little, fast turning engines do not like to be lugged.
I predict a lot of early engine failures in cars with heavy "D" use.
Ours is a work car with 4k on the ode. I use stick in town "D" on the road. Wife uses "D" more than I.
We will see what we have at around 40-50k on the ode.
A2Jack.
Amen A2Jack, amen!
Auto is fine for letting it cruise on the highway. But the tendency for the tranny to jump to 5th in a 40 mph zone drives me nuts. I can hear the engine grunting under the lug without even looking at the tach.
For those reading these boards, and haven't configured yet, don't even think about buying this car without the instruments option. It is only with a tach that you'll get the full potential AND avoid destroying the 3-banger.
Those of us that grew up on manuals, and especially on mini-block engines, understand that with out revs, rods tend to fall out of the side of the engine.
Lug is when you try to get an engine to do too much work at too low an engine speed it can be as destructive as spinning an engine too fast (overreving).
My cars behavior when brand new caused me to cringe just a bit. It did a few things that I was not comfortable with at first. Going on the basis that the people that designed the car knew what they were doing I let it do its thing and it payed off.
enjoy the car
karl
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Today
Linear Mode
