Have you ever Asked Yourself?

[subwaynm]

I've only driven this little Gem of a Car now for two weeks but I've read a bunch about how it lacks power... Well today I was driving around town like city driving and happen to come to me that I was going through the first four gears and wasn't much over 40mph???? The question came to me that just maybe it's geared to close in ratio??
Even if one through first four were close and five & six were for highway gears or just six even maybe the car would have more to offer on the toped.

This was the same problem with the VW Beetle until they came out with the Super Beetle that came out with another Ring/Pinon gear along with a different final drive gear.

Just wondering if anyone else has had these same thoughts and what your actual thoughts are on this topic?

Thanks for sharing your opinions

[ih8rain]

So..... you accelerate like a grandma? :-) Okay j/k, but maybe you're being a little too conservative. Let me reset the picture you painted. Rev up to 7k and drop the clutch. Wheee! Hit 10MPH (time to shift) how long does that take? Hit 20MPH (time to shift) must take just as long? Hit 30MPH (time to shift) Hit 40MPH (time to shift). At this point, either you're bogged down in 4th trying to merge onto the highway or your doing doughnuts in a parking lot. I can't say I've checked exactly, but I guess I can get to 40MPH in second without hitting the rev limiter. Two weeks into the break in you are probably keeping it under 4k, so you may be right under that constraint.

[pcporo]

yea you can hit right about 58 mph in second right before you have to shift

[R.S-HawK]

The car works pretty well from 0-70mph, then again, I drive an automatic, so shifting through the first three sets is effortless.

Upwards of that, toque is non-existent. I can cook myself breakfast while getting the car from 70-100mph. It's frustrating when your main transportation routes are highways, but I still love it when I get the car into the some back roads on the weekends and keep the revs in the upper range.

[Luis_GT]

Shift points seem similar to a 2011 M3 to me... except for the 850 RPM difference on the top end...

[subwaynm]

Originally Posted by ih8rain

So..... you accelerate like a grandma? :-) Okay j/k, but maybe you're being a little too conservative. Let me reset the picture you painted. Rev up to 7k and drop the clutch. Wheee! Hit 10MPH (time to shift) how long does that take? Hit 20MPH (time to shift) must take just as long? Hit 30MPH (time to shift) Hit 40MPH (time to shift). At this point, either you're bogged down in 4th trying to merge onto the highway or your doing doughnuts in a parking lot. I can't say I've checked exactly, but I guess I can get to 40MPH in second without hitting the rev limiter. Two weeks into the break in you are probably keeping it under 4k, so you may be right under that constraint.

My car is only two weeks old 375mi; so I'm not trying to hit 7,000 rpm, and even after break in I'd rather not run it that hard if I had a choice. Just my driving style I would guess.

After reading through these post I guess I do drive a little on the conservative side. Well will see after break in and t hen push it. For now I keep it around 3500RPM for shifting. :-)

[subwaynm]

Originally Posted by pcporo

yea you can hit right about 58 mph in second right before you have to shift

Hey were you up for the FT86NM group meet this past Saturday?

[ZionsWrath]

You hit it right on the head, if you want to accelerate faster with the stock car otherwise, get a final drive. There are several options for that already. Personally I think stock MT ratios are fine on the street, haven't drive the auto.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by subwaynm

I've only driven this little Gem of a Car now for two weeks but I've read a bunch about how it lacks power... Well today I was driving around town like city driving and happen to come to me that I was going through the first four gears and wasn't much over 40mph???? ..........
Thanks for sharing your opinions

How ya do-en, subwaynm ......

Sounds like you're easing through the break-in period .... and that's OK.

I think you'll find, that after the engine gets limbered up and you feel comfortable in running up to 6,000 + rpms, the gears "spread out"......

In fact 4th gear in the MT, will take all the way up to 100 mph.

Yep, it took me a while to get comfortable with an engine spinning at 7,000+ rpms ...... since where I "came from", 3,500 rpms was ...... "screaming".

I think, after break in, you will find your comfort shift point around 6,000 rpms .... and it appears the little engine likes to run at that pace ....

humfrz

[mrlewistan]

i want more power for the highway. It feels under par on strait interstates where all cars are going around 80mph. It drives just fine in the city tho. Very comfortable

[OICU812]

If you expected more power you bought wrong car. If you want more and love the car there are plenty of options for super chargers and turbos. This kind of conversation has been beat to death here, literally lol.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by mrlewistan

i want more power for the highway. It feels under par on strait interstates where all cars are going around 80mph. It drives just fine in the city tho. Very comfortable

How does it feel under powered cruising? Doesn't make sense to me if it feels good in the city where acceleration is used much more. I have no problem passing when needed and the car is very willing up to 110-120 if you downshift...

[Tgionet]

Keep it above 5k and you'll be much happier

[Demandred7]

Power is relative. I have driven more powerful cars, but, all of them have been heavy. So, performance wise this car has been the most capable car that I have owned.