The Laws of Physics apply here too. The Type 4 engine really felt the increase in stroke, it showed up in the car reviews of the day "the new 2.0 litre engine from Volkswagen really feels the lomp of those big pistons" South Africa's Car Review Magazine 1978, and was evident in the fact that VW made the decision to throw the earlier Porsche style high rpm horsepower for a lower rpm flatter torque curve. Even a beautifully balanced 2.0 cannot match the gorgeous high rpm possibilities with the 66mm 1700. I would like to compare the earlier Porsche 914 1.7 to the Porsche 914 2.0 as well. The earlier Porsche 914 1.7 achieved maximum horsepower at 4,900 rpm and had a 5,900 rpm redline. Most European manufacturers followed this recipe. BMW had a silky smooth 3.0 (maximum torque at 4,000 rpm, horsepower at 6,000 rpm) that I absolutely adored, but they just had to go the displacement route and wrecked the intrinsic balance between the crankshaft counterweights and the earlier smaller pistons. The 3.3 engines never felt as smooth. Then they dropped the torque peak to 2,700, and a redline that dropped almost a thousand rpm with the eta engines. Apparently Americans wanted off-the-line power and to hell with the Autobahn highway speeds. Made sense, but I miss the old built for rpm philosophy.Bleyseng wrote: Yes, I use the 75 mph as the cruiseallday mark too as the engine seems to like it the best, although Monique seems to think 80-85 mph is.
I go by feel and sense the engine seems to be pushing it when at 80-85mph as gas mileage drops off but there is no difference in oil and CHT temps.
No car. No car cruises at redline.Bleyseng wrote: Also, most cars can't cruise at their redline as its just the max rpms not the maximum cruising speed.
Sure, any bus around will bang the 5,400 rpm rev limiter in 1st gear. On the level, any properly tuned bus can, again, easily find the redline in 3rd gear (that would be 60 mph for the Road Warrior). 4th gear we all find the drag meets horsepower, and that is as variable as the wind and the gradient. With a Raby engine, I would not even think of hammering that engine at 85 mph all day because you are basically asking a piece of art to kill itself pushing wind, what the hell fun is that? I would save that engine's performance for the lower gears where you can hear the music and feel the punch. 75 is a nice clip, 80 downhill occasionally to clear traffic, driving anything harder than that in a VW bus seems to me to be dick-sizing aggressive competitiveness where the driver is no longer enjoying the car, but serving ego needs.Bleyseng wrote: My westy can rev to 5500 rpms without any problem but I certainly wouldn't cruise there.
The flip side is my 914 which can and has cruised at 115 mph (advertised max speed) for extended periods without any problem and still got 30 mpg.
So yes, aerodynamics does play a role in the max speed which the car can be driven for extended periods of time.
Colin
(you are not telling me that the Porsche got 30 mpg @ 115 mph, rather it gets 30 mpg overall, no?)
