₦airaland Forum

10th Place: Volkswagen Golf GTI
Saving the Best (Pocket Rocket) for Last
By: Ron Kiino

Let's start by answering the first question on your mind: Why didn't we include the 290-hp, all-wheel-drive, 4.9-seconds-to-60 Golf R? Trust us, we begged and pleaded with the powers that be at VW, but, alas, they couldn't get us one in time. (The R doesn't go on sale until the first quarter of 2015.) We were left with the next best thing: the 220-hp, front-drive, 5.9-seconds-to-60 Golf GTI. Not a shabby consolation prize, especially considering it was hot off the heels of winning our most recent performance-compact shootout. But around such legendary nameplates as STI, GT-R, 911, and Z/28, the latest iteration of the original pocket-rocket could muster only last place.
It's important to keep proper perspective here. Dead last here simply equates to the 10th most remarkable performance machine, which is to say a damn fine driver's car. No doubt, this new Mk VII is the best GTI ever, and the following objective stats back up that claim: 0.92g lateral acceleration, 25.4-second figure eight, and 103 feet from 60 to 0.

To boot, Motor Trend pro racer Randy Pobst admired its capabilities at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, though he noted it's still some percentage points shy of being a true track tool. "The Mk VII engine is a clear step forward -- smoother, with better high-rev breathing. The chassis has been improved, now happy at about 90 percent of race pace, where it used to be 80. It's better than the Mk VI in just about every measurable way. The steering in the VW is really good. I like the feel. I like the weight of it. It's just enough heft and real communicative. And I did not get any brake fade, which I recall was pretty common in the GTI before. Another thing I noticed was on power the car's understeer is minimal for a front-wheel-drive car. Where the GTI suffers on track is from a lack of front-strut travel, exacerbated by a rather comfort-oriented soft suspension setup." Similar to the demanding twists and turns of MRLS, on our closed section of squiggly California Route 198 awesomeness, that softer suspension had its pros and cons. Per tech editor Frank Markus, "Compared with the Fiesta, this is a relaxed-fit driver's car. The suspension is WAY more compliant; much more of a GT hot hatch. But the big bumps near the top sent this baby pogo-ing badly at 92 mph -- just way more body motion than anything else I've driven here yet." Lago echoed those thoughts: "The GTI maintained impressive speed on 198 and behaved nicely mid-corner. Steering felt accurate, and I quite enjoyed hustling it up the road. I didn't run into much obvious stability control intervention. I was disappointed in how soft it was over the 'yumps,' but appreciated that ride quality on the drive back to Los Angeles. This is an excellent, grown-up daily driver. I keep calling it a front-drive grand tourer, if such a thing could exist."
Our $31,410 dual-clutch GTI SE, whose only option was the $1495 Performance Pack (10 extra hp, larger brakes, and a limited slip), represented strong value, trailing only the $24,985 Fiesta ST in this year's steal department. Regardless of price, the Ford, much more so than the VW, proved to epitomize the cliché: Drive it like you stole it.
Facial Analysis
"Randy is so calm while driving it, suggesting that it's easy to drive. He's visibly pleased when he realizes he likes the GTI; upset when debating its cons on the track."

Shields Up
We take many precautions during BDC. We hire California Highway Patrol officers to shut down Highway 198 during our road looping, and order EMTs for our days at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Before we even leave our garage, we try to make sure every car is protected as well. We ask each manufacturer to supply a clear plastic protector for the vehicles they send, to guard against stone chips and road debris. If they can't, we supply it for them, with help from our friends at Southern California-based Service Group Distribution, distributors of Nano-Fusion Paint Protection Film. It's not easy getting this stuff on—even an expert technician needs up to two hours to wrap a hood, fender, and bumper package—but it's worth it. Our visuals crew loved that the clear bras did not alter the paint color of the vehicles and made cleaning up road grime and bug splatters a breeze. For added protection, we asked Service Group Distribution (www.servicegroupdist.com) to apply a similar film to the windshields of our contenders to guard against stones kicked up during the shooting of our notorious "World's Greatest Drag Race." The end result? Not one cracked windshield or sandblasted bumper.

