Confession about power

[Petrus]

Ok, I admit.

Yesterday was out for a rather varied trip.
The way out was mountain B-road and if anything I had a surplus of power everywhere. The chaming company thouroughly enjoyed the cornering; observed the route was thrilling and beautifull, that the car was like a kart. We did zzzzzíp through the bends.
The one car on the road, a taxi, pulled almost into the ditch to let us pass. Wave, beep of acknowledgement and on.

On the way back I took the provincial road up into the mountains. Some 30 kms of flowing corners mostly uphill.
Again no power shortage as I kept the speed on the straight bits sort of same and the same as the corner speed.
Now there are twó stretches quite steep and on both the climbing side has an extra lane for slower climbers/overtaking.
Of the only a handfull of cars I came up behind two were on the steep bits. All ok you´d think but..... their drivers were rather slow to move into the slow lane. True to style but it does mean that the best part of the overtaking bit was gone.
Yes, I did for once, make that twice, felt I wanted more oompf. Mind, there was enough to overtake with space to spare but it could have been swifter.

The last uphill was over the highway to Pedrizas pass. Three lanes uphill, the slow one unused ofcourse, yet nobody overtaking anyone, all going 100 - 120.
The last part is steepest, over 8% and because it goes into a bend, the outside lane merges into the other two.
With not all that much of the fast lane left it opened up. Doing about 130 km/h on the >8% climb I again felt I could do with more oompf.

So that makes thréé times on one day I admit that the enough not álways feels enough.
Now, to moderate that, I múst observe that I was already going illegal speed and more oompf would only be more illegal still: So in all reality enough ís enough but I wíll admit that it felt lacking 

[jvanzyl]

It's good to be honest about it, I suspect lots of us feel that way from time to time... with the miles I rack up the occasion for wanting more power is often there... tempered by the the lack of funds to splurge for more power.

[Petrus]

I am nót adding any more horses for sure. I still think the car has enough.
Sómetimes though, and here that is basically always uphill, yes, you coúld use more.
Problem is that if you have more, you always have more and that does not simplify life.

[Chriss]

That is why the 2zz swap makes sense, it is like the 1zz most of the time until you need to go fast then the lift kicks in. Truth be told I only experienced it recently and am still of two minds if I should do it. I know Spain wont let you do anything to your car so am not suggesting this is the correct move for you.

[househead]

That is why the 2zz swap makes sense, it is like the 1zz most of the time until you need to go fast then the lift kicks in. Truth be told I only experienced it recently and am still of two minds if I should do it. I know Spain wont let you do anything to your car so am not suggesting this is the correct move for you.

I would prefer a boost in power throughout the whole rev range, which is what puts me off doing the 2zz swap without also slapping a rotrex in there too 

That's gonna be expensive tho, and I'm gonna enjoy the stock 1zz for a bit first.

[wotugonado]

I don't think I could go back to a stock mr2 after having the extra horses, the confidence it gave you for overtaking on the motorway as compared to the standard power was night and day. Then you could drive it without hitting boost if you wanted. Best of both worlds for me.

[Petrus]

I don't think I could go back to a stock mr2 after having the extra horses,

Thát I can absolutely imagine. Having 50% torque more will make you infinitely lazy. You write confident but it simply dulls the extra set of senses you need to safely pass without the oompf.

But, as I wrote, the stock horses do run out of steam going uphill in higher gear (at illegal speeds).

[wotugonado]

I am infinitely lazy, my spirit animal is the sloth...
I know someone who was in a big family saloon and was clipped by a hgv on the motorway once and knocked all over the lanes, now with that in mind being in the tiny mr2 I hated being along side hgv's, so I used to sit in my lane level with the back of the hgv and wait for the road ahead to be clear then blast the turbo to get straight past them, that gave total confidence.

[Petrus]

I get the argument but when it is iffy to overtake, whether a weaving HGV, a swerving caravan or whatwever, I will stay behind at a safe distance.
If I get bored/annoyed I will stop at the next roadside restaurant or take a detour.
Point is that by passing at a higher speed, you still have the same chance of something going wrong, just at a higher speed.

About passing HGVs; the current aero set up is áwesomely stable. Stróng side wind, passing a lorry at the wind shade side, noooooo movement. It really is like an arrow. Níce and yes thát gives confidence 

[Petrus]

then blast the turbo

Reads cool :-)

I can offer you (and the missus) holliday accomodation in the andalucian mountains for ´free´; some spannering to fit the kit in the morning then you go off sampeling sun culture for the rest of the day/night.

Seriously, this afternoon first try and see if the MAF mod has any effect warranting writing home about.

[Nvy]

After my 1st car and have driven turbo diesels I find NA cars lacking in the torque department, even our 2.5l Mazda. I have never driven the 2 hard enough and coz my alternator is sick I think I'm not getting all the horses but I intent on fixing everything before the turbo. I'll drive it for some time fully fixed to see what's the difference. As of now I can't comment on the topic just wanted to express my experience.

