Discuss this comment on FI cars on autocrosses and how it relates to the A4.
05-01-2002, 12:25 PM
#1
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Discuss this comment on FI cars on autocrosses and how it relates to the A4.
This is a quote i found enjoyable to read, and would like our input, specifically concerning how AWD modifies this (if at all).
"I know this has been beaten to death, but what the hell! It all depends on what kind of driving you are doing. Have you ever autocrossed a turbocharged Miata? Or any big boost turbo engined car for that matter. Having autocrossed big boost supercharged cars, and turbo cars, and high power normally aspirated cars, I can tell you that non-linear throttle response makes a car much more difficult to drive. The higher the horsepower, the more important it becomes to be able to modulate, and turbo cars simply do not afford the degree of modulation that a N/A or supercharged car does. We've all seen the dyno plots, but that's only part of the story. Lets say you can get away with putting down 40% of your available power at a given RPM exiting a given turn without breaking traction, achieving that goal with a NA motor is as simple as using 40% throttle, the same can't be said of a turbo car, you have to use full throttle to spool the turbo as quickly as possible and then back off to try and hit your target power output. As an example, I drove a heavily boosted RX-7 TT, a FM turbo Miata, and a Z06 corvette on the same autocross course (Being the novice instructor is good!), and I can tell you the corvette was by far the easiest to drive. Why? Because the throttle was like a rheostat, the turbo cars were gutless at tip in and then came on hard enough to break the tires loose, meaning you have to back out in anticipation of the boost rise to maintain control. Entertaining yes, but to me its extra work, and one more variable I'd rather not deal with. The supercharged cars I've driven feel very similar to the normally aspirated cars. That is, they are easy to modulate with your right foot, and you get the power when you want it. Most of these arguments go right out the window at the drag strip or road course and even on the street to some extent (with practice), so take it for what its worth. However, I'm willing to bet most of you have a white knuckle power oversteer story relating to the first time you drove a big boost turbo car on the street."
"I know this has been beaten to death, but what the hell! It all depends on what kind of driving you are doing. Have you ever autocrossed a turbocharged Miata? Or any big boost turbo engined car for that matter. Having autocrossed big boost supercharged cars, and turbo cars, and high power normally aspirated cars, I can tell you that non-linear throttle response makes a car much more difficult to drive. The higher the horsepower, the more important it becomes to be able to modulate, and turbo cars simply do not afford the degree of modulation that a N/A or supercharged car does. We've all seen the dyno plots, but that's only part of the story. Lets say you can get away with putting down 40% of your available power at a given RPM exiting a given turn without breaking traction, achieving that goal with a NA motor is as simple as using 40% throttle, the same can't be said of a turbo car, you have to use full throttle to spool the turbo as quickly as possible and then back off to try and hit your target power output. As an example, I drove a heavily boosted RX-7 TT, a FM turbo Miata, and a Z06 corvette on the same autocross course (Being the novice instructor is good!), and I can tell you the corvette was by far the easiest to drive. Why? Because the throttle was like a rheostat, the turbo cars were gutless at tip in and then came on hard enough to break the tires loose, meaning you have to back out in anticipation of the boost rise to maintain control. Entertaining yes, but to me its extra work, and one more variable I'd rather not deal with. The supercharged cars I've driven feel very similar to the normally aspirated cars. That is, they are easy to modulate with your right foot, and you get the power when you want it. Most of these arguments go right out the window at the drag strip or road course and even on the street to some extent (with practice), so take it for what its worth. However, I'm willing to bet most of you have a white knuckle power oversteer story relating to the first time you drove a big boost turbo car on the street."
05-01-2002, 12:29 PM
#3
ok...
Although I find a good portion of the argument to be correct, i think the fact that the flat torque curve that Audi has been able to produce in the stock A4 negates that theory. Torque is consistant up to 5200 rpm(or so they say). Now if you're talking about a highly modified(aftermarket turbo) i'd tend to agree partially.