2014 Motor Trend's Best Driver's Car
It was the best of times, it was the worst … Oh, who am I kidding? Best Driver's Car is always the best of times. It's that special time of year when we gather all of the hottest, best-handling, performance-first new vehicles on sale in the USA and do impossibly cool things with them. Like having our pals at the California Highway Patrol shut down a 4-mile stretch of one of the Golden State's great roads as we run up and down it. We also invade Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca -- this year for three days with 62 people! -- where pro shoe Randy Pobst whips all the contenders around the 2.2-mile track. Finally, we line 'em all up and drag race 'em because -- to quote Angus MacKenzie -- we can.
To wit, and in alphabetical order, here's this year's cohort: Alfa Romeo 4C, BMW i8, BMW M4, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Ford Fiesta ST, Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, Nissan GT-R Nismo, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Subaru STI, and Volkswagen GTI. Something for everyone in every possible configuration, no? And for every budget¬ -- $25K up to $190K. How can a hopped-up, tuner-friendly hatchback like the Fiesta ST compete with a plug-in hybrid supercar like the i8? Quite easily, as it turns out. Because Best Driver's Car isn't simply about numbers. If it were, we'd bring in a $1,000,000 ringer like the Porsche 918 Spyder and call it a day Instead, Best Driver's Car is, and always has been, all about determining which new car is the best to drive on both a canyon road and a racetrack. Sadly, older cars are ineligible; otherwise the first-gen Mazda Miata would have embarrassed quite a few of the newbies.

Now, your particular favorite sports car probably isn't in this test. Why not? First of all, we limit each year's BDC to performance machines that are either new or significantly updated for 2014. The cars also have to be available, either currently on sale or in a manufacturer's fleet. That's why there's no 2015 Mustang, Corvette Z06, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, or Porsche GT3. Worst of all, sometimes we ask and the carmakers say no. We want a Ferrari 458 Speciale to compete more than you do. But even with a few absentees, this year's event was Christmas in July. Any guesses as to the winner? Keep reading. -- Jonny Lieberman

lezz:
the Nissan GTR is a middle class super car that has great acceleration(could actually embarrass some ferraris on a straight line) but has mediocre performance in cornering and handling. Also engine recovery isnt top notch. Overall top speed isnt yet at the top class. My opinion.

Ok! i now get you as in not so good in handling and stamina as the then world best production car..Now let see wht the Corvette Z06 has to offer as a product from GM. I have not always been so keen about Nissan product, be it a super car or family sedan, suv's or otherwise. Sometimes wonders happen on wheels from the least expected manufacturers. For instance, you can imagine Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, that heavy box beating the likes of Alfa Romeo 4C, BMW i8, BMW M4, Ford Fiesta ST, Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, Nissan GT-R Nismo, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Subaru STI, and Volkswagen GTI. , ....and making it to no 1 on the list as the world best drivers car. It looks like the Americans are taking over this biz from the Germans.
I should like to open a thread on that pretty soon. So here is it:" https://www.nairaland.com/1937333/best-drivers-car-year#26941243"

lezz:
Impressive specs. But i sincerely hope it wont be like the nissan gtr which was all alleleration but no spirit or real speed.

Pls tell me something about the Nissan GTR. Can you throw more light on this?

@Yungbos, the shudder you got was as a result of differential in the exhaust and oxygen sensors , as well as the manifold system , else you wouldn't have wanted to remove the 325i ecu from that car again.Your oxygen sensors were not actually relating properly with the ecu, little things like this should be taken into consideration when doing modifications else u'll be disappointed. You see, just like someone said , this things can be very discouraging if you dont do them right, here i mean compatibility. If you swapped 320 ecu wt that of 325, you need to do the corresponding things to the inlet and outlet emission systems too if you should have it right, internal components of the engine not withstanding. You need to obey the automobile laws , the essence of the basics tips up there.When i modified my w201 mercedes about some 7 years ago, i made sure that i did not only have the corresponding exhaust systems but lighter nexus stainless one too, with the systems of couplers that were installed under my headers to boost smooth performances too with a new ECU. I went a step further to reinforce my suspension system by buying set of performance springs(tough rigid struts), though that was not very necessary with Mercedes Benz.

Simple things like ecu flashing can add little horses to your car , you could even buy performance ecu(though you have to look out for fake ones too) to boost your car a little further as well. Coming to your action , if you had installed the exhaust system for e325i or performance exhaust systems and the corresponding oxygen sensors to take care of the fuel air regulation for the inlet and the outlet emssions system compatibility, you wouldnt have had the shuddering and so on, except something went wrong with the car

The bottomline is that sometimes you've got to experiment on things as your mind direct you , but keep to the laws governing specific sciences, forget about the forum and the internet. I knew about compatibilty stuffs in the days i use to swap RAMs and CPUs in the computer systems for maximum power gains, because i use to swap a lot.

Ikenna351:
I am not surprised at most of the comments from some posters in this thread. Conformity. Doing or saying something because every other perwon is doing or saying it, without knowing why or what you are even saying. Because, as far as Car Talk is concerned, everyone must be right. Smh!

Sometime in 2012. I received a mail from a guy in USA. said I was referred to him by some group of people over there. He needed me to help him purchase some car parts to boost his Peugeot 505 V6 power American spec. He needed me to help him buy the injection ECU and ignition ECU of Some Euro spec 505 V6 tuned aggressively, unlike the American spec 505 V6 with less power. He lived in Europe before where he used 505 V6 with the aggressive power before he relocated to US. He got to US, bought another 505 V6, this time, an American spec, unfortunately with less power.

