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Old 01-24-2017, 06:29 PM   #20
blee
Doctor Mudgeon
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,433
Quote:
Originally Posted by JST View Post
Even years ago when I drove blee's car the engine was the weak link by modern standards; compared to then-contemporary cars like the E36 M3 it felt really peaky and low on torque.

I'm not knocking the experience. It's a hell of a lot of fun. But compared to modern engines (esp with turbos and VANOS), it's going to feel like a lot of work for (relatively) little thrust.
Yeah. That was true in the '80s and it's more true today. IIRC, the S14 had more *peak* HP and torque than any other E30 offering in the US, but you wouldn't know it at low RPM. It was peaky and you had to get it past 4000 to really get going. People have conjectured that the driving experience is what led to sluggish sales. Some of those cars sat on lots for months...I can't even begin to imagine.

The first time I drove one, I had had my E36 for a while, and I was pretty bored as we made our way out of the neighborhood. It wasn't until I could unwind the engine that I understood why the car was so awesome. Track and autocross drivers talk about "momentum driving" with that car because it won't win many drag races, but it's a joy at the limits.
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