Opponauts with turbochargers: what is your setup, and how much fun is your car "around town?"

"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/31/2017 at 12:40 • Filed to: None

I’ve owned my 2009 WRX for around a month now. It has been awesome so far! The car’s handling and acceleration blow my old boats out of the water on a back road (635csi, Q45) but around town? Not really. I now understand all the hype surrounding modern turbos that shift the torque curve much lower.

The 0-40 MPH wafting champion.

With a quick naturally aspirated car, you can discretely take advantage of those little “around town” opportunities for acceleration presented by things like stop signs and red lights. Partial throttle = partial acceleration, so its easy to dip into your power reserves without attracting unwanted attention.

I have easy access to 93, so I’ll be running the “stage 1" eventually.

Conversely, the traditional setup on my WRX doesn’t hit peak torque until ~4,000 RPM, and below that? Nothing. That said, this isn’t really a complaint, its more of an observation. My goal as an auto enthusiast is to enjoy the widest variety of experiences I possibly can, and the old school boost delivery is really amusing in its own way.

So Oppo, I have a few questions for you if you drive a turbocharged car:

- What is your setup? (twin scroll, standard, big single, biturbo, etc).

- How does it drive around town? Easy access to low RPM power?

- If you reflashed it, what effect did that have on more relaxed driving?

DISCUSSION (98)

404 - User No Longer Available > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 12:51

BMW N20 2.0L. No idea what the boost is... but I’m assuming same as the other off-lease 328is, lol.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 12:55

I have a stock FoST. Medium sized turbo so it takes a bit to spool it. Nothing below 2000 rpm, then some pickup from 2-4k, but when you keep it above 4k, it freight trains forward. I don’t think being turbocharged precludes you from being able to have little bursts of fun around town.

DipodomysDeserti > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 12:55

Twin scroll turbo in my X1. Makes peak torque at about 1,250 RPM. Feels great around town. I had an Abarth whuch was super laggy and a tuned WRX. Biggest benefit of tuning was better throttle response because of the electronic throttle.

The key to having fun with old school turbos around down is to give the throttle a little blip before letting the clutch out. It reduces a bit of that lag off the line.

Noah - Now with more boost. > 404 - User No Longer Available
10/31/2017 at 12:56

Those are supposed to be a lot of fun, there are even people who buy them over the turbo 6 to make the nose lighter (for turn in)

Noah - Now with more boost. > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
10/31/2017 at 12:57

Hmm I thought the ST twins had twin scrolls, no? So a lot more responsive than a standard setup?

Noah - Now with more boost. > DipodomysDeserti
10/31/2017 at 13:00

Wow that is insanely low for peak torque. BMW really has their turbo game on point right now. Great tip re the tune, that seems to be the general consensus: yes the extra power is fun, but the improved driving experience is just as noticeable.

I will try the blip! I’m definitely still figuring this out.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:05

Fiesta ST, lower RPM power, on Mountune’s MR230 tune.

best read on it is here: http://www.evo.co.uk/ford/fiesta-st/17250/ford-fiesta-mountune-mr230-review-does-the-best-small-hot-hatch-get-even-better

Overall, it’s just my sunday driver. Kept clean and safe under a cover in my garage. I generally just take it into the country, but it has been ok around town.

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:07

The FA20DIT in my 2015 WRX uses a twin scroll turbo. I’ve kept the tune stock.

There is plenty of usable torque underneath 3k rpm, but it will lug and sometimes disappoint if you step on it and expecting it to take off (I also blame subaru’s poor throttle mapping for this).

The “fun” starts just above 3k rpm, but there is a perceptible torque dip around 5500 rpm. Highway passing is no problem in my car, even in 6th (its better to shift down of course though). Hauling ass away from stoplights is better accomplished by building the revs to around 3k before you disengage the clutch.

The motor does not have explosive power, as I understand the old EJ motor did, but you can feel the surge of power build pretty quickly from 2.5k rpm onwards, which I definitely appreciate for around town driving.

Even though my car has “just” 268 hp and “just” 258 lbs-ft of torque, its really more than enough for every day usage. I almost never get to take advantage of my car’s capabilities it, and when I do, it goes from fun to illegal almost too quickly.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:09

Kinja'd!!!