Most Euro spec 505 V6 have 170 hp, while all 505 V6 sold in USA & Canada had 145 hp. The same engine, ZN3J. The only difference is this. The injection ECU & ignition ECU in the 170 hp and 145 hp 505 V6 differ. The injection ECU of 170 hp part number is Bosch 0 280 001 507 (Jetronic), while the 145 hp is Bosch Bosch 0 280 001 506 (Jetronic). Then, the 170 hp ignition ECU part is Bosch 0 227 400 121, while the 145 hp is Bosch 0 227 400 120. Of course, mine have the 170 hp ECUs. Note the difference on the last 3 figures: 506 vs 507 and 120 vs 121. Aside the last 3 figures in each part numbers, the rest of the figures are the same.

He got the ECUs, swapped.. the engine became more responsive at every touch of the accelerator pedal. It became quicker and sharper in acceleration. He excitedly told us in the forum the development how happy he was for deciding to go ahead to try the 170 hp ECUs without modifying any other thing on the car. Though, he said with those 170 hp ECUs, the car would rough idle, but will rev smoothly and responsively when accelerated. But as soon as its on idle, it would start to rough idle. At that point, I told him, from the workshop manual, the ECUs with 170 hp, or rather, the 505 V6 with 170 hp don't run with Catalytic converters and/or oxygen sensors as factory designed. Unfortunately, his have the catalytic converter and oxygen sensor. Though, we advised him to check the fuel pressure and other stuffs, incase they are not good enough to supply what those aggressively designed ECUs needed.

The summary, that something is impossible to you to attain does not make it standard that its impossible. If the guy had conformed to opinions of some forum members, he wouldn't have succeeded.

As for the wheel and Tyre sizes, well I really don't know. But I do know that Peugeot 505 V6 Euro spec with 170 hp have factory wheel size of 195/60 R15, while 505 V6 American spec with 145 hp have 205/55 R15 as standard, especially the 1989 model. If it has anything to do with the power, I wouldn't know...

@ Ikenna, You are right, if he had disconnected those oxygen sensors perhabs he wouldn't have had the the rough idling. Oxygen sensors because they relate with ecus to regulate the amount of fuel/air supplies to the system, they play a vital role in the ecu upgrade.

As for the tires, bigger wheels gives some level of gains on the highway, though it may alter your speedometer, as well as performances tires



I know the expectation of some was that i should have simply swapped the 320i engine with that of the 325i, the ideal thing to have done, then with those modifications for compatibility sake. But here we were talking of budget, the 325i engine priced then was 47,000.00 and he wasn't ready for such upgrade. You see in life there're always some gray areas, everything isn't always straight.

Ok then, some pretty long years ago, in my secondary school days , my Dad bought this peogeot 504 GR, then 504 was invoke, but when he test drove his friend 504 evo, he didnt like his 504 again so he called his mechanic and demanded for the installation of a double carburetor to his GR 504 and swapping of sleeve and piston system to that of the evo 504.The understanding here is that the 504's al have the same engine block, same thing i meant with the BMW 320,323 and 325 but not the differentials in the engine components. He was also made to understand that the evo 504 carried 2.0 litre engine just like the GL, and that the GL sleeve and piston will do the same work. he gave a go ahead and that was done. Mehn!!, to cut the log story short, the Gr 504 with the double cab was extra ordinary in terms of performance, my dad used that car untill this normal thing, rust common among 504 finised the car for him just some few yrs ago after some couple of accidents.. So these things work if you do them right , else you will never believe it.

Well, i dont think it was bad for me to bring up this awareness because i couldnt have dyno data to prove my point, but how i wish someone will dare it and dyno test them with data to prove the actual gains derived in the horsepower. When the guy said his car was more responsive and better than his friends after these mods, i believe him, because this is the same guy who was complaining before then. like i siad earlier, the horeses may not have been as high as i stated but i believe that it's been very very much appreciative , left for someone to try it and give us the data

Why dont we start by understanding basic Horse power increasing tips, even if we may have known them before:

