Truckedup
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2018
- Messages
- 38
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Marion NY
- Vehicle Year
- 2009
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 4.0
- Transmission
- Manual
Audi has manual transmissions with turbo 4 cylinder engine making plenty of power at very low rpm's. And the several US V8 performance cars with manuals deal with way more power..With electronic engine management I just don't see it as a problem...But there won't be manuals because the demand is too low....I think that having that engine with a manual transmission would almost render it unusable actually. If it's developing some 350lb ft at 1,500 RPM that's some serious push. If you were on the throttle and were a little too aggressive on the clutch engagement I can see that grenading stuff quick. With an auto, particularly a fancy 8 speed, is going to have a much more difficult time lugging that engine.
I'd also go so far as to say that they've probably done some trick gearing in that trans and maybe in combination with some boost control in lower gears so that when starting, it may not reach full power/boost, but compensates for it with lower early gears.
I'm pretty convinced it'll get the job done surprisingly well.
I've towed tons of stuff with my little 4 cylinder Ranger. It hasn't necessarily been quick about it at times, but it's pulled it and hit highway speeds, even if only 60. My point is, you don't need enough horsepower and torque to pull thousands of pounds up hills and steep grades at 70 and hardly notice it, or be able to accelerate like it's not even there. I've also heard from some of the RV guys that these big diesel trucks will blow a tire on the trailer and be driving along for quite some time (usually until someone starts honking), because they make so much power they didn't notice the tire blown. You'd think they see it in the mirror but let's be honest about todays drivers...
Side note, I didn't see the Buick Grand National mentioned above. That had a "tiny" turbo engine and that thing was quick. If fact, out of the factory it was actually faster than the Corvette. Of course GM kept heir lips tightly sealed on that because they can't have their flagship/iconic performance vehicle be slower than some sedan.
*edit: Corvairs are unsafe at any speed, so if you're not moving, you're good.
The book "Unsafe at any Speed" was about the US auto industry lack of safety ...Corvair was one chapter in the book written by a man who new zero about automobiles...In the 1970's the Corvair was proven not to be as nasty handling as Nader claimed.. Just like the Pinto fires... The Pinto had no higher rate of fires than other similar cars... It was a few tragic accidents and a Ford memo that implied they would rather pay the settlements than fix the problem. Remember how NBC tries to sensationalize the Square Body GM truck fires? They couldn't get it to catch fire so they rigged it with explosives and got caught doing it..At the same time Japanese small cars were even more unsafe , and the VW Beetle....But you heard nothing about them....
OK, I'm done...