My Juke has loads low-mid power, then drops off around 5700rpm. The low end is nice around town.

fintail > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:10

E250 Bluetec, 2.1 4, twin turbo. Of course, it’s a diesel, so plenty of torque (roughly 2 torques for every hp). And of course, it’s a heavy automatic AWD sedan, so “fun” in the traditional sense wasn’t in the design requirements. Around town, I like to drive it smoothly and see how infrequently I can pass 2K rpm, which I suppose is something for a 4 cyl.

Montalvo > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:15

I love my 2012 335ix. It’s a twin scroll setup that is currently stock. I can have way too much fun in that car. The torque kicks in pretty low and holds it all the way to redline. The car’s throttle is setup for 2 different types of driving. The first bit is perfect for mom driving where you just need to cruise and be smooth. Press further and it’s like a switch gets flipped. It changes from civilized to voracious in where it will devour significant quantities of asphalt very quickly. The best part is (knocks on wood) in the couple years that I have had it I have been stopped by cops once and that was because they were pulling everyone over in a massive speed trap. It flies under the radar so well and that is really the major reason I haven’t done much with it.

BeaterGT > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:18

2005 Legacy GT with stock single turbo and a slightly lighter but still stock clutch. Easy for putting around town, need to give it the beans over 2500 in order to get some sweet boost action. Interested in what some minor mods and a tune would do but #stocklife.

DipodomysDeserti > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:21

Yeah, the twin scroll turbo makes a huge difference. I used to have a 335d which had a bi-turbo set up. The smaller turbo peaked at around 1,750 and would switch iver to the marger one at higher RPMs. 425 lb-ft on tap that early felt really nice.

Noah - Now with more boost. > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/31/2017 at 13:21

I really want to drive a FiST, they sound like a ton of fun. I bet its a beast with that tune and even better around town too.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:23

Man...I guess that’s a VF52 car? My TD04-equipped 07 made peak torque at 3500 but spooled at 2500...I had at least 3000rpm worth of powerband (2500 to 5500). Even after I put the 16G in the car I was spooling at 3000 and still hitting peak around 3500. Of course, when your car makes 400 ft-lbs of torque, you are already zipping when you start to spool. That’s also why I didn’t put an 18G or 20G in the car...though the turbo ran out of breath in first gear I could easily get on the boost on back roads without waiting to spool up.

My citroen won't start > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:23

I have the infamous 2.0TSi EA888 mated to the equally infamous wet DSG6.

The DSG helps with the lower-ish RPM and it only gets more fun from that.

But from a standstill, unless you mash the go-pedal like I usually do, it gets bogged down both from the DSG clutch and the turbo lag.

Noah - Now with more boost. > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back
10/31/2017 at 13:27

Yeah from what I’ve read, it seems like Subie’s stock tunes are generally super conservative and have weird emissions test “features” like a lazy throttle and leaned out ratios during certain RPMs.

I’m right there with you re: the 260ish horsepower, this car is 900LBS less than the Q with the same power so it does go from fun to illegal way faster than I’m used to. And whereas you have some nice torque kicking in down low, I have to beat on it a little more at higher RPMs for the same experience. Way more noticeable! Especially after an Invidia Q300 happens...

Noah - Now with more boost. > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
10/31/2017 at 13:28

Yeah I’ve heard that the small turbos are just like you described, a ton of fun around town but lame to wind out. Time for a tune! ;D

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:29

It’s fantastic with the tune. Also, since Mountune has such a close relationship with Ford, some of their tunes/mods are warranty approved.

You can order the Mr230 from the factory

The cost is high, but still worth it for the peace of mind and quality.

Noah - Now with more boost. > fintail
10/31/2017 at 13:30

Cool! We don’t see those much in the USA, that’s for sure. I bet it wafts really well. Sounds kinda fun actually, I’ve never driven a diesel.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Montalvo
10/31/2017 at 13:34

Awesome, I hoped someone with an N5X motor would respond. The low end torque sounds fun, that was definitely a characteristic of all the BMW n/a 6s I’ve driven so I’m not surprised that it carries over! And YES subtle cars are amazing. STIs are awesome but I’m really glad I don’t have the wing. Total radar gun magnet.