• Stuff more into each cylinder - If you can cram more air (and therefore fuel) into a cylinder of a given size, you can get more power from the cylinder (in the same way that you would by increasing the size of the cylinder). Turbo chargers and super chargers pressurize the incoming air to effectively cram more air into a cylinder. Many manufacturers make aftermarket turbos and super chargers for many different cars.
• Cool the incoming air - Compressing air raises its temperature. You would like to have the coolest air possible in the cylinder because the hotter the air is the less it will expand when combustion takes place. Therefore many turbo charged and super charged cars have an intercooler. An intercooler is a special radiator through which the compressed air passes to cool it off before it enters the cylinder.
• Make everything lighter - Lightweight parts help the engine perform better. Each time a piston changes direction it uses up energy to stop the travel in one direction and start it in another. The lighter the piston, the less energy it takes. Lighter parts also allow the engine to rev faster, giving it more horsepower.
• Increase the compression ratio - Higher compression ratios produce more power, up to a point. The more you compress the air/fuel mixture, however, the more likely it is to spontaneously burst into flame (prior to the spark plug igniting it). Higher octane gasolines prevent this sort of early combustion. That is why high-performance cars generally need high octane gasoline - their engines are using higher compression ratios to get more power.
• Increase displacement - More displacement means more power because you can burn more gas during each revolution of the engine. You can increase displacement by making the cylinders bigger.
As soon as you start to try increasing displacement, you might consider the economics of buying a new high-performance engine and trying to fit it into your car -- it may be easier and cheaper!

Once i noticed that i was going to get incited into some kind of temperamental flare up, i had to play matured and went back to my work since i'm well behaved and wouldnt want to be degenerated into this kind of behavioral decadence again as i sensed that some people were more interested in hurting than addressing the topic.

Albeit, as civility has set in, Nigeria is expecting, or better put it, 22 car manufacturing companies are coming to the country , and you know what this means? To say the least, by analogy, credit facilities must have to sprang up as it is elsewhere with similar development; for the younger generations, tuning centres inevitably will erupts like vulcanoe in eruptions, both fake and real, and conscious mister must be able to get first hand info to all these mods to be properly equipped for this anticipated evolution. So i brought up this experience of mine for us to share so that we do not learn the hard way with hardknocks like i did sometime ago before i brought up a thread on "Revamping Your old car to Absolute Restoration,https://www.nairaland.com/1438869/revamping-old-car-absolute-restoration". Yes, the metaphors may have been a bit over exaggerated due to the ecstasy of the state of mind as at the time of writing but was not overstated and were factual all the way, yes we may not have had dynamos to test those result neither were we interested in any extra budgeted approach because we needed to document something, neither did we ever taught of spilling the beans in any forum but yet it worked as perceived, it was just a product of pure fun. They may have been a misrepresentations of opinion/typo as someone rightfully spotted out. Emphasy may have been on after market as a way of cutting down cost, an approach i have been using over the years for my repairs and mods/tunings, good example is in my w201 Benz 190,the conquerer and in my w202.We always took advantage of our well vested after markets products of good quality/affordability than even the new ones in our markets.

I am even more interested in making aware/defining the terms that embodies these whole industry, with hope that someone would be interested and go a step further to assume and finance/invest in such an industry, not for me but for himself and our dear country and for the benefit of enthusiast too. Thank God we are in hols at the moment, more is coming soon.

Those acceleration claims put the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 among some impressive vehicles including the latest Porsche 911 Turbo S, Nissan GT-R, and discontinuedMercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series. The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 making an SAE-certified 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque.
Stopping from 60 mph takes just 99.6 feet with the Brembo carbon ceramic brake rotors. GM claims the Corvette Z06 pulls 1.2 g in lateral acceleration. That stopping distance is the best result of any production car tested by GM, while the lateral acceleration number bests the 1.13 g posted by the best Corvette previously tested. The new Corvette Z06 also beats the previous Corvette ZR1 around the automaker’s 2.9-mile Milford Road Course making it the fastest

Those handling numbers are due in part to the Magnetic Ride Control suspension and the Z07 package’s aggressive aerodynamics package, which gives the new Corvette Z06 the most downforce of any car GM has tested.
“The Corvette has long been known as America’s sports car,” said Mark Reuss, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development, in a release. “With the capability of the new Z06 rivaling the best performance cars in the world, we will also be America’s Supercar.”
With a base price of $78,995 for the coupe and a price of $83,995 for the convertible, the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is set to be a bargain-priced supercar. The coupe is scheduled to go on sale in early 2015, while the convertible will arrive in the second quarter.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/1401_2015_chevrolet_corvette_z06_first_look/

GM has released its internal testing data for the new 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. The impressive performance stats put the new supercharged Corvette Z06 in the rarified supercar realm.

When equipped with the new paddle shift eight-speed automatic, the new 650-hp Corvette Z06 with Z07 Performance Package (Brembo carbon ceramic brake rotors, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, and full aerodynamic package) hits 60 mph in 2.95 seconds and reaches the quarter-mile in 10.95 seconds, according to GM's tests. The Corvette Z06 with the Z07 pack and standard seven-speed manual transmission reaches 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and finishes the quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds. GM claims the Corvette Z06 has a 127-mph trap speed regardless of transmission.

Nigeria will survive, more jobs and biz for our youth, if corruption will allow things work out. Mercedes Benz and BMW, i hope you are in that list?

