TypeSontheProwl

According to his story from ClubB5:

#3 - Finally! An Acura TL Type S Shifttronic - I easily won the launch, and grabbed 1-1 1/2 car lengths early...by the time he got into his VTEC and started to pull more, I was already healthily into 2nd, and just getting over 4K (VW's own "vtec" point on the W8), so I maintained the same lead. Obviously Acura's tiptronic trannies are just as slow as ours...by third, I was 4-5 car lengths, and backed off...so did he, and never bothered to even look at me or comment at the next light. The second light I decided to just go slow...and he went even slower...I think he thought if he went any faster than me, I was going to race again, like I was goading him on...I wasn't, but I guess I can't blame him.



Are they that fast? 5 car lengths is a lot

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Well, it's an 8 cylinder with 270hp and gobs more torque then us... so it's not that far-fetched... but seems like he beat it by too much. It should be a lot closer.

r10apple

He's FOS...

RiceBurner

Definitely a tall story. Read a recent car mag review of that W8 and was real slow for the 0-60 due to 4000 pound body weight.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Aren't those W8 outfitted w/ AWD? If so, he's got the launch easily, and if the Type S had poor traction .. I can see a couple of car lengths. Honestly, until ya drive it or race it, ya can't totally comment on it. I'll keep the b.s. flag at half-staff until then.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Re-read what this doofus says .. read his comments about tiptronic trannies "obviously the tiptronic trannies are as slow as ours..." .. his judgement of carlengths could be my judgement 1/2-carlengths... sounds to me on second thought that this guy mighta traded in his docile ES300 for a more stout and might W8 to a) have more ballz on the road, and b) be the first kid onthe block w/ the new toy. Just like most of us when we got our TL-S's.. we overestimated the car's performance, and it was oddly funny how we'd win races by many carlengths, ... yet now, we appreciate "racing distances" much much better ...

B.S. flag is not completely up b/c this guy is clueless. P.S. they also could have been racing local city blocks and by the time the TL-S guy realized they could have been busted for speeding/racing, the W8 guy's need to justify his overweight, underpowered purchase was in its own respective "VTEC" zone...

r10apple

I know how to settle this: There is a VW dealer about three miles from the house. I'll go park out front and wait for some salesman to pull their budgetaudi on the road for a testdrive...

Ray_Khan

from a stop they look to be close...I'd give the edge to the TLS

here is what I found at car and driver.


Base price: $37,900
Price as tested: $37,900
Vehicle layout: Front engine, awd, 4-door, 5-pass
Engine: 72-degree W-8, alum block & heads, DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
Displacement, ci/cc: 244.0/3999
Horsepower @ rpm: 270 @ 6000
Torque @ rpm: 273 @ 2750
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
0-60 mph, sec: 7.1
Quarter mile, sec/mph: 15.4/93.1
Braking, 60-0 mph, ft: 132
600-ft slalom, mph: 61.8
EPA mpg, city/hwy: 18/25
On sale in U.S.: Currently


on a roll maybe it's a different story, but I have no idea. FOr close to 40k....I'd rather have a lot of other cars that are such heavy pigs.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

We're about 7 tenths to 1 full second faster 0-60... but the 1/4 mile could be close stock for stock. Guess she starts moving as she gets going

Ray_Khan

yeah I don't go much by 0-60 since any error/uncertainty plays a big role in 7 seconds. Gearing plays a major role as well. Gearing was shortened in the US version ofthis car to make it a little quicker. The Euro version is less quick, but has nice tall gearing for autobahn cruising. Besides who races to 60 anyways? The 1/4 mile tells a bit more about the car. Trap speeds are similar between the 2 cars...TLS probably puts a few more hp to the wheels, but the torque of the W8 is what keeps it close. I'd put my $$$ on the TLS myself, but I wouldn't race one in the rain if I were you :>)

doopstr

W8=Too much money for a Passat.

fortunate

lol, very true . I was always under the impression that Passats and VW's in general were lauded for their adherance to value, not luxury. Truth be told, it just doesn't seem right for a VW to cost $40,000.

1SICKLEX

I call B.S. 5 lenths=about 80 more HP. I don't think so. BTW, the Passat is just as nice as a TL-S or ES 300, BMW 3 etc. But that VW just makes me think Beetle.

stan kiang

I hope I don't get my ass flamed for saying it but the Passat is actually a nice car. I actually have the ability to speak to both the Acura TL and the Passat as I have both 99 models, although my TL is a normal one and my Passat is only the V6 GLX.

Suprisingly, the 2.8L V6 is pretty quick considering it only puts out 190HP and 200lbs p/ft torque. I would have to say that it sometimes feels like it has a bit more punch off the line compared to my TL and my TL has a comptech exhaust and intake.

Having said that, I would assume that the W8 is no slouch either and the fact that you guys would doubt that it would smoke a TL-s is suprising. TL-s' are obviously fast but a V8 in virtually any car would almost always outrun a V6. The torque band in the W8 probably allowed the car to pull off the block and just keep going strong, while the TL will have to start to give a little after it reaches its peak. I could be wrong but I think the W8 should be able to beat a TL-s any day of the week. German engineering is awesome and as I can attest to, their engines that don't "seem" to have that much power really can move.