Noah - Now with more boost. > BeaterGT
10/31/2017 at 13:36

Supposedly even a stage 1 tune on the EJ is a revelation. I will try giving it the beans a little lower, I’m just afraid of lugging the motor since I’m not used to it yet.

Noah - Now with more boost. > DipodomysDeserti
10/31/2017 at 13:37

Yep I’ve been in a 335D, total rocket ship below 60. It was kinda alarming haha

Sovande > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:38

2008 Volvo C30 - Single turbo, medium sized (I guess? - K04) with a big intercooler, intake (stock airbox), and a 3" turbo back exhaust. 310hp and 375 lbft.

Torque peaks at about 3000 rpm and horsepower peaks at 5250 rpm. Peak boost is about 18 psi. There is no problem driving it around town since it is a manual and I can be in the powerband very easily.

It is tuned, initially it had a stage 1 tune which added something on the order of 40hp. It is now stage 3 and is about 75 hp and 135 lbft over stock. It has not impacted relaxed driving at all. If I don’t want to spool up the turbo, I just don’t goose the pedal. If I want to spin the tires through 3rd gear, I have that option as well. It is a monster from about 40 to 80.

Kinja'd!!!

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > DipodomysDeserti
10/31/2017 at 13:38

1,250 RPM? What is this, a diesel? You can barely get my car to move at 1,250 (ok you can start it at idle without throttle but you have to be really careful and it really wants to stall if you don’t give it at least a little throttle)

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:38

Unfortunately my car is only annoying if you’re driving it like a sane rational person who just wants to get to work and get home without any problems. If you beat on it and keep the revs up, the car is more than happy to oblige and burn all of your gas. I’ve often compared it to a puppy excitedly tugging at his leash, wanting to run free. “Let’s. Go. AL-READY!”

Those “features” get old really fast when you can’t predict if the car wants to jump or lug at that particular moment (always at lower, around town speeds). There definitely is a Cobb stage 1 or protune in my future for that reason alone.

BeaterGT > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:39

I’ve heard the same, a friend of mine is always trying to get me to bring it to a shop. Do you have a 5 speed? I don’t find it really “lugging” until you’re below 1600 RPM. I don’t clutch drop or anything, smooth is fast (and scares passengers less).

Arrivederci > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:40

The IS38 on my S3 makes peak torque at something like 1800rpm. You don’t have to boot it to ride that nice, fat torque curve.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Aaron M - MasoFiST
10/31/2017 at 13:40

Yeah I drove an earlier WRX, it didn’t feel fast to me but was definitely smoother/more liner in terms of the delivery perhaps due to the smaller turbo? 400LB-FT sounds wild btw! Making a little more power definitely helps haha.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:41

For more upper RMP power I need bigger turbo, the factory turbo is too small (even with a tune) to gain upper rpm power.

Noah - Now with more boost. > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/31/2017 at 13:41

Its really neat that manufacturers are starting to embrace tunes. I didn’t know you could order that from the factory.

DipodomysDeserti > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
10/31/2017 at 13:42

Little 2.0L gas engine with a twin scroll turbo. Makes 260 lb.-ft. My old 335d had a bi-turbo setup. Made 425lb-ft at around 1,750 RPM. On the other end of the spectrum I have a ‘73 Honda that makes like 10lb-ft at 10k RPM.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Sovande
10/31/2017 at 13:43

If I want to spin the tires through 3rd gear

375 tq in that little thing! Epic! C30s are so Jalop too

DipodomysDeserti > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:45

Yeah, it was pretty easy to roast the rear tires in that thing. Too bad it was extremely unreliable. I just hit 90k in my X1 one today, and it has only needed a wastegate actuator, coolant reservoir bottle, AC condenser and a thermostat.

Noah - Now with more boost. > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back
10/31/2017 at 13:45

Yeah the lugging and lurching is supposedly eliminated by the tune, Cobb stage 1 sounds sooo good. Especially the 93.

Noah - Now with more boost. > BeaterGT
10/31/2017 at 13:47

Yep I have the 5 speed and am suuuuper careful with the clutch. In first I will roll into it from 3k-5k if I want to have fun but generally just use it as a stop/start gear

Noah - Now with more boost. > Arrivederci
10/31/2017 at 13:48

I can’t believe how low they have the torque on modern I4 turbos. Someone else said they have peak below 2K as well, which blows my mind

Noah - Now with more boost. > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
10/31/2017 at 13:48

bye bye warranty and hello extra cooling parts tho!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:48

I should have put a big asterisk. in Europe you can, not in NA.