.

lomomike: Just passing by with my 2003 Highlander 2.4L i4 churning out a lowly 155bhp, 163ib-ft and staring at this thread shocked at what men wanna forcefully turn their cars into.

You know power is insatiable, men are always looking for extra power

In as much as you dont want to let it go , you would always want to keep it up

CityNG: What you wrote regarding horsepower gain from those changes alone is not impossible but improbable.

What exactly about the gains after those changes that is doubtful or rather improbable? I do welcome any constructive criticism..we must get it right all the way

When i travelled down South to Calabar, i met a friend who is a down to earth Beemer lover. He complained how he should have bought a 325i but mistakenly bought a 320i BM an e36 model line because he was made to understand that 6 cylinder is 6cylinder that “na same engine dey inside” only to be toyed with at random overtaking by his friend who owns a 325i of same e36 model line.
I consoled him and gave a clue which he was in a big hurry to achieve. Your 320i can only accomplish 150 BHP with a 220NM of Torque while your friends 325 can do up to 178 horses.

Yes your e320 carries the same engine like your 323 and 325. If you want your 320 to perform just like the 325 or even outperform the 325 you got to do the following to boost your horsepower too:
1. Get the 325 exhaust system and manifold and oxygen sensors
2. Get the 325 ECU and replace your 320 with them then you would gain extra 175 hp and 260 torque
Aside the extra 25 horses gained, you could even add a few extra horses by doing the following: ,
• Replacing those tires of yours with lower tires(speed tires or low profile) i.e 205/60R15 by 225/45R17
• Replacing those rims with the lighter but extra straight rims (15 rims by 17 rims) 225/45R17 for a little extra gains on the highway
We set out for Aloji in Aba one faithful Day on a weekend during one of my vacations and got these items at an unbelievable prices and in exchange for his own by the trader, i.e trade by batter with a little extra money . With some smart techs that could work with the speed of light in the same market at no price..That market is endowed.

We first test run the car from Aba to Ph to confirm our guesses, i could always see his affirmation each time he floored the pedal as he nodded his head every now and then. Afterwards, in a phone call he also affirms that his trip from PH to Calabar was excellently unbelievable, what an extra 25 horses could do. With those modifications, he would have added a little more than 25 horses, say 27 or 30 horses or even more.
Then a month later he called again to confirm to me that they went on a journey and his friend thought that it was business as usual but he got very bitterly disappointed by the way he spew asphalt into his cabin while overtaking him in a jiffy. His car actually performs better than his friend’s.

In another event, a 4 cylinder w202 c180 was boosted to a c220 horses, from 127 horses to 148 horses. Also, a c220 was boosted to a 6 cylinder c280 horses , i.e to about 187 hp
For the c180 boosted to c220, to cut the long story short, the exhaust system with the catalyst ,the oxygen sensors, the manifold, the ECU and the PVC were replaced by that of the c220, also with the central wire harness to achieve the same result, it boosted the extra 25 horses and assumes the performances of the c220 if not more than.
Same as in the case of the the beemer, the items were gotten from the after market but the guy kept all his previous items, though , this was a little expensive.

Summary;
Airflow power:
Your horsepower can be maximised by modifying the airflow, exhaust, to achieve your desired engine performances to give you the power you want.
With a few alterations here, like installing a straight through performance exhaust with wider diameter to reduce or eliminate back pressure, you can maxout the efficiency and performance of your car..Please oh, don’t go and hollow out your catalyst oh , because you may not like the sound that will come out. And, if you are in a country that the emission is guided by law , it could be a serious offense, just look out for an after market or a new performance exhaust like mine.
In an I-4 engines,you can upgrade up to to 2.5” exhaust, unless a turbocharger is equipped, then 3" is acceptable. V6/V8 cars should have 2.5"-3" exhaust all the way through.
Exhaust headers are expensive and will add only a small power gain. It's a good option, but only if you've exhausted most other HP-maxing opportunities available.

Lightened your Car:
The simplest and cheapest way to improve your car performances is to lightened the weight to power ratio, giving it the least amount of weight to power for your car. You can do these by removing the extra junk in your trunk and car and consider making extra modifications, like buying the light weight performance exhaust system as discussed above and many more things you can still do.

Install a high flow intake air system and filter:
Replacing your air filter with a high performance air filter can cheaply boost the performance of your car, because it will enable your engine to breath better and add a little more power
AEM dryflow air filters never need any oil added and are legal everywhere.[2] K&N Air Filters are good for 1,000,000 miles, and can add 5 horsepower or more depending on vehicle.
Cold-air or ram-air intake systems draw in air from a cooler place outside the vehicle. Some cars will benefit greatly, and some will not. Usually, higher-end cars will not be able to benefit from this, as they already have a well-designed air intake system.
*Try removing the air filter from your intake air system and test drive your car , you will be amazed at wht you wil see..Note , this is just for experimental purposes, but not recommended.

