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Originally Posted by NO_H2O
How often do you drive at RPM's above 5,250?
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As you probably remember, we cut off my stock 1600 T1 on Dyno Day at 5,000. Not having a tach (no new gauges 'til last), I would guess by sound I have taken it to 5,000 maybe three to five times at most.
My Super shares daily driving duties with an '02 Cabrio. It redlines at 6,200 and I did that exactly once. 5,250? Maybe five, seven times. I don't drive my wife's '02 Golf TDI that often but I guarantee I haven't pushed it above 5,000 more than twice.
When my wife and I were first married, she owned an RX-7. I understand it is a different animal being a rotary, but I did not like its power curve. Don't get me wrong, it was fun to drive and totally defied its reputation as being an oil-burning unreliable powerplant.
Driving the rotary Mazda was a bit of an adventure in the sense it did not have the suddenness I wanted if I wanted to make a break for it. Once it revved, I was fine. There was indeed a certain thrill to shift at high RPM's. Nevertheless, it forced me to anticipate extra early or to come from behind in a pinch.
The only time I want to "punch it" from a standstill, is when I need to be in another lane in a short amount of time. Having a high revver would be nice to get ahead of "the competition" but in reality if I'm against my match, I just slip into second place for the lane change.
My desire for "instant grab" at more moderate RPM's are due to the two most common situations I am in where I live. If I am on the winding roads that are common in the suburbs (not residential streets), I like to test the car's and my limits. Even with my venerable two-point-slow and my Super, I have embarrassed many cars who cannot take the curves as well as me and many drivers who have to get revving to play catch-up. By that time I have encountered another curve and creating even more space between me and Mr. Frustrated.
The other situation is on interstates and other major arteries of speed limits of 45 and higher. In this situation, I am typically surrounded by an assortment of goofballs with differing and conflicting agendas. Here, I like to create some distance between me and the agitated pack. Again, my stock Cabrio does the trick because it gives me an instant burst. My wife's TDI actually quite amazing and will leave a similar Golf with a 1.8T behind because I don't even need to downshift. It's grab and go.
Naturally, the TDI's advantage over a 1.8T or a Japanese high revver is short-lived. It does give me the lead, though, and it's not even chipped or anything. If I have open road ahead of me, the Cabrio and TDI will do 90 MPH without complaint and will do 110 or more for sustained amount of time if I need to prove a point. (I'll be the first to admit when that situation occurs, I'd be adlibbing to come up with what point I am exactly proving.)
Meanwhile back at the Super, I want to be able to "punch it" while already rolling regardless if it is coming out of a curve, getting out of congestion, or put some distance between me and some nitwit. I want to be able to do 90 without complaint, and have 105-110 quite attainable.
Top speed? I only ever had one car I pushed to its very top speed. I had a '69 Mustang with a modest 302 (to keep my teenage insurance rates equally modest) on a Sunday night during the oil embargo of the early '70's that I had wound up to 120 MPH on I-695. I was literally the only sole on the road.
So, top speed for my 1302 is unimportant as long as it meets the other criteria.
(BTW, my personal top speed is 135 MPH but the Torino I was in had a fraction more left in it. The Grand Prix I was against was still pulling away, too. Ah, to be young and stupid again ...)
Top quarter mile time? Unimportant. I am quite certain if the above criteria is met, I will do just fine. I may not win but I will still do just fine.