290 BHP seemed slower than it should - why?

Mike9832

grogi wrote: »

The figure of maximal torque is completely irrelevant when it comes to acceleration.

What matters is power

Thank you

dazed+confused

drunkmonkey wrote:

Yea but he'll never pull in an i3.

Yeah but he's someone that hangs around on internet forums so it's very doubtful that he'll pull anyway!

Zak Flaps

Just don't want my recent post to get lost so re-posting....

OP here. Thanks all for your input.

What I'm after is a vehicle with low end torque. Something that you can give a little throttle at 1500 rpm and really feel it. I want to have fun, but within the speed limit !! It's mostly city driving I do.
Regarding the Cupra I mentioned at the beginning, I probably didn't rev it high enough to feel that power lots of you referred to here.
But I have no interest in going near 8000 RPM.

So any suggestions would be very welcome and appreciated. Petrol or Hybrid.

colm_mcm

BMW i3

Zak Flaps

colm_mcm wrote: »

BMW i3

Apart from the BMW i3 !!

unkel

Zak Flaps wrote: »

So any suggestions would be very welcome and appreciated. Petrol or Hybrid.

You're excluding EVs? Any reason for that? Have you ever driven one? With the way you describe what you like in a car, you might take to them.

Zak Flaps

unkel wrote: »

You're excluding EVs? Any reason for that? Have you ever driven one? With the way you describe what you like in a car, you might take to them.

I've never driven one. I don't know too much about them. It's in my head that the charging aspect might be a pain in the ass. If going on a long journey, having to possibly pull over to charge seems inconvenient.
I know the EV cars are getting better, but i think for now petrol or hybrid might be the easier route for me.

bazz26

MINI JCW?



https://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=2287201&r=s.php%3Fm%3D57%26o%3D2482%26pp%3D50%26g%3D0

colm_mcm

The JCW will be the same craic as the Cupra though?

bazz26

It weighs a good bit less and handles like a gocart so the experience maybe different and more like what the OP is after.

unkel

Zak Flaps wrote: »

I've never driven one. I don't know too much about them.

Go test drive one. It's free

My apologies, I'm not trying to be pushy on the EV thing here. I just get the impression that you might really like them. I'll shut up about it now!

grogi

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Just don't want my recent post to get lost so re-posting....

OP here. Thanks all for your input.

What I'm after is a vehicle with low end torque. Something that you can give a little throttle at 1500 rpm and really feel it. I want to have fun, but within the speed limit !! It's mostly city driving I do.

You won't get a petrol with plenty of power at 1500rpms.

Mike9832

grogi wrote: »

You won't get a petrol with plenty of power at 1500rpms.

1.5TSI engines peak torque at 1500rpms,

https://m.carsireland.ie/2194075

Some BMW twin turbo petrols make peak torque at 1200rpm

https://www.dreyerreinboldbmwsouth.com/bmw-twinpower-turbo-petrol-engines.htm

colm_mcm

bazz26 wrote: »

It weighs a good bit less and handles like a gocart so the experience maybe different and more like what the OP is after.

It’s only 100kg less.

grogi

Mike9832 wrote: »

1.5TSI engines peak torque at 1500rpms,

https://m.carsireland.ie/2194075

Some BMW twin turbo petrols make peak torque at 1200rpm

https://www.dreyerreinboldbmwsouth.com/bmw-twinpower-turbo-petrol-engines.htm

Do you really think that 1.5 TSI will be better than 2.0 TSI?!

TheAnalyst_

You could change gears. Handy for exploiting power.

Dravokivich

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Just don't want my recent post to get lost so re-posting....

OP here. Thanks all for your input.

What I'm after is a vehicle with low end torque. Something that you can give a little throttle at 1500 rpm and really feel it. I want to have fun, but within the speed limit !! It's mostly city driving I do.
Regarding the Cupra I mentioned at the beginning, I probably didn't rev it high enough to feel that power lots of you referred to here.
But I have no interest in going near 8000 RPM.

So any suggestions would be very welcome and appreciated. Petrol or Hybrid.

Why are you so set on 1500 rpm?

You want to feel you are driving with excited power in a petrol keep the gears low and rev high. You'll be plenty legal with the speed limit.

tuxy

Dravokivich wrote: »

Why are you so set on 1500 rpm?

You want to feel you are driving with excited power in a petrol keep the gears low and rev high. You'll be plenty legal with the speed limit.

Maybe he doesn't like petrol engines.

Wailin

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Just don't want my recent post to get lost so re-posting....

OP here. Thanks all for your input.

