Spanish magazine (Autopista) review + new info + new engine bay photo. ECU flashable!

[madfast]

Originally Posted by virobloc

Just a translation issue. the correct one would be like this:

"It has two types of transmission. The one I tried was equipped with a 6 speed manual. They assured me that there would be two gear ratio options, following the country [market] that it will go to
or the taste of the customer (lolwtfbbqwaffles?!?!?! Implying perhaps different ratios between hi spec and low spec or different gear ratios/final drives for different markets)."

Also, in the part of the article related with the brochure leak, he speaks again about the two different gear ratios options.

I guess that now it makes more sense to you, true?

ah i see, thanks!

Originally Posted by virobloc

Yes, I totally agree with you, they'd better make a sensitive direction...


By the way the reporter said that, I don't think it's a too much light, bad or numb direction at all. He was just pointing that as one of the improvements the car might need. If the car ends up with a good direction feeling, we should be a bit grateful to him

i totally agree! the LF-A uses column mounted EPS as well. and while its steering is great, comparisons with other supercars shows that its a bit on the lighter side. i personally like the feel of heavier steering.

[old greg]

Originally Posted by madfast

so is he saying the steering feels light? EPS better not mess up the steering!

It won't be any more awful than if it had hydraulic power steering. If the steering effort is too light for your tastes it will have been because the engineers overdid the power steering assist, not because of what technology they used to do so. Besides, production cars all have comically light steering (and over-boosted brakes), so quibbling over steering effort in a street car is, to me, like arguing over which shade of beige is blander.

[madfast]

Originally Posted by old greg

It won't be any more awful than if it had hydraulic power steering. If the steering effort is too light for your tastes it will have been because the engineers overdid the power steering assist, not because of what technology they used to do so. Besides, production cars all have comically light steering (and over-boosted brakes), so quibbling over steering effort in a street car is, to me, like arguing over which shade of beige is blander.

i semi-disagree. EPS is "new" enough that i dont think manufacturers have nailed the tuning of it just yet. lets see what porsche does with it on future models. here is what insideline has to say about the new 991:

But once you've adjusted to the utterly horizontal cornering attitude, you'll find yourself wondering what Porsche did to the 911's once-sublime steering. Don't get us wrong: There's enough steering feel and weight to prudently guide the 911 at insane velocities. But this isn't the same feeling we're used to. Nor is it one we'd prefer.

That's because the 2012 Porsche 911's steering is fully electromechanical. It utilizes two sensors — one to measure inputs from the driver and one to measure inputs from the road — and metes out electrically motivated assist according to a Porsche-specific software calibration. We hesitate to call it numb, but it's far from the granular, feelsome feedback we've experienced elsewhere — even in other 911s. Effort, too, is on the light side.

How much this matters to you will depend on how great an importance you place strictly on steering feel. Because, remember, the response is there. And it is stunning.

so... if porsche can "mess up" the steering, i highly doubt toyota/subaru will nail the tuning of the EPS better than porsche.

[coyote]

Originally Posted by old greg

or at least a really long USB cord

I road tuned two cars yesterday and the mental image that got created when I read that made me laugh so hard I almost spat my breakfast.

[MF_DEUCE]

Thanks for the help Matador. I was struggling with some of the words and phrases they were using.

[old greg]

Originally Posted by madfast

EPS is "new" enough that i dont think manufacturers have nailed the tuning of it just yet... if porsche can "mess up" the steering, i highly doubt toyota/subaru will nail the tuning of the EPS better than porsche.

I semi-agree. I'm sure people will find something to complain about in the steering, but my point was that Hydraulic power steering sucks as well. I've grown accustomed to manual racks, so to me all power steering is too light, electric or not. Although to be fair, I've also driven one manual racked car that had pretty much zero steering effort (it was not fun).

Originally Posted by coyote

I almost spat my breakfast.

I aim to please.

[subatoy]

ECU reflash = bye bye warranty
Subaru engines are built tough
An extra 30hp won't do anything to hurt
That engine.

[ichitaka05]

Kinda off topic... but o'well

IDK why but this driver


& this driver have same position. Photographer sure like to take that position

[tripjammer]

No steering is perfect..we will just have to get use to what is in the ft86. Hopefully it is as good or better to what is in the LFA.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by madfast

yes! never use someone else's tune even if they literally have the same exact mods. every car is different!

And you live in the same place. A tune that is perfectly safe for a summer in Maine might not work with the 120 degree air in Phoenix, might not work if you live at 6000 ft in the Rockies.

Originally Posted by madfast

so... if porsche can "mess up" the steering, i highly doubt toyota/subaru will nail the tuning of the EPS better than porsche.

Sure but I have my doubts that the steering feel was going to be the equal of a 911 to start with.

Doing a good job of matching a toyota or subaru steering feel is a bit different than matching Porsche, y'know?

[demby123]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

Tried to get some more detail out of those engine bay photos, and added some notes:

Attachment 2619

If it hasn't been answered, that "second air intake" is probably an intake resonator tube.

[Guff]

I am so glad i took 4 years of Spanish in High School!

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by Guff

I am so glad i took 4 years of Spanish in High School!

I took 3 years in high school, and I can't translate a damn word

[Matador]

Originally Posted by nogaroblues4

I sure wish the entire intake manifold was red and not just that dinky cover.

Take it off and paint it perhaps?

Originally Posted by madfast

the 2 types of transmissions, are they simply just saying there will be a MT and AT??? i dont get how they are implying 2 different MT ratio sets or anything like that...

Viro would have cleared this up....

Originally Posted by virobloc

Thanks Matador! Perfect transaltion.
I'll try to put some light on these sentences wich aren't very clear:

"I missed a stiffer direction" - By stiffer direction he means a wheel you need to apply more force to to make it turn. (Probably to make direction more sensitive)

"Its lightness, quick turn in (?) and the smoothness..." - Here, he refers to the speed with wich the forward wheels react to drivers input on the wheel. The lack of lag between the moment the driver turns the wheel and the car starts to turn.

"With a few quick developments (huh?), the rpm rises..." - This is a clear case of a lingustic "false friend"
In Spanish "desarrollo" means both "developement" and "gear ratio"
Therefore "con unos desarrollos muy cortos" means "with very short gear ratios"

The rest, as I said before, is perfect. I wish I could speak both languages as good as you.

Gotcha. SO I guess I as right about the steering weight and the turn in. I thought it might have been gear ratio (hence my comments in parenthesis), but I'm not 100% familiar with the terminology in castellano (Spanish spanish )... I learned spanish living in central america for a few years.

Thanks for the kind comments and You are most welcome, happy to help.

Originally Posted by madfast

so is he saying the steering feels light? EPS better not mess up the steering!

Probably wants a bit more steering weight.

Originally Posted by MF_DEUCE

Thanks for the help Matador. I was struggling with some of the words and phrases they were using.

No prob. as you can see one or two things caught me off beat as well.

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

Kinda off topic... but o'well

IDK why but this driver


& this driver have same position. Photographer sure like to take that position

Kinda freaked me out when I saw it too.