Sweet Trav > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:48

My Taurus SHO is never lacking grunt, in any gear, at any speed.

350 ft/lbs from 1500 to 525o RPM.

Sovande > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:49

Yeah, it’s fun. And the throttle is mapped pretty aggressively too. The dyno I posted is from the tuner, but it is essentially the same car (though that dyno is of a V50) with the same setup I have on my car - the only difference is the exhaust manufacturer.

Noah - Now with more boost. > DipodomysDeserti
10/31/2017 at 13:50

Whoah I would not have expected that kind of reliability out of a new BMW, thats quite impressive actually

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:51

The VF52 is definitely a bigger turbo than the TD04, yeah...that’s the difference between the 225hp WRXs and the 270hp WRXs, and unless you go older than 06 it’s essentially the only difference (engine-wise...the GR suspension is very different, but I digress). For the little time I had the car stock, the spool was basically imperceptible, just a very linear power build. After I had the exhaust put in (and a tune), though, you could feel the turbo needing to spool around 2500rpm. But for a turbo that small, just shift later! In some ways I kind of ruined the car for around-town driving when I went all-in on the bigger turbo, but it wasn’t the turbo’s fault...I blew the clutch very shortly after my last tune, and replacing it with a racing clutch and lightened flywheel made the car much harder to drive.

The good news about the VF-series turbos is that they’re a lot more resilient than the TD04s, so you probably won’t blow a turbo like I did after running for a while on Stage 2. That said...trust me, don’t upgrade the turbo on your daily driver WRX. The power isn’t worth the driveability and reliability headaches.

Noah - Now with more boost. > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/31/2017 at 13:51

ahhhh ok no wonder that was new to me, it’d be cool if ze Germans started offering that but I bet they’d never offer serious tunes, if your 335 is faster than an M3 that wouldn’t be great for sales I guess...

Textured Soy Protein > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:54

BMW 335xi with the N55 single-turbo I6. It’s the stock turbo, which is some kind of smaller, twin-scroll design. I have an upgraded intake, charge piping, FMIC and downpipe. Reflashed with MHD stage 2+. There’s not instant boost but it’s pretty easy to roll on to the throttle in a high gear and get it to accelerate. Typically an N55 tuned like this spools up around 2500 rpm.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Sweet Trav
10/31/2017 at 13:54

From... 1500!? Wild. And in a total sleeper too

BeaterGT > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:55

Same here, the Subaru 5 speed feels so fragile compared to a T-56!

Noah - Now with more boost. > Sovande
10/31/2017 at 13:56

Exhaust eh? I love the I5 Lambo sound, its such a shame that Volvo stopped making them.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Textured Soy Protein
10/31/2017 at 13:57

Like Matt Farah said in a one take recently, these are pretty much the new Supra. I bet that thing is FAST.

Sweet Trav > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 13:59

Yep. the Turbos are itty bitty, it has no turbo lag to speak of, feels more like a big block V8 than a V6. If it wasn’t a lease I’d probably do the Livernois Tune which bumps it up to 435 hp / 440 tq on 93. This car was only tuned to run on 87 lol.

Noah - Now with more boost. > BeaterGT
10/31/2017 at 13:59

Yeah from what I’ve read, it sounds like you have to be really careful once you start going over 300WHP, or you’ll need a new transmission real quick. Though I was able to put the shift knob from the ‘01 outback I learned to drive on it, which made me super happy. It had been sitting on a shelf for almost a decade waiting for that day!

Noah - Now with more boost. > Sweet Trav
10/31/2017 at 14:00

Whoah that is really strange, it runs on 87? Not that I’m an expert but I’ve never heard of a boosted motor tuned for that. You could always re flash back to stock when you visit the dealership ;)

Arrivederci > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:03

It is pretty crazy - gets the car to scoot pretty good without winding out the engine. That said, the throttle programming on the car leaves a bit to be desired. Apparently the tuners have sorted that out though.