As for the price of the W8, it's not a cheap car by any means but judging by what I got in my GLX Passat, it's not that expensive either. The Passat interior is very nice with real wood, a pretty nice stereo and nice leather seats. I can only imagine that the W8 has to be even nicer. Also, given our TLs are made here in the states I have to say that the fit in finish btw the TL and Passat is almost night and day. Maybe I have just been lucky so far but I don't have any of the squeeks and rattles in my Passat that I have in my TL. I think German engineering still leads the way in performance and quality. $40Gs for that car isn't cheap but like Acura, V Dubb can pack a lot of value in there cars.

Just my 2cents...

VQ35DE

Is this the same Car & Driver that tested a TL-S in a comparo and ran a 16-flat?!?!:p

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

The very magazine that said the auto TL-S could achieve the same 1/4-mile time as the Max 6-spd 3.5 and therefore determined subsequent to their logic that the Maxima had lost all of its sporty edge. (14.7 seconds for both)

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

That's a lot of money for a VeeDub. I would never buy one. For 37,000, there are a lot of other choices out there.

Ray_Khan

haha....I guess sometimes they drive uphill and sometimes downhill. When they got the 16 flat 1/4...all the car's tested slow in that one.

BlackTLS420

[QUOTE]Originally posted by stan kiang
[B]I hope I don't get my ass flamed for saying it but the Passat is actually a nice car.

That's about the only thing I wouldn't "Flame" you for in your ramblings that somehow made your comparison of a '99TL and a '99 VW passat into an in-depth comparison of a '02+ TL Type S and a '03 VW W8.

As for this race, the only way it went down is if he was racing some fag with type S badge and rims, but no type S engine, oh ya and a flat tire. I have a TLS and I have races a 02 S 5 Benz a few times and not lost as bad as this guy is talking, and im pretty sure my friends S 5 would mangle a W8.

And I also have a question, I was always told that a 8 will loose to a 6 in a quick race esp. when the hspwr. is real close, because the 8 has more drag and heavier weight, but then at higher speeds the 8 will have the advantage, im no mechanic just what i heard.

fortunate

That's what I heard as well. Something about the time it takes for an 8 to rev as opposed to a 4 or 6 cylinder engine, as well as the weight of the car and engine.

MB-telecom

My friend and neighbor is a Sales Manager at McDonald Audi/VW. He's had a W8 that he's been driving for about four months now (the W8 has about 4K miles on it now and is NOTICEABLY faster than when it was new).

We have raced several times both on th highways and in and around Highlands Ranch (Highlands Ranch Blvd. Lincoln, University, etc...). When we start from a dead stop, we are even until about 25 mph. Between 25 mph and 40 mph I pull about 3/4 to a 1 car length on him. By the time I hit 60 mph and am into second gear, I have him by about 2 - 3.5 car lengths. At about 80 mph - 90 mph I only maintain my 2 - 3.5 car length distance on him. We have never raced above about 105 mph - 110 mph, but by that time, what's the point? He may catch or come close to me at about 130 mph or so. Even on the highway I can still pull him in 2nd and 3rd gear.

I have also raced a 1998 Mustang GT (5 spd manual, hardtop) and beat the guy from a roll (the Mustang and I raced from a roll from 20 mph - 90 mph and we both hit at 20 mph at the same time). I beat him by about 2 car lengths. He started to reel me in a little bit by about 90 mph, but I had to let off at 90 mph because I was approaching a corner. I talked to him at the next light about his 'GT' and that is where I got his cars' stats. I am not saying that my car is a screamer, but it runs as well any stock TL-S.

This W8 story is BULL****!!!

BlackShadow

I call BS on his story also. The W8 weighs as much as a tank so about him pulling that far away is far-fetched. Yea after triple digit speed, the W8 should start to pull away due to the 8 (no replacement for displacement). But from a dead stop or rolling start, I'll put my $$$ on the TL-S.

Ray_Khan

[QUOTE}quote:
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Originally posted by BlackTLS420
And I also have a question, I was always told that a 8 will loose to a 6 in a quick race esp. when the hspwr. is real close, because the 8 has more drag and heavier weight, but then at higher speeds the 8 will have the advantage, im no mechanic just what i heard.
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That's what I heard as well. Something about the time it takes for an 8 to rev as opposed to a 4 or 6 cylinder engine, as well as the weight of the car and engine[/QUOTE]

this is way to general a statement. Every engine is tuned differently, and transmission geared differently and there are thousands of variables to every engine/tranny/car to make such a blanket statement like that. I'll walk over plenty of V-8 with my littel 1.8 liter 4 banger.

There are fast and slow 8's, 6's and 4's out there. When it comes down to it, get a dyno of the torque a car makes at the wheels...the car with more low end tq and shorter gearing will have a better launch assmuming getting traction isn't the difference. But again, there are too many variables involved in the daynamics of making cars go fast to just say that.