Iceman1

i think you missed the point... i didnt say as high a torque as a V8, i said the "shape" of the curve was similar to a high displacement motor's curve...

DavidM

i think you missed the point... i didnt say as high a torque as a V8, i said the "shape" of the curve was similar to a high displacement motor's curve...

I see ... I did misunderstand your point. Thanks.

Though, in regards to the shape/flatness, I would not think that a big displacement motor would necessarily generate a similar/flat shapped torque curve. That characteristic seems to be associated more so with high-tech engines. ie. RS4, S2000, M5, Gallardo engines.

Mystiqueskillz

I won't be surprised when I start seeing videos of modded 335i's smoking the new M3.

Onehots2k

I wouldnt be so surprised. From what I've heard the new E92 M3's are very modable. Plus, an //M is more than a sum of its parts. A modded 335i might be as fast but would never give the same feeling of an M3.

smurf2k

"feel" is right there in the torque curve, not a derivative of it. if a car with same weight, same gearing, same engine operating range, but torque starts slow and spikes rapidly (but never exceeding 250lb-ft of m3), it would not feel faster

L1ttle Wing

I know exactly what you mean, and for 99.9% of the public, that is most definitely correct. However, I am a little different. My Mercedes E320 CDI pumped out loads of torque and it would push you back in your seat right off idle, but it never felt "fast" to me. Another situation arose when I test drove the 335: the torque curve was as flat as a coffee table, but because there was no spike- just a turbine-like surge of power, I never felt like I was going fast until I looked down and saw the speedo needle racing along. However, in the S2k, the sudden spike in power as the motor switches to the hot cam profile makes the car feel faster than it is. The same goes for turbocharged cars (although you would have a valid argument by saying that I am simply feeling the sudden onset of torque produced by the turbo, so I digress )

Iceman1

i was thinking not just the flatness, but the fact that it plateau's rather early in the rev-band, and holds it through the entire rev range... usually whenever ive seen that, its come from a high displacement motor, or a motor with a twin-screw S/C... i think those characteristics make it "easier" to tune for a similar shaped torque curve...

but you could be right... i was thinking in terms of what ive seen, rather than how it was accomplished...

the S2K's torque curve isnt very flat... it peaks very late...

overst33r

The S2000 torque curve is actually pretty flat before and after VTEC engages. The area under the curve in relation to the peak value is very good IMO.

DavidM

the S2K's torque curve isnt very flat... it peaks very late...

There is a late peak, but it is pretty much flat and at ~90% of the peak value all way from ~3000rpm. At 2000rpm it is down ~20% on the peak value.

That is IMHO pretty flat.

Looking at the M3 Torque curve. it is pretty much flat between 3000 and 6000rpm ... maybe 8% variation. Even the variation between 3000rpm and the redline is only about 13% ... so that is pretty impressive (and similar in terms of variation to the S2000).

Though, the dyno posted in the 1st post is a tad deceiving as the scaling is not that large and makes the torque curve look flatter than it is. Not that it's not a very flat torque curve ... one of the better ones out there.

Malloric

Whats the RPM at? I'm assuming they are starting in 5th or 6th... so its 2500-3000 rpm? Still impressive though