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Author Topic: This is why power to weight is better than big power  (Read 1648 times)

Offline Janner_Sy

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This is why power to weight is better than big power
« on: October 24, 2011, 10:24:33 pm »
Hurdy mentioned the APR Polo the other day and I came across this magazine articleon my searches and thought you guys would find it very interesting when you see how competitive the little 1.4TSI twincharged engine can be with only a basic stage 2 remap, bolt on mods and suspension tweaks.

The Polo is a project car is from APR Australia running APR Stage 2 remap (224Hp/250lbft), full exhaust, intake, intercooler with coilovers, lightweight alloys, front and rear anti roll bars and poly bushes.

For comparison these are the outputs of the other cars they used in the test as the Ozzie's quote in kW's

Focus RS Std ( 304hp/324lbft)
Focus ST Stage 2 (265Hp/324lbft)
Golf GTI TSI-K04 Stage 3 (387hp/383lbft)
Mazda 3 MPS Stage 2 (299hp/317lbft)

So a pretty large power deficit,  its outperforming pretty much everything else on the track and only really matched by the Golf 2.0TSI (k04) with 160hp extra bhp.  Its only on the main straight where it loses out to the power of the others and finishes with the second fastest laptime.  Thats why this engine is brilliant when mapped.  Im looking forward to getting my chassis mods sorted.

FWIW APR have now fitted the Polo with a plate differential, and have a hybrid turbo waiting to be fitted.  That would undoubtedly have eclipsed the competition.  For me that shows how unusable and what a waste all that extra power is on a bendy track.  












Mighty impressive i think.  This is the >>link<< for the PDF if any of you guys havent got a big enough screen to see the pics properly

Hurdys should be equal to this within a week or to as well, all bar the poly bushes that is, which are actually a cheap option as its a rear torsion beam (around 8 bushes total for the car versus over 24 bushes on the mk5 golf chassis)
« Last Edit: October 24, 2011, 10:26:45 pm by Janner_Sy »

Offline Janner_Sy

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Re: This is why power to weight is better than big power
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2011, 10:34:52 pm »
I wander how a modified Clio 200 Cup would have fared.  they not exactly tunable, but suspension wise im sure it can be fettled just as much as the others

Offline vRSAlex

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Re: This is why power to weight is better than big power
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2011, 10:51:43 pm »
Just need to find some hankook ventus td tyres now.

Sounds sh*te, but I used to have (years ago) a ka that I stuffed a tuned xr2i lump into.  Fully stripped it and really sorted the handling.  Not that fast on the straights but like polo went round the corners and I could brake really late too.  Even had pro race 1.2's when they first came out.

So I can see how the polo is so good.
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Offline tony_danza

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Re: This is why power to weight is better than big power
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2011, 11:31:33 pm »
Physics, you can't argue with it. Chapman coined it a long time back, add lightness.

As for the Clio question, everything off the 197/200 race and rally cars is in the Renault motorsport catalogue, and is available to order from a few selected dealers. It's dirt cheap too. Slammed with camber, they'll outcorner most things... More power is the only stumbling block.
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Offline Poverty

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Re: This is why power to weight is better than big power
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2011, 12:23:57 am »
if the golf had the esp system thrown away it would have obliterated everything though

Offline Janner_Sy

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Re: This is why power to weight is better than big power
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2011, 12:59:52 am »
APR deactivated it after apparently for it only to gain 3/10s.  Also the polo has esp as well, so its a fair comparison.  You have to bear in mind, the golf is trying to put 380hp/380lbft through the front wheels, id bet tthetes not a whole lot more to come without going to slucks

Offline Top Cat

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Re: This is why power to weight is better than big power
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2011, 09:28:25 pm »
APR deactivated it after apparently for it only to gain 3/10s.  Also the polo has esp as well, so its a fair comparison.  You have to bear in mind, the golf is trying to put 380hp/380lbft through the front wheels, id bet tthetes not a whole lot more to come without going to slucks

Most hi powered GTI's i have been in have not struggled with traction when on a circuit with semi-slicks.

The problem as i see it is on a track day you can only overtake on the straights and when you are having a play with people with faster cars they wont let you past if you are up their chuff whilst reading a paper on the bends. Yes most normal people will but a lot wont when you are kind of challenging them.  :smiley: