Re: VR6, 300hp, and the 1.8T.

[Khan Klatt <khan@mediaaccess.com>]

>I have to disagree about the VR6 not being able to put out 300 horses.  I
>have heard that in stock form the VR6 is only at 60% of its peak output.   I
>dont doubt it.  I would go with a VR6 before a 1.8T any day of the week.
>just my opinion

Your personal preference is noted.

First let me say that there is "no replacement for displacement". You 
will generally get more performance out of an engine that has greater 
displacement compared to a very similar engine (in all ways except 
displacement). Yet, the VR6 and the 1.8T are *not* similar engines. 
They differ in many ways, so you can't simply say "one has more 
displacement than the other, so that one wins".

Further, if your statement is accurate, (that the VR6 is only at 60% 
of it's peak output) that would put its "100% efficiency" at 290hp. 
(290 * .6 = 174hp). So, assuming your statement is strictly correct, 
the VR6 is not able to produce much more than 290hp. But I'm not here 
to nitpick... Surely you can get more performance out of any engine, 
especially with a turbo added on.

But again, if you're going to compare apples to oranges (which is 
what we're doing when comparing a 1.8T to a VR6) you can modify 
either engine to get more HP-- a 1.8T or a VR6. This is neither here 
nor there... as it doesn't answer the original question-- what to buy?

None of us (except the person asking) knows how much hp he wants-- 
and how much he wants to spend to get it. A car isn't just about how 
much HP it can crank out, otherwise, we'd all be driving a rustang 
that can put out 350hp but can't make a hairpin turn comfortably over 
25mph.

If the primary purchase point is price, then pick the less expensive 
one. You can try to make up any performance difference with the 
difference in price. I.E. if you save $2000 on one over the other, 
you can get a better suspension, a chip, and a K&N air filter, better 
tires, and some sway bars for the cheaper car.

If it's about having a luxury car, the A4 1.8T is generally regarded 
to have a better fit and finish than a Jetta. Both are respectable, 
but you have to decide if this is important to you.

If it's about pure performance, how much are you willing to spend to 
modify your car? If it's $0, then pick the one that performs better 
on your test drive.

Both cars have similar performance numbers, and either could easily 
be modified to match the other. They are both excellent cars from 
which to get more performance. It has nothing to do with "how many 
hairs you have on your scrotum"... which I must say is an 
unconvincing and opaque analogy at best, not that Stu made that 
comment anyway...

-Khan
97 GLX - "I know how to use my Caps Lock key" edition.
-- 

Khan Klatt                                         khan@mediaaccess.com

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