Install a performance camshaft:
Performance cams increase the duration and timing of the valve openings during the engine stroke, increasing horsepower and making your car accelerate more quickly. You'll idle slightly rougher with a performance cam, but get a throaty rumble that's desirable for some gearheads, depending on your vehicle. They're likewise on the expensive side, but work in excellent conjunction with header or exhaust upgrades.
To install a new camshaft, you must expose the valve train by removing the valve cover and possibly the distributor. Loosen and remove the timing chain and the old camshaft to install the new version. Adjust the timing and tweak the new cams as necessary. Here you might need a professional to do it for you like in the case of my w201 benz 190

In extreme cases, you can even install turbo, whether single or double turbo to achieve 25 to 30 percent or more horse power, just like Dominic Terrato did to his old Ford Mustang turning it into a fomular one machine, but this will certainly cost you about 3000 dollars for the single turbo and almost double that amount for the double turbo to mount on both side of your engine bay

Turbochargers suck air into the engine, increasing boost and horsepower. An intercooler will also need to be installed with a turbocharger to avoid turbo-lag, in which the engine overheats and slow the impeller.

Superchargers are belt-driven, making it more effective for 6 cylinder engines. While a turbocharger results in a higher peak of HP, superchargers don't require the use of an intercooler, and result in fewer heating problems and maintenance issues. They're available in centrifugal, screw, and roots-type models, depending on the kind of engine.
I have to pause here to continue again

man, a round of applause for your explanation of heckflose

yungboss: apart from the old m40 engine in the e30/e36, BMW uses timing chain, my 1993/94 320i uses chain, bullet proof engine... U

Oh mehn, if this claims of yours is correct, then i might be considering owning a Beemer one day, when i said a beemer , i mean no nonsense looking beemer..Also note that the wire harness issue was but for only a season , triggered by the then mad Hitller of a ruler, and is very cheap to handle and replace. Just for that seasonal model, the early non facelifted w202. My w202 carries bullet proof engine too

yungboss: now even though the c63 amg is equipped with power from the dept of the barrels of amg,the e90 m3 would annihilate it on the track U

But not without burnt break, or pedal or what have you..she's always loosing out in a race because of one brokendown components or the other or fireoutbreak during active demanding racing i.e is to say she is always overwhelm by her own very power ..That is where sophistication of parts/components comes in wth Merc..always a thorough work compared to the beemer

smartchoice: Auhanson get watsapp on that your fone na....or should the house raise a donation for you?

Oh mehn , i'm gona get that pretty soon. . no worries..only that i dont just fancy typing wt fones. i could be very impatient about that..but if you send me the donations i dnt mind. No naija man would reject a fabulous donations from brothers.

CityNG: I don't accept any Mercedes manufactured after 1970 as worthy of my purchase. My 1972 was purchased so that I can harvest the engine for a 1959 "Heckflosse" project.

Your assignment, should you wish to accept it, is to educate the fora on what is Heckflosse.

Ehn hen! there you go again, what do u mean by Heckflosse? Educate me pls

Sure its beautiful, but i'm a little disappointed. I just taught it that benz should have done better with the horsepower..If audi S3 should up their 2015 4 cylider by 290 horsepower i see no reason why benz shouldnt have done better with the new c class even when the Audi s3 is suppose to be in the category of the CLA

"Review: Giving added credence to the old saying about good things and small packages, the S3 brings more power and performance to the game as the fortified version of the new A3. With a 290-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four, this relatively lightweight sedan—its front fenders and hood are aluminum—should thump to 60 mph in less than five seconds. All-wheel drive is featured, with a lowered suspension, 18-inch wheels, and performance tires optimize handling; a six-speed automatic is the sole transmission" http://www.caranddriver.com/audi/s3

Wait a minutes, oh yeah! the 4 cylinder Merc amg CLA packs an amazing incredible 360 Horsepower , trashing out the Audi S3 rival like a piece of rubbish. http://www.mercedes-amg.com/cla45.php

The engine bay is fully loaded, it looks like a spider ready for an attack

lomomike: Rule 1. Get that GT car
Rule 2. Tell those health and safety folk to de activate the damn speed limiter
Rule 3. Drag Jason Statham and Dominic Terrato to get their toys here
Rule 4. Hit the autoban, drive harrrrrrd and burn em asphalt

Lol!

Mehn! you're humourous

Anyday, anytime i hit the autoban wt this Gt activated speed limiter, they gonna know that black born champion has arrived to conquer the conquest, afterwards, i'm gona make Yungbos contest in my vacation and show em wat he's got up there too. "Dem fit try us"?

CityNG: You made my day

Most Nairalanders, except for a very few, do not recognize classic cars. Without these cars and without their successes many of the modern cars will never have existed.

