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Detroit, 10:20 PM
Fri Dec 11
29 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/10/09
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12/10/09
The torque range on the ecoBoost blows me away.
(Project lead) "I want 350 ft-lbs of torque. Can you do that?"
(Engineer) "Sure. Where on the rev range do you want it?"
(Waves indistinctly) "Anywhere."
(Engineer shrugs) "Okey-dokey."
Also: +1 for timing chains.
The VW 2.0 Turbo is a fun engine. I drove it. It drives bigger than it is. Yowzah.
A Chevy getting 32mpg used to be impressive. Now it's Chevy's sport-cute delivering 32mpg, and it's not as small as the sport-cutes used to be. Frankly, I'm damned impressed. My car won't do that, not even close, and it doesn't make nearly as much power, either.
Damned impressed.
12/10/09
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12/09/09
DEATH TO ENGINE HATS!
12/10/09
but then again, was the last time you saw an engine that looked like this one.....
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Manufacturer: Yamaha Motor Corporation
Production: 1989–1995
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12/10/09
Or is there some reason that manufacturers want it to seem like a total mystery as to what is powering the car? "Hey, what's under there? DONT LOOK! It's a genie and he is f*cking angry."
Dear car makers: I (we) think engines look cool and we would like to see them. Nobody likes your stupid plastic covers, so stop putting them on. What, is this the victorian era of underhood design? Next thing you know there will just be another hood under the hood when you open the hood.
12/09/09
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I am disappointed in the ecoweenieism that picked the naturally aspirated Ecotec over the direct injected turbocharged version (which also makes more power and torque than VW's equivalent).
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As for the list, it's not bad (not great, either) although no hybrid makes my list and no way Hyundai makes the world's best V8.
Now that Subie has solved that pesky banjo bolt issue, I'm thrilled to see their pancake's on the menu.
12/10/09
12/09/09
I'm not sure when Ward's fell victim to the same eco-weenie crap that's taking over the whole fucking world, but I'm sure as hell am not happy about it. I love turbo-fours, diesels and direct injection as much as anybody, I don't know how much longer I can deal with all this plug-in-hybrid, evil man-made carbon emissions will kill us all bullshit that's progressively destroying the car hobby I so dearly love.
12/09/09
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12/09/09
And the 3800, despite being a 40+ year old pushrod, it was easily one of, if not the best V6s on the market up until 2002-2003 or so. 200 horsepower (24o w/supercharger!) and 30 MPG on regular unleaded seemed unbelievable in the '90s, but Buick pulled it off. It wasn't until Nissan and Honda started one-upping each other that the 3800 finally stopped being competitive (and I can't believe GM tried replacing it with that "High Feature" garbage). Still, there's plenty of recent-vintage, 3800-equipped big GM sedans that make good beater highway cruisers. Not bad for a once-unloved, uneven-firing, sawed-off Fireball V8.
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11:51 AM
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12/08/09
It looks to me the engine is based on a DBA-GE8/GE9 engine mated to an IMA system; which they seem to refer to as the DAA-ZF1. Mugen gets 150ps out the DBA-GE8 and the GE9 makes closer to 120ps in Fit RS, not to mention that the IMA system is fairly modular and could be mated to other more powerful Honda engines as practicality permits.
If this car gets 58mpg in JC08 testing procedures, the car should be within 1-2mpg of the Insight which gets 61mpg on the same tests. The highway mileage should be close if not identical being that JC08 is very urban heavy. So 40mpg+ should be realistically attainable.
The real question is price. If this car is noticeably cheaper then the Insight, maybe in $17~19k range, then this car makes a lot of sense. Its slightly faster then the lethargic Insight, lacks 4 doors and utility, but is a sportier, and a more desirable vehicle. At that price it also leaves room for a "Si" model with more pace higher up in the pricing.
12/08/09
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CR-Why?
12/08/09
When you said it would be light
It was a lie, lie, lie.
Now that we've seen the car
We're going to CR-Y, CR-Y, CR-Y.