BoDarville

and yet you are quite content to deal with the delay inherent of your slow automatic transmission and soft-sprung, heavy car. pretty certain there are zero evo / sti / golf r / s3 / 328i / etc. drivers that are sweating coming across your ls in traffic

mmarshall

With all due respect, I have to agree with Stroock. Not only is he correct about a N/A V8's response, but I see nothing wrong with a nice soft comfortable suspension/chassis and smooth transmission. Too many cars nowadays, IMO, have overly-stiff underpinnings for people who don't really want that type of chassis. For those who DO want them, there are more than enough choices.

Stroock639

i'm more than content to "deal with" my LS. the trans definitely doesn't bang out shifts like a DCT but i literally don't see how it could be any smoother. i know it sounds weird for a 21 year old whose favorite car has always been the mclaren f1 to be so happy with a 17 year old grandpa car but the throttle response might be the best i've come across and and trans is very responsive on the kickdown.

it also doesn't have any of the BS that plagues modern car interiors. i'm perfectly happy to not have my car send a tweet every time i change the song, and the exterior just oozes functionality and classiness without all the unnecessary aggressiveness which all cars seem to have now. i'd rather the car be faster than it looks rather than looking faster than it is, that way people can only be set up for surprise lol.

and a smooth floaty ride is awesome, it's not something you think you care about until you've experienced it and then ride in something else.

MattyG

I respect those Evo's, STI's and Golf R's etc. I know they're downright quick and have the advantage of a lighter body with a lot of horsepower. With my 2GS430 I've come a cross a couple of them here and there. They do get the jump off the line but will often be surprised that they didn't leave you behind as much as they expected.

The other thing is: how much of a nitwit and a road hazard do you want to be on public roads? These drivers don't exactly think ahead.

And once you find an open patch of road - look out. That where Lexus V8's are comfortable at triple digit speeds with a comfy ride.

My 2GS is pretty much a sleeper. Nobody knows what it is. Resembles an ES330. A big Toyota. No V8 badges on it anywhere - just some sort of anonymous GS430 logo.

mmarshall

Great points.

Not weird at all. I felt the same way at your age. I also liked easy-riding luxury cars with big engines.

BoDarville

what's 'the kickdown'?

mmarshall

Traditionally, stepped-gear (non-CVT) automatics are programmed to automatically shift down to a lower gear to maintain acceleration or prevent the engine from lugging when the gas pedal is pushed past a certain point (unless downshifting would red-line the engine or damage it). In full-automatic mode, they will usually automatically upshift back up when pedal-pressure is lessened or released......unless one is going too slow for that particular upshift. That can also be done, in some cases, manually with the shift-lever or shift-paddles.....when the transmission's computer allows it in that gear-range.

CVTs sometimes also have "stepped" imitation "gears" in their variable belt/pulley systems (which are really just specific belt-positions on the pulley) to imitate a more conventional automatic, but don't actually "kick down" in the same manner that conventional automatic do. They generally don't have to, because they are far more flexible and efficient, and can select from an infinite number of belt-positions on the pulley.

Stroock639

this


iphone mic doesn't fully do it justice

BoDarville

so you're saying you normally are cruising around at 25 mph (in a straight line no less) when you suddenly decide to mash it. impressive.

dseag2

I thought Volvo had discontinued the C30?

http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...s-year-176819/

Rhambler

Not sure why they mention "modern" and turbo in the same sentence.

One of the first cars I ever owned was a 1991 MR2 Turbo. A 2.0L that produced 200 HP. For its time, it was pretty neat little engine and it lasted a long time, properly used of course.

The only thing I hated about that car was the inability of being able to turn it off right after spirited driving. I remember "turbo timers" that allowed you to walk away and have the car run and pump oil for a predetermined amount of time, otherwise the extreme temperature would cause that oil to "coke" if you turned off the engine right away. My turbo timer, sitting in the car while it idled for at least a minute, lol.

Wastegates, having to use super low viscosity oil (which was terrible for starting) and frenetic torque curves are all things I distinctly remember. But, hearing that spool and whine and feeling it was rewarding.

I have no idea how these much more modern cars deal with these issues. Oil coking was truly a big issue with these early turbo'd cars and often led to an early demise if you didn't do it right. Think Ford Turbos, those things were notorious for seizing up. I wonder if they just pump oil without the car being on or if turbo/oil has progressed enough where that isn't even needed.

mmarshall

Today, modern turbos have several features your 25-year-old MR2 did not. Many turbos are housed in water-cooled jackets, circulating engine coolant, that keeps them closer to engine-operating temperature. Motor oils, of course, are better....and heat-resistant synthetic oil has become pretty much standard for turbos. Metal alloys used for turbos are stronger and lighter. Radiators, of course, have also become more efficient, helping to keep the engine itself cooler. And, of course, the engine computers have become more advanced side then, helping to more closely-regulate fuel mixture, spark timing, wastegates, and other factors that affect engine and turbo heat.

Stroock639

what's your angle here man... you asked what a kickdown was, that was a kickdown