I read somewhere that if the BMW 2002 had failed then BMW would have gone under. So we may have never had M3, M5, L7, M1, etc and we owe all those to the little BMW 2002.

I grudgingly drive modern cars. I'm perfectly happy in my 1967 Mercedes Benz 250 than in my 2009 VW Jetta. Yeah sure the old bird doesn't quite like waking up in the mornings and offers complaints by grumbling and snorting back through her intakes and may occasionally fart though the exhaust but when she's all warmed up and get sou ton the open highway she comes into her own regal way.

no worries. this your benz 250, is it the benz sec? the benz i ever loved and cherish to own ..i would feel like Presido in it...

peterjero: You are my man the 1985 benz sec and Toyota supra 1993-96 are the cars I must own. My uncle's friend/neighbour still use a BMW 525 MY 1986 THAT THE AC STILL WORKS. euro cars I still don't know the stuff they are made of.

Se how beautiful she sit out there. If i had this car i will never let it die...

lonelydora: Give me dis ride and I no reach Abuja from Port Harcourt in 5 hours, collect the key back from me. LOL

Ol boy for which road?

Anyways, if i handle this ride i'll go to Brazil to race with Dominic Terrato, cos i know yungboss cant stand me here

The 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT recently made its debut at AMG headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, where we got an up-close look at the new supercar. Sitting in the GT and not being able to drive it was absolute torture, but actual seat time should come soon enough. For now, here’s a few interesting numbers to consider for the GT, which is the second car developed entirely by the folks at AMG. Also be sure to check out our First Look article for the full details on AMG’s new track toy.
ZERO: Gullwings. Sure, the special doors gave the SLS AMG a ton of panache, but they also added weight and cost, two things that are lower for the GT. Mercedes isn’t ready to share pricing, but says it’ll be “aggressively priced” compared to the SLS, which carried an MSRP of just over $200,000. With the AMG GT targeted at the Porsche 911, the GT’s price tag could match the 911 Turbo, which commands $152,095.
2: The GT’s new 4.0-liter V-8, known internally as the M178, features two turbos arranged in a special layout dubbed “hot inside V.” That’s because the turbos sit within the engine’s V configuration, helping give the M178 its compact dimensions. The GT is rated at 456 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, while the sportier GT S makes 503 hp and 479 lb-ft.


3.7: The automaker says the Mercedes-AMG GT S will run to 60 mph in an estimated 3.7 seconds, while the GT should do it in 3.9 seconds. Stay tuned for our own test results.
4: Available on the GT S are active engine and transmission mounts. There are four (two for the engine and two for the gearbox) electromagnetic mounts that have a reaction time of just 1 thousandth of a second and adjust based on drive mode and driving style. In a nut shell, soft mounts are best for cruising, while stiffer mounts are optimal for spirited driving.


12.4: Thanks to its wide-opening hatch, the AMG GT has 12.4 cubic feet of cargo space, double the amount of the SLS.
90: Mercedes says around 90 percent of the AMG GT’s frame is constructed of aluminum. The automaker also says the frame weighs just 509 pounds.


That’s the approximate curb weight of the 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT. For comparison, the last SLS AMG GT we tested tipped the scales at 3804 pounds. The GT is also smaller than the SLS. Its wheelbase, for example, is about two inches shorter than the SLS (105.5 inches), while overall length shrinks a bit as well. The GT’s width, however, is the same as the SLS at 76.3 inches.

Full LED headlights and taillights, adaptive high beam assist, and active curve illumination are part of an $800 Lighting Package, while a panorama sunroof commands another $1480. Wanting the real-deal leather upholstery and Air Balance Package (with the cabin fragrance system) will cost you $2300 and $350, respectively. You won't find a standard rearview camera because it comes bundled in a $2690 Multimedia package that also includes the 8.4-inch display screen, voice control, and navigation, though it's also available as a standalone option for $460. Meanwhile, the head-up display costs $990. After adding everything mentioned above except for the Luxury Package, we spec'd our C300 to cost $55,975.
If 241 horses doesn't sound like enough, the C400 4Matic comes packing a potent 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 good for 329 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque and standard sport-tuned suspension. Starting at $49,515, we spec'd our C400 4Matic out with a $720 metallic paint color, $800 lighting package, $1480 panoramic sunroof, and $2300 interior package that includes leather seats with ventilated front seats, illuminated door sills, and multicolor LED ambient lighting. For good measure, we also added the $350 air balance package. After all was said and done, our C400 Matic costs $58,425.
Both models come standard with a seven-speed automatic with shift paddles, start-stop system, all-wheel drive, Bluetooth connectivity, touchpad controller, and adaptive braking. The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class should be arriving in dealerships shortly, but you can get a head start and spec yours out beforehand by visiting the automaker's website to configure your C-Class.
Source: Mercedes-Benz

Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, the C300 4Matic can be yours for $41,325, but that's only if you don't upgrade the sedan with a variety of enticing options, such as the $1515 designo Diamond White Metallic paint color and the $2175 Sport Package that outfits the C300 with things like AMG body styling, sport-tuned suspension, race seats, and perforated front brakes with painted calipers. For those looking for more subtle upgrades, the Luxury package adds wood trim, a comfort-tuned suspension, and MB-Tex on the upper dash for $650.

