T5 love
I have to say I like your appreciation for the cars that paved the way for today's European sports cars, like the 944, GTI, M3, etc. However, it bugs me that you don't really do any articles on Volvo. The Volvo T5 is a far better and more venerable engine than the VR6, the 1.8T or the 2.0T. We're talking about the same powertrain that's used in the European Focus ST. Last I checked, there are plenty of fast turbo 850s and S60 Rs out there. Volvo does not equal slow.
Mark
Saint Cloud, MN
Lost hp
I own a 2001 Audi A6 4.2, factory rated 300 hp. I believe the S6 Avant was rated at 340 hp, and the S8 360 hp. Where did Audi hide the extra horsepower? Heads, intake, exhaust, ECU? Or all of the above? I have an LLTek intake and sent the ECU to GIAC for a flash. I also have a Supersprint cat-back, which sounds great. What do you think my approximate output is now?
Gary Ontko
Sandusky, OH
The 2001 A6 4.2L unfortunately did not have horsepower limited by software, so gains will have to come from bolt-on goodies. Most of the 40-60 extra horsepower found in the S6 and S8 can be attributed to set of camshafts, free-flow exhaust manifolds, a dual-stage intake manifold, and exhaust system. Both the S6 and S8 do have different ECU programming, mainly to compensate for the new engine components. Approximating horsepower is never a good idea because every vehicle reacts differently; your best bet is to dyno your vehicle before and after you make every upgrade to ensure what you are doing is actually beneficial.
That Mini Glow
I ordered my John Cooper Works MINI from a picture I'd seen, went to the website, and built it to my specs. It finally came in three weeks ago and it is a HOOT, a lot of get up and go and no turbo lag. I only collect limited-edition cars, trucks, and motorcycles; I bought this car to put with my collection. My JCW is #971 out of 1,920. I'm used to high-horsepower sports cars but this one holds its own; it feels like a go-kart licensed for the road. I've seen videos online where a guy takes one of these and burns rubber through the first three gears. I know for a fact that shifting from third into fourth gear you can achieve 120 mph.
Ron Smith Jr.
Carlisle, PA
Congratulations on your new toy, and be careful with those triple digits, Ron.
German Car?
I'm thumbing through my fourth issue of european car and it's nothing of the sort. Either change the name to "German Car" mag, start featuring non-German cars or refund my subscription. This issue (June '09) is dedicated almost exclusively to features and tests on German cars, except for a story on the Zonda... and won't we see lots of those on the roads this year! From this point onward, I will forward your mag directly to my doctor's waiting room.
Peter Barbati
Beeton, Ontario
Yeah, but last we checked Germany is in Europe too...
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