The R32 has plenty of torque so around town i usually just change between 3-4k.
The attached dyno shows RPM in small numbers but the max power seems to be a bit over 6,200 RPM but never bother changing at that point much.
V
MK6 GTI in my driveway
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The R32 has plenty of torque so around town i usually just change between 3-4k.
The attached dyno shows RPM in small numbers but the max power seems to be a bit over 6,200 RPM but never bother changing at that point much.
Jethro41
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Thanks Jester...I understand now... If I'm on it in Gretel I find that quick shifts between 4 and 4.5 gives the best feel of max acceleration(if that makes sense). It might very well be ok to hang on until 5 but I rarely have ever pushed her to 5 and beyond.
as my mate humoursly puts it ..."keeps him constantly pushed back in the seat".
I must let someone else drive my car one day so I can feel that...I don't seem to feel that as a driver, perhaps because I got the steering wheel to hold on to.
See attached pic of stock & superchips (claimed) power and torque curves:
Note that acceleration is rate of change, which equals the power curve's slope (ok may not be an atw curve but you get the point).
1= max torque
2= last point of max acceleration after max torque
3= first point of max power (indicates flat section in torque graph)
4= bluefin max power point
Acceleration is maximised if you keep the car within the band where acceleration (slope of graph) is steepest. This means in gear as well as immediately after shift, i.e. you want to shift into an area of the curve where you are already in max acceleration.
Even though the curve is steeper before max torque, shifting at max torque will put you in a position where acceleration (slope) is actually much flatter.
Hence, max power is generally where acceleration stops (i.e. you're not really going much faster, just maintaining speed). So you need to shift before max power (using above generalisation). Ideally the rpm you are shifting into needs to be above max torque to keep in the max acceleration band.
Note that the rpm point for max power is higher up in the chipped curve meaning you can shift later and still keep in the band. You will also note the curve is steeper indicating acceleration will be quicker for chipped vs stock.
Going beyond max power is only useful where it would be slower to change gear than stay in gear, e.g. towards the end of the drag where the gear change could cost you a fraction of a second.
Using the above you could shift anywhere around 4000-5300rpm (for DSG box) to keep in the powerband, although there is some variation depending on gear.
What Jester is referring to re: race vs road cars is the shape of the curve. Race cars will be flatter at the start and steeper towards the end. The powerband is generally narrower and the gearing is then selected to match the band as well as track requirements.
On road, it is better to have as wide a band as possible to maximise the ease of driving for the average person, i.e. they don't have to keep the car high up in the rev range a-la VTEC (yo!) to get the car going such as in type-R NA cars.
Note that acceleration is rate of change, which equals the power curve's slope (ok may not be an atw curve but you get the point).
1= max torque
2= last point of max acceleration after max torque
3= first point of max power (indicates flat section in torque graph)
4= bluefin max power point
Acceleration is maximised if you keep the car within the band where acceleration (slope of graph) is steepest. This means in gear as well as immediately after shift, i.e. you want to shift into an area of the curve where you are already in max acceleration.
Even though the curve is steeper before max torque, shifting at max torque will put you in a position where acceleration (slope) is actually much flatter.
Hence, max power is generally where acceleration stops (i.e. you're not really going much faster, just maintaining speed). So you need to shift before max power (using above generalisation). Ideally the rpm you are shifting into needs to be above max torque to keep in the max acceleration band.
Note that the rpm point for max power is higher up in the chipped curve meaning you can shift later and still keep in the band. You will also note the curve is steeper indicating acceleration will be quicker for chipped vs stock.
Going beyond max power is only useful where it would be slower to change gear than stay in gear, e.g. towards the end of the drag where the gear change could cost you a fraction of a second.
Using the above you could shift anywhere around 4000-5300rpm (for DSG box) to keep in the powerband, although there is some variation depending on gear.
What Jester is referring to re: race vs road cars is the shape of the curve. Race cars will be flatter at the start and steeper towards the end. The powerband is generally narrower and the gearing is then selected to match the band as well as track requirements.
On road, it is better to have as wide a band as possible to maximise the ease of driving for the average person, i.e. they don't have to keep the car high up in the rev range a-la VTEC (yo!) to get the car going such as in type-R NA cars.
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