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class configurator is now live, meaning you can spec out the redesigned C-Class sedan just the way you like it. Starting at $41,325 (including destination) for the C300 4Matic, the sedan costs $1000 more than the outgoing model, which isn't that much of an increase considering the extra dose of luxury the C-Class received for the new model year. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1312_2015_mercedes_benz_c_class_first_look/

aikerism: Oga Hanson... Just like U sir I don't baby this Benz of mine... I keep wondering wwhat driving a kompressor will feel if my Naturally aspirated 4 cylinder C 200 humiliates all these bloody Japanese cars on the highway especially going uphill
Now I have decided to sell her and get a 2000 C230 Kompressor...
MB all the way...

Waoh sell this beautiful Merc of urs? I like the way it sits.

One thing about them when you rev them above 300 RPM you dust out all the garbage that could have settled on your valves tulips, catalystic converters etc and all the undesirable effect of bad fuel deposits on your nuzzles, plugs and throttle body. High revs with good and recommended engine oil are gud for benz and BM cause they ctually perform at these RPM

Man, thanks for these pix.It brings back memory as a kid , when i use to see these cars in beautiful magazines. Would i say the classic were more appealing than the modern day BM. There is these sense of aura they command in these pix , most especially pix1, 4, 5 and 11..I should love to have these marque in my garage.

ba7man: RIDE: BMW

HANDLING: BMW

ENGINE: BMW

EXTERIOR DESIGN: MERC

INTERIOR DESIGN: MERC

LUXURY: MERC

EQUIPMENT: MERC

I disagree with you , Mercerdes handles better in some model and BMW handles too in some model , its been a stiff war between these 2 brothers. When Benz wants to do it , it does it allround: handling, luxury , exterior and interior design, but for the equipment , they all have it 50 50.

Coming to the luxury brands, can you compare the 7 series to the S class? Can you compare the 5 series to the E class? Can you compare any of the BM coupes to any of the mercedes benz coupes? Is it the clk, is it the cl or the cls or the slk etc? . Of course there is no rival with the Benz's

For instance, back then, the E30 M3 was completely overided all round by the 2.5 v16 190 Merc. Coming to todays world, during the w203 era, Benz beat BMW hands down after BMW E36 showed them "shege" in their w202 era. Then in the w204 era BMW manage to outsmart Benz. BMW 3 series will not rub shoulder with the 2015 c class Benz's, even in terms of handling and in all round comparison.

So when it comes to handling , exterior design and aura, benz is the baba.

I am a fan of Benz and BMW, but there are certain things that makes me love Benz more than BM, non compromise of standards; Benz still maintains the standard of timing chains in her engine as against belt in other cars including the BMW. the day they change that i'll leave them. Benz still maintains 4 independent rods to hold her backtires and superior stabilizers linakges as well as v architecture engines for better handling, what esle could be termed handling other than these, a feature lacking in most cars.

BMW is for sporty fans who dnt really care about luxury/comfort but performances, in the other hand, Benz is for those fans who cares about luxury/comfort as well as handling and performances but may not really care about sport. No matter how sporty a Benz maybe it will not compromise her comfort;i wouldnt like to squiz into a car because it is sporty,as in Lambo, Ferrari, Mitsubishi eckipse etc but BMW will trade her comfort for sport.

Sport cars compromises a lot of things, ranging from boot/cargo room area to sitting space arrangement, to even convenience of entry and exit,just to enable them twist around bends, but Benz will always carry all of these along, no matter how sporty they may look and still twist around bends. You will see this in a simple comparison between the mercedes benz coupes and the BMW coupes, and in their compact sedans, and in their new entry level brands and hatch backs.

Both brands are not that flashy per se, but they are loaded and are cars for the strong minds, thats why u see the muscular ugly looks of agression in them representing the stuff of which they are made of ..if you want flashy, go to the hyundae and the hondas, but these cars are a wrec of their own self, even at that their fans still appreciate them.

Sometimes i do wonder, should this comparison between Benz and BM really hold? because here i see two different people but with common interest in different directions to get there: Beemer man says sporty,handling, performnce or nothing else , who cares about comfort; and Merc guy says comfort,handling, performance or nothing else, who cares about sport. So it will really be unfair to condem any of them, because they stand to satisfy their fans in a way.

Without blinking an eyelid, the Mercedes. It would always have better handling, driving experience and comfort as usual

Just check out the picture alone, it speaks volume...