What I'm after is a vehicle with low end torque. Something that you can give a little throttle at 1500 rpm and really feel it. I want to have fun, but within the speed limit !! It's mostly city driving I do.
Regarding the Cupra I mentioned at the beginning, I probably didn't rev it high enough to feel that power lots of you referred to here.
But I have no interest in going near 8000 RPM.

So any suggestions would be very welcome and appreciated. Petrol or Hybrid.

https://m.carzone.ie/used-cars/BMW/1-Series-M-135i-SHADOW-LINE---326BHP---STUNNING-CAR---TAILO/201907250437423

325bhp and 450Nm of torque from 1300rpm.

shanec1928

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Just don't want my recent post to get lost so re-posting....

OP here. Thanks all for your input.

What I'm after is a vehicle with low end torque. Something that you can give a little throttle at 1500 rpm and really feel it. I want to have fun, but within the speed limit !! It's mostly city driving I do.
Regarding the Cupra I mentioned at the beginning, I probably didn't rev it high enough to feel that power lots of you referred to here.
But I have no interest in going near 8000 RPM.

So any suggestions would be very welcome and appreciated. Petrol or Hybrid.

so what mode was the cupra in? If it wasn’t in cupra or sport mode would you not go back and try it in that like others have said there should be a big difference.

Mike9832

Dravokivich wrote: »

Why are you so set on 1500 rpm?

You want to feel you are driving with excited power in a petrol keep the gears low and rev high. You'll be plenty legal with the speed limit.

OP doesn't like to push the car, no noise, ride the torque

Mike9832

grogi wrote: »

Do you really think that 1.5 TSI will be better than 2.0 TSI?!

Of course not

Would love that 2.0Tsi Cupra

Zak Flaps

Is it possible that the BMW felt better because it's rear wheel drive?

grogi

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Is it possible that the BMW felt better because it's rear wheel drive?

RWD have different driving dynamics - but it is more visible during cornering. At a straight line in cars with <300 bhp there will be no difference really.

H3llR4iser

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Is it possible that the BMW felt better because it's rear wheel drive?

Without going too technical which is kinda useless to answer your query, it "felt" better because it's a turbodiesel and gives a big wollop of push right off the bat - and that "feels" faster to most people. I've heard this argument countless times by people used to drive diesel cars - they "hate" petrol ones because they are "slow".


Expectation plays a role as well - get somebody else to drive your car, sit in the passenger seat and ask them to floor it - you'll be wondering why the car is suddenly so fast, it doesn't feel like it when you're driving it. Your brain, basically, adapted to expect a specific level of acceleration when a specific throttle input is given. Jump on a car with a different response and it'll feel irrationally different - a car with twice the horsepower might feel slower and one with half if might feel faster, depending if they have a big "ooomph" where you expect it or not.

H3llR4iser

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Without going too technical which is kinda useless to answer your query, it "felt" better because it's a turbodiesel and gives a big wollop of push right off the bat - and that "feels" faster to most people. I've heard this argument countless times by people used to drive diesel cars - they "hate" petrol ones because they are "slow".

.

Diesel torque or not there is no way a 180bhp diesel feels faster than a 290bhp cupra. The cupra will give a far far bigger wallop and not very much higher if at all in rev range than the BMW.

I have a 150bhp diesel and a 200bhp turbo petrol and the petrol car feels way faster at all times, throws you into the seat far more than the diesel even at low revs and pulls way harder. That’s only 50bhp if a gap the op is talking 110 of a gap.

Zak Flaps

Merrick Tinkling Coat wrote: »

Diesel torque or not there is no way a 180bhp diesel feels faster than a 290bhp cupra. The cupra will give a far far bigger wallop and not very much higher if at all in rev range than the BMW.

I have a 150bhp diesel and a 200bhp turbo petrol and the petrol car feels way faster at all times, throws you into the seat far more than the diesel even at low revs and pulls way harder. That’s only 50bhp if a gap the op is talking 110 of a gap.

The diesel does feel faster. I was there. You weren't. Case closed.

Zak Flaps

Hi Mod. You can close this thread now.
Thanks all for your input.

unkel

Merrick Tinkling Coat wrote: »

Diesel torque or not there is no way a 180bhp diesel feels faster than a 290bhp cupra.

It does when you don't let the engine go over 1500 rpm :pac:

unkel

unkel wrote: »

It does when you don't let the engine go over 1500 rpm :pac:

You would be doing very well to have the petrol under 1500 as I said Id be close to 2k revs from a very normal start off pulling out of any junction.

Only time I’d be below 1500 would be doing about 70kmh I’m 6th gear.