Types of acceleration??

[benja]

Hi all.

I recently acquired a 2001 v70 2.4t & have owned a 2002 C70 T5.

I was really after a Subaru forester (2.0XT) this time but budget didn't allow and didn't really want to go much below 30mpg.

When I test drove the Forester the acceleration seemed urgent, and every time I brought the clutch out it was eager to go, even though 0-60 is similar if not higher than both my volvos. (my uncle used to have a impreza catalunya and it had the same thing but in spades!)

The C70 I bought as I wanted a fast car, and was a little disappointed about the about of road needed to get it going. The V70 i'm not too bothered and enjoy swooshing about in it immensely. There isn't much between them in my opinion.

So, my question is: what is it that has the biggest influence? gearing? engine torque? AWD?


Sorry if this is a bit rambling, I'm just looking for someone to put my thoughts into technical terms so I have a better idea for the future i think!

[Ninja59]

1) the squidgy thing behind the wheel
2) How the throttle is setup - most will be fly by wire now, not sure about a 2002 C70 though.
3) Torque v power
4) Gearing/changing gear

Usually one of the reasons diesels win initially is down to the level of torque they produce at lower RPM's, but once a petrol gets more revs there is usually less gear changes which shortchange the diesel. Obviously wheels driven will have some impact as well as 4WD/AWD will be able to utilise additional grip levels unlike FWD/RWD.

[Simon Jones]

Power to weight ratio is also important.

[tt82]

I imagine the biggest difference is engine mapping. This is what allows manufacturers to offer cars with 'sport' buttons which affects how the car performs and makes/seems like it is faster!

[Whippy]

Horse power for show, torque for go.

[huron]

Horse power is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall.

[owyn]

It's a good point, the numbers often don't tell the whole story, my old V70 was pretty wild when getting it off the line quick, jumping sideways and then spinning the wheels for a second time when the boost kicked in.
My Audi does none of that, you can barely tell you are going but it's quicker on the clock and that's with an extra gear change.
It's far more effective bit nowhere near as entertaining.

[T5R92011]

If you want that kind of acceleration in a Volvo, you need to get yourself the old 4 cylinder S40 T4 (or V40). They were known for their urgency in acceleration compared to the usual 5 pot turbos.

Apparently they ran unusually high boost for a stock vehicle.

[benja]

Originally Posted by T5R92011

If you want that kind of acceleration in a Volvo, you need to get yourself the old 4 cylinder S40 T4 (or V40). They were known for their urgency in acceleration compared to the usual 5 pot turbos.

Apparently they ran unusually high boost for a stock vehicle.

Yeah, that would have been my first choice, but seems very hard to find a good one.

Seems to be a few s40 t4s, which I imagine are the same thing, but i wanted an estate.

I think the power to weight is probably a good indicator, but I cant imagine a forester is much lighter than a v70?

I did go on a hunt for hp, torque and weight of each car yesterday but too much conflicting data and I'm at work so cant spend hours on it!

I think I'm probably a boy-racer at heart, maybe an impreza estate when a few of the speeding points have dropped off!

[DSK]

Hmm

Everyone will have different experiences especially in 'used' cars.

Personally from a history of the like of the Original Audi Quattro 20V, 91' Supra Turbo, BMW M5 3.8, M5 V8, Jaguar XKR 4.2 Supercharged, 95' UK Supra TT and sports bikes my C70's still has impressive grunt in comparison. I have been in a few others and even when I looked for another T5 I drove quite a few that just don't have the effortless punch of mine.

I go OTT on servicing and care but, that's only because my lot just somehow manage to keep me hooked. They just perform, don't break and cruise ace and I never feel like my Volvo's are rubbish after driving other cars, in fact I'm more surprised at how rounded my trio of them still is. After being unable to find anything outside a new 911 turbo which I can't afford most stuff doesn't turn me on so I bought a GSXR-1000 for a change.

In modern cars I noticed that the auto boxes with 7/8/9 speed gearbox's really do work well giving small powered stuff impressive performance and bigger stuff impressive cruising and fuel consumption. Next to these its only the smooth 5spd auto boxes in mine feel old. Despite newer cars being heavier with added technology manufacturers are also using more and more alternative materials throughout and in body panels to help claw back some weight. Also the modern stuff is able to handle power and torque far better than the crude old ways of wheel spin and torque steer.