[shnazzle]

After my 1st car and have driven turbo diesels I find NA cars lacking in the torque department, even our 2.5l Mazda. I have never driven the 2 hard enough and coz my alternator is sick I think I'm not getting all the horses but I intent on fixing everything before the turbo. I'll drive it for some time fully fixed to see what's the difference. As of now I can't comment on the topic just wanted to express my experience.

Totally agree. 

I even found the Audi RS5 felt lacklustre compared to our A5 3.0 diesel. I know... Mental... 

It seems that that same level of pull-face-off can only be experienced NA with over 5 liters. Only time I've felt that same pull. 

Supercharged big engine so far is my favourite.

[Petrus]

After my 1st car and have driven turbo diesels I find NA cars lacking in the torque department,

That is a non-comparison between apples and .... turnips.

Diesel; direct or indirect injection, gasoline; direct or indirect, multiplied by forced induction and type of such all has different engine characteristics and that is not mentioning the type of use it was designed for.
Ceterus paribus the gasoline engine holds the trump cards.

As to generalisations go, a td may give torque lower in the rev range but seen in relation to the width of the power band it is not an engine type with a particularly flexible torque/power.
In contrast a variable cam timing n.a. gasoline is rather impressive in the usable rev range respective to the total band width.

[Petrus]

Supercharged big engine so far is my favourite.

Again it is a choose your poison as the supercharged big one runs out of the useable rev range ever so soon.
Compare it with the n.a. Honda K and that is só much more flexible; has an incredibly wide band of useable power.

One thing to keep in mind is that the bum dyno primairily registers difference in acceleration; increment in G, and it is rather weak in registering a constant G.

[Zxrob]

Am I the only one who isn't looking for more power

My 2 is a second car, purchased for a bit of top down summer fun, I researched the car quite a bit and power wasnt top of the list, because, well, it aint got much, its nippy and nimble and ticked the right boxes for me, as for overtakes, use the gearbox properly, I've not had any problems getting past folk

Rob

[Ardent]

I'm not looking for anymore power.
Bit more torque would be nice.

[Alex Knight]

I'm not looking for anymore power.
Bit more torque would be nice.

Power is simply a by-product of torque.

The HP equation is: Torque X RPM /5252.

[Ardent]

Indeed

Not looking for it, but if it produces a bigger number so be it. I do not use all the available HP I have, as I change up long before I have squeezed every last HP out. I do however enjoy riding the wave of torque from about 1500 to 4500-5000

[Petrus]

I'm not looking for anymore power.
Bit more torque would be nice.

Mán you already have 50% more than mere mortals!! 

[Ardent]

Do like a bit of torque
Turbo diesel
Electric
Petrol turbo
V6 NA
Not fussed.

Its the bum dyno shove in the back I like.
Whether thats 20 to 50 or whatever

Prod > surge.

[Petrus]

Last night came up from lake Iznajar to VVa de Tapia and from the bridge the A33 winds up steeply with a series of swooping corners.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/14970+Izn%C3%A1jar,+C%C3%B3rdoba/@37.2429702,-4.3245072,2374m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0xd6d8728da844ff9:0x9cb03da8785425d!8m2!3d37.2571916!4d-4.3070793

The OEM torque/power is plenty enough to comfortably push the car through the corners at the limits of AD08R adhesion. The flexibility of the engine being such that you can concentrate on getting the flow correct.
In thís case significantly more oompf would not make that easier.

Another thing. The road tówards the lake snakes over undulating hills and as it is the only road connecting the villages in that part, you are súre to get held up by locals pottering about, tuning off left or right as the seem fit, ditto indicator use. A turbo would see me try blast past. Now I just relax, keep lots of distance and ´listen´ to the conversation from the passenger seat. Guess which is safer 

[Petrus]

Am I the only one who isn't looking for more power

No. I am if anything a strong advocate of the 1ZZ.
Sómetimes though, I can imagine why the motoring journalists kept harping on the car being underpowered: It is true; it does not have a lot of steam against the perspective of modern hybrids, most SUVs, even hot shopping carts. It is not the whole story either.

[Ardent]

Think I would find some of passengers too distracting.
I would be safer focusing on the passing.

[Petrus]

Think I would find some of passengers too distracting.

Well, we did decide to find a hotel :-)

[Petrus]

Am I a heathen?

Just not sports car hard core.

Even with tuned V8 the M3, the weight makes it a fast rolling road block for the MR2 out here. When you are behind one, there is no hope of getting past. Well, a  death wich corner will get you past, for a moment, till he accellerates past again. But when ahead he will see you dissappear.
It illustrates the confusion about fast and quick. Power makes a car fast, lightness makes it quick.

As to space. No point arguing that. If that is a want then don´t go for the lighweight fun. Simples.

The MR2 is very much like a road legal cart with comfortable space for two. A two up top down runabout. Just the power to enjoy thát. 
No boot to load up, no rear seating to fill, no power to haul thát.