Denver owners?

[Chupacabra]

Originally Posted by Brett

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Thanks Brett! Side note- are you near me in Parker? I saw another Whiteout FR-S right off Jordan and E-470 (where I live) but wasn't sure if I was seen.

[Brett]

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

Thanks Brett! Side note- are you near me in Parker? I saw another Whiteout FR-S right off Jordan and E-470 (where I live) but wasn't sure if I was seen.

Probably not me. I don't find myself over there too often. We live down in Idyllwilde near Legend High School.

[smbstyle]

I may be relocating out to the Denver area for work shortly (from FL; I get cold when it's under 70* here...), and am wondering from those who have moved from a sea-level area out to Colorado; is there a noticeable drop in performance in the car?

Car isn't too powerful as it is; I'm wondering how bad it is a mile above sea level and up through the mountain highways.

Good to hear that people are able to drive this car out there; I was considering selling mine for a STI or something b/c I wasn't sure how it would fair out there.

Oh, and one more question - is 93 octane readily available out there?

[Chupacabra]

Originally Posted by smbstyle

I may be relocating out to the Denver area for work shortly (from FL; I get cold when it's under 70* here...), and am wondering from those who have moved from a sea-level area out to Colorado; is there a noticeable drop in performance in the car?

Car isn't too powerful as it is; I'm wondering how bad it is a mile above sea level and up through the mountain highways.

Good to hear that people are able to drive this car out there; I was considering selling mine for a STI or something b/c I wasn't sure how it would fair out there.

Oh, and one more question - is 93 octane readily available out there?

Hello, I did notice a slight drop in power (probably the elevation) for a few weeks. My ECU seems to have adjusted to the difference in thinner air. Even though I most recently lived in MN, my car has been to the south a few times.

Also, there most places in the suburbs only offer 91 as the max octane. According to a few of my coworkers there is a place selling higher octane fuel, but it isn't cheap. I think he mentioned that the state believes the thinner air equates to 'not needing a high octane'.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that.

[smbstyle]

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

Hello, I did notice a slight drop in power (probably the elevation) for a few weeks. My ECU seems to have adjusted to the difference in thinner air. Even though I most recently lived in MN, my car has been to the south a few times.

Also, there most places in the suburbs only offer 91 as the max octane. According to a few of my coworkers there is a place selling higher octane fuel, but it isn't cheap. I think he mentioned that the state believes the thinner air equates to 'not needing a high octane'.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that.

Thanks!

Actually, that does make sense, with the air being thinner and less oxygen in the air, less of a chance of detonation.

[HeubergerMotors]

Hell ya denver !

[TheLaughingMan]

Originally Posted by HeubergerMotors

Hell ya denver !

Shouldn't you be "hell ya"ing Colorado Springs too? :P

[HeubergerMotors]

No cause I lived in Denver

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by smbstyle

I may be relocating out to the Denver area for work shortly (from FL; I get cold when it's under 70* here...), and am wondering from those who have moved from a sea-level area out to Colorado; is there a noticeable drop in performance in the car?

Car isn't too powerful as it is; I'm wondering how bad it is a mile above sea level and up through the mountain highways.

Good to hear that people are able to drive this car out there; I was considering selling mine for a STI or something b/c I wasn't sure how it would fair out there.

Oh, and one more question - is 93 octane readily available out there?

The air density is roughly 20-25% less, so you will certainly lose power. It's not massive, but it's noticable. You will get used to it, though.

A turbocharged engine (such as in the STi) still suffers, but less so because it compresses the air a certain amount beyond ambient. So the relative loss is more like 12-15% I believe...

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

Hello, I did notice a slight drop in power (probably the elevation) for a few weeks. My ECU seems to have adjusted to the difference in thinner air. Even though I most recently lived in MN, my car has been to the south a few times.

Also, there most places in the suburbs only offer 91 as the max octane. According to a few of my coworkers there is a place selling higher octane fuel, but it isn't cheap. I think he mentioned that the state believes the thinner air equates to 'not needing a high octane'.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that.

The ECU may be able to tune more aggressively within it's tables due to the reduced ambient air pressure at altitude, but this is just a guess. A better explanation is that you probably noticed a huge difference at first, but have simply become accustomed to it over time.

Your coworkers are correct, the altitude is exactly why 91 octane is commonplace. When the air/fuel mixture is compressed, it heats up very rapidly and can cause hot spots resulting in dangerous preignition (detonation, ping, knock). That's when the mixture ignites itself before the spark tells it to. At higher altitudes there's fewer air molecules per volume of air, so less heat is generated when it's compressed; there's fewer air molecules to rub together. Higher octanes are simply better at resisting preignition. So, since there's less heat, you don't need as much octane to stabilize the mixture against preignition.

[Brett]

In Denver, CO with an elevation of 5280 ft, the oxygen content of the air is about 83% of what it is at sea level, so you'll be down about 17% in power with a normally aspirated engine. Turbo charged vehicles that are based on absolute pressure and not relative pressure will actually make most of that back.

Where you really notice it is driving up in the mountains. If you take I70 West towards the ski towns, I seem to recall having to drop into 3rd maybe to pass people on the uphill sections. You're at about 11,000 feet there, and about 68% of the Oxygen content of sea level.

Having said that, moving to Colorado has been one of the best things I've done in my life. So much to do here if you even remotely like the outdoors. Lots of great restaurants in Denver too.

[briantran123]

i just noticed you live in parker Brett, i think i've seen you driving around before

[Brett]

Originally Posted by briantran123

i just noticed you live in parker Brett, i think i've seen you driving around before

Possibly. I see a red one driving around every now and then. In fact I saw it (and maybe you) the first day I moved to Parker. We were both at the Connoco at Parker and Main, and I probably waved (I always loved the Corvette wave when I drove one). I'd just closed on my house, and I was driving to the airport to fly to Ohio to pick-up my wife, dogs, and cats. Good times!

[HeubergerMotors]

Maybe I should set up a meet

[briantran123]

the conoco on mainstreet and parker is owned by my parents, i stop by there maybe once a day. im pretty sure i did see you.