Mr. FiSTer of Team FiST Fetish > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:04

EcoBoost Mustang - 2.3L I4 with a single twin-scroll turbo. I’m running the Ford Performance Power Pack which according to Ford gets me to 335 and 390. The pack is just a tune and an intake but, it feels way better than stock. The tune is a little annoying because the car won’t hit full boost unless you’re full throttle which feels odd coming off of my FiST.

Sovande > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:05

Yeah, its 3" stainless all the way back. Nice burble at idle, and it wails under full throttle. There isn’t too much drone either.

Textured Soy Protein > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:05

Technically he was referring to the older twin turbo N54 motor.

On the stock turbos, the N54 with bolt-ons and a tune can do about 400-425 to the wheels. N55 is more like 375. But it’s plenty fast for me, I can easily get up to stupid speeds.

Before upgrading the turbos, you can get more out of them with things like water/meth injection, ethanol maps, and upgraded fuel pumps/injectors. The N54 turbo setup has more headroom with these as well.

Once you get into bigger single turbos, upgrading the TMAP sensor to allow the ECU to read higher boost levels, and adding port injection to the stock direct injection, the gap closes, but there’s been a lot more high-hp tuning effort put into the N54.

I don’t really see myself messing with all that stuff. If anything I’ll add a GFB diverter valve but it’s a bunch of labor to get at it. I’m going to add it whenever it’s time for a new water pump since they’re in the same area.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:08

They might be twin scroll, but they’re decently large units for the engines they’re on. Both setups add a very significant bump over the NA versions. I think something like a 60% bump which is a nice add for engines at or under 2.0L.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Arrivederci
10/31/2017 at 14:11

It seems like one of the emissions test/brochure MPG figure “mods” manufacturers do these days is neutering throttle response to deter people from putting their foot in it. When you press the “eco” button on my friends’ new civic it just gives you no gas unless your foot is to the floor. Strange. Tunes are definitely supposed to sort that out.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Sovande
10/31/2017 at 14:13

This is a great one if you haven’t seen it:

Noah - Now with more boost. > Textured Soy Protein
10/31/2017 at 14:17

Ahhh ok that is good to know, I’m surprised that you have to put so much more work into the single for the same power levels, but I’m no expert that’s for sure. But yeah man I’m sure 375 is pleeentyyy fast. 265 HP crank in a 3100LB car is alarming to me at the moment so I bet that much is pretty nuts.

I would be pretty cautious about tuning an N5X too, better to have a reliable car than a broken one, especially if that’s your daily.

Decay buys too many beaters > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:18

FR-S with Garrett GTX2867R, atmospheric blow off valve, and external waste gate with dump tube (ALL THE TURBO NOISES!!!). Way more fun than any modern factory turbo (to me). Just big enough that I get to play with a little lag and hear the turbo noises, yet spools quick and doesn’t even begin to fall off up top. Boost threshold is below 3000rpm, but if you hit it before then you can damage the bottom end so I usually roll on around 3500rpm.

I’m weird though, I’m of the opinion that lag is what makes turbos fun/gives them character. If I wanted zero lag I’d just go with a larger displacement NA motor.

Noah - Now with more boost. > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
10/31/2017 at 14:18

Ah ok gotcha, that puts it into perspective. 60% is pretty wild for a small motor like that.

CobraJoe > BeaterGT
10/31/2017 at 14:19

I have an ‘05 Legacy GT with stock turbo, full exhaust, and a stage 2 tune.

Low speeds aren’t any problem (thanks to the “larger” 2.5L displacement I believe), and high speeds come on pretty quick, but I’m having trouble driving at “medium fast” speeds.

It’s laggy or otherwise sluggish below 3000rpm, and the boost hits at 3000 RPM in a single blow, which makes it difficult to drive quickly but smoothly with a manual trans. Shifting too early drops it below 3000 rpm, so you get to experience the lag and boost hit again.

I’m not sure if it’s the tuner I used that made it react like that, but honestly, I’m not a fan.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Decay buys too many beaters
10/31/2017 at 14:20

That must be SO MUCH FUN! I’m right there with you re: the character aspect of a laggy turbo, auto journalists stopped complaining about lag and admitted it was fun on older cars as soon as the newer stuff became standard.

bryan40oop > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:26

All the boost

Kinja'd!!!

Textured Soy Protein > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:26

The stock N54 turbos give more top end. They’re relatively small parallel twin turbos where each one is spun up by 3 cylinders. But working together they can flow more air than the single turbo on the N55, which is sized to spool quickly.

The stock N54 twin turbos tend to have reliability problems though. I went N55 for reliability and also because it’s in the LCI version of the car with the spiffy LED lights.

BeaterGT > CobraJoe
10/31/2017 at 14:28

Sounds like a combination between the awkward 5 speed gearing and where you’re making your power. You might have seen a few LGT guys switching to faster spooling turbos, could very well be due to what you’re describing.

Noah - Now with more boost. > bryan40oop
10/31/2017 at 14:29

mopar/cummins FTW!

Noah - Now with more boost. > Textured Soy Protein
10/31/2017 at 14:30

10/10 explanation, that makes a lot of sense now!

Decay buys too many beaters > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:30

It is! Pretty conservative right now at 7psi and 280WHP, but you’ve got to remember that is about 40hp more than a current STI in a 2700lb car. She certainly isn’t slow.

And yeah the lag adds another dimension to driving that can be a lot of fun. You no longer think of directly controlling torque with the throttle pedal, you start to think of it as driving the turbine wheel and adjust accordingly.

Actually thinking of putting a junkyard turbo setup on the Miata also :p

Noah - Now with more boost. > Decay buys too many beaters
10/31/2017 at 14:33

Actually thinking of putting a junkyard turbo setup on the Miata also :p

DO IT!

I’m just beginning to learn the whole “drive the turbo” thing, that’s an interesting way of thinking about it. Of course I’m super careful about this, but I have been getting on the throttle early at corner exit, its sooo satisfying when you get it right and hit boost exactly when you wanted to

fintail > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:39

It’s an unusual car on this side of the pond. The keys are the ~800 mile highway cruising range, and how it silently glides along like a gasoline car once at speed.

Turbo lag isn’t a huge issue either, although it isn’t the type of car that begs to be driven in a way to feel it.

Noah - Now with more boost. > fintail
10/31/2017 at 14:41

800! That’s impressive. I hope diesels get more and more popular here, especially the fast ones. Like you said, modern diesels are pretty refined.

Decay buys too many beaters > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:46

I’ve actually got everything already for it, found an old begi bolt on kit for NA Miatas, but need a manifold. The kit I found was for a 1.8 and mine is the 1.6.

Best way to learn how to drive it right is to hit a few auto-crosses, everything is so hectic and quick you’ll have to get it right or probably spin out (at least on a RWD platforms), but at least it’s in a controlled environment.

Sovande > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 14:55

Mine doesn’t sound quite that good. That sounds almost straight piped. I want to swap out my muffler for a Borla which is a bit meaner sounding than the Elevate I have now. It will cost, however, so it will have to wait.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Decay buys too many beaters
10/31/2017 at 14:58

a kit? score. I’m sure you’ve looked but $400ish for a flyin miata mani isn’t bad!

Decay buys too many beaters > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 15:00

Yeah, but this is an old school variable vane turbo with a real funny turbo flange, probably going to have to buy a custom one or learn to weld and do it myself (leaning toward this, learning a new skill is always good)

TysMagic > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 15:01

Stock Abarth single turbo, 130 hp to 160 hp in sport mode. My turbo is tiny, so is the car.

It has massive lag and around town means higher revs for funner times.
Highly recommended mod is a stronger spring in the diverter valve (kind of like a BOV) which results in holding boost between shifts versus stock drops all boost between shifts.

CobraJoe > BeaterGT
10/31/2017 at 15:41

It does make me wonder if an automatic would have been a better match, or at least some taller gears than the 4.11 final drive gears would be a better match for the torque.

Either way, I’m probably not going to do anything unless it’s a quick tune adjustment (maybe I should just email my tuner and ask if it could be tweaked).

Overall, I’m finding that the AWD boxer turbo life just isn’t that fun for me. I miss having a V8 and RWD.

BeaterGT > CobraJoe
10/31/2017 at 15:47

Doesn’t hurt to ask!

It’s not as fun as it once was for me either, but the Vette isn’t nearly as practical so I’ll be holding onto both for a little while. Not sure what V8 you had before but there’s still plenty out there for cheap!

Noah - Now with more boost. > TysMagic
10/31/2017 at 15:59

huh I’ve never heard of the diverter valve spring thing, that is an interesting mod. but yeah someone else with an abarth said that theirs was pretty laggy too. I’m into that sound though!

Vicente Esteve > Textured Soy Protein
10/31/2017 at 16:12

How has the N55 been, reliability wise?

CobraJoe > BeaterGT
10/31/2017 at 16:13

I’ve had several different Fords with 5.0s or 4.6s, even the non-HO 5.0s were showed more immediate response than the turbo 2.5L (Granted, they were far less powerful). But that instant response plus RWD meant I could kick out the rear end in a corner with just a prod of the foot. The LGT really doesn’t want to rotate, and I have to keep my foot in it to get to full power.

I got the car because I thought I needed 4 doors after kid #2 was born, but the kids are both old enough to climb in by themselves now, so I’m curious if a Mustang would be able to occasionally carry them again...

Textured Soy Protein > Vicente Esteve
10/31/2017 at 16:20

I’m a bad person to ask since I killed my original motor by hydrolocking it in a flash flood. I had it replaced with a BMW remanufactured long block, but the original high pressure fuel pump along with some other accessories were transferred over, and the HPFP started dying a couple months later.

But other than that...

DipodomysDeserti > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 16:24

Yeah, I’ve been impressed with it. I have 10k left on the warranty and am debating keeping it post warranty.

BeaterGT > CobraJoe
10/31/2017 at 16:50

Ah, the ol kid predicament. If I were you, I’d get a 1st gen CTS-V.

rillweid - Now with more TRD and less TDI > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 16:53

I used to have a MkVI Golf diesel. Due to diesel torque and tiny turbo, it was the fastest car in the world from 0-25. After that, nothing.

CobraJoe > BeaterGT
10/31/2017 at 17:01

Absolutely a good choice, my friend has one. His is old enough to start requiring some expensive maintenance though ($600 rear shocks for example). A GTO sounds like a fun choice too, with a much more functional back seat than a Mustang.

If I absolutely need 4 doors, the V would be high on the list, but I’d have to give a Marauder a try first.

BeaterGT > CobraJoe
10/31/2017 at 17:03

Oppo needs a Marauder.

AM3R, lost another burner > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 17:07

Stock twin turbos on my 335i. Feels great around town, no discernible turbo lag. If I step on it at 3k, the car just flies. Very fun around town haha.

bryan40oop > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 19:26

Merrican engine, mexican truck, financed by the italians. A beautiful mess.

Noah - Now with more boost. > rillweid - Now with more TRD and less TDI
10/31/2017 at 20:19

The 335d I rode in was similar. Extremely fast, alarming even, but only below 60MPH

Noah - Now with more boost. > AM3R, lost another burner
10/31/2017 at 20:20

Yep that seems to be the consensus for the N5X motors! I’m a little jealous...

fintail > Noah - Now with more boost.
10/31/2017 at 21:12

After VW and Dieselgate, I am not too hopeful, at least in the short term. MB has zero diesel offerings in NA for the 2o17 model year, and I think the same for 2018.

The refinement at speed is fine, nobody seems to know it is a diesel, and I like the low speed purr.

Noah - Now with more boost. > fintail
10/31/2017 at 22:44

Sadly I think you’re right about dieselgate.

TysMagic > Noah - Now with more boost.
11/01/2017 at 08:47

The noise is the best, puts a smile on my face daily.

That’s my basic understanding of the diverter valve. I think what intrigues me more is the strange number of cars the aftermarket piece fits, from BMW to Dodge.

http://www.gfb.com.au/products/blow-off-and-diverter-valves/dv-plus/dv-t9356-suits-dodge-dart-bmw-f30-335i-f20-f21-m135i-fiat-abarth-detail

Vicente Esteve > Textured Soy Protein
11/01/2017 at 15:29

I appreciate the input but yeah, that isn’t what I’d call the usual N55 experience.

rillweid - Now with more TRD and less TDI > Noah - Now with more boost.
11/01/2017 at 16:02

Yeah in my experience it is quite fun and keeps you at a safe operating speed.