Car and Driver new review, December 2013 issue
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At the website currently, there's the online version of a story from the issue for the 2015 Mustang. Sounds bitchin'.
So I would expect at some point the FiST review will pop in. No matter, I'll get my copy when the mailman's done with it.
So I would expect at some point the FiST review will pop in. No matter, I'll get my copy when the mailman's done with it.
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Yeah the mustang sounds awesome but I didn't like the billing of the article "We leak the 2015 Mustang" and "Someone is going to lose their job over this" then its basically renderings and a compilation of reasonable sounding rumors. I was expecting a little more meat like test mule photos or maybe a q&a with an undisclosed Ford employee.
The thing that interested me was the Alfa Romeo which has essentially Fiat's version of an EcoBoost engine in a carbon fiber monocoque mid-engine roadster.
Unfortunately they think the US version will go from a 2,100 lb car to 2,650 which is going to screw up the performance a lot.
I think a Fiesta ST with about $10,000 in upgrades should beat it in power, match it in weight, have real light weight race wheels, a brake upgrade and top of the line suspension.
Not bad when the Alfa starts at $55,000+ and has about as much luggage space as the glove compartment of a Dodge Durango.
The thing that interested me was the Alfa Romeo which has essentially Fiat's version of an EcoBoost engine in a carbon fiber monocoque mid-engine roadster.
Unfortunately they think the US version will go from a 2,100 lb car to 2,650 which is going to screw up the performance a lot.
I think a Fiesta ST with about $10,000 in upgrades should beat it in power, match it in weight, have real light weight race wheels, a brake upgrade and top of the line suspension.
Not bad when the Alfa starts at $55,000+ and has about as much luggage space as the glove compartment of a Dodge Durango.
I got this issue in the mail yesterday. Key quote: "There are plenty of quicker, nicer, and prettier cars than the Fiesta ST, but there are precious few that are more fun to drive." Their biggest complaint was that the tach shows a redline of 6700 rpm but the fuel cutoff is at 6400 rpm. Ok.
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Somewhere in the Valley of the Sun, my mailman will be spending his Sunday morning in the loo with my copy...
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I have a boost gauge, but with my foot to the floor in the lower gears, the last thing I'm looking at is a boost gage.
Besides, what is Ford's definition of "over-boost"??? We already know the boost profile drops the pressure as the rpm rises, so I wouldn't know over-boost if I saw it...
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Ok, that matches my butt dyno. Might be a good argument for using short tires on fast autocross courses then. Or maybe we should petition Ford for a software update?
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Here is what the 2014 FIESTA ST Supplement says:
"ENGINE OVERBOOST
Your ST vehicle offers a period of
additional torque delivery referred to as
overboost or overtorque. This feature of
the engine calibration broadens the RPM
range of the peak torque curve. This gives
improved performance during maneuvers
such as passing and vehicle launch.
Note: The overboost feature controls a
variety of engine parameters to deliver
additional torque. Overboost is built into the
engine calibration on your ST vehicle and
no action is required by the driver to engage."
there is also this:
"ENGINE OVERSPEED
Note: Always wait until the engine is
properly warmed up before running high
engine speeds.
Your ST vehicle is equipped with an
overspeed feature to increase its
performance range. The standard
maximum engine speed of 6375 RPM is
indicated by a narrow redline on the
tachometer face. The redline becomes
thicker at the overspeed engine speed of
6500 RPM.
This feature allows three seconds of
overspeed above 6375 RPM. Once the
three second limit has been reached, the
electronically controlled rev limit ramps
down to 6375 RPM and holds there. Once
engine speed has dropped below 6175
RPM, the overspeed timer is reset and
three seconds of overspeed up to a
maximum of 6500 RPM is enabled.
Do not operate the engine at high RPM and
low load for sustained periods of time, as
damage may occur."
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That's interesting, but that still does not define "overboost". Per the above, the overspeed feature is good for three seconds, and if my memory is right I've seen somewhere that overboost is good for up to twenty seconds, so the two features would seem to be separate.
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Overboost is the additional midrange torque. If you look at Cobb's dyno sheet you'll see it from 3000 and above..
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That still doesn't define it. For instance, how would I know if I'm in overboost when I look at the boost gage? And you can't tell where overboost is by looking at Cobb's dyno sheet. That's wishful thinking.
This isn't something critical for me, I'm just curious. It's interesting that so many people like to refer to overboost, but no one seems to really know what defines it...
This isn't something critical for me, I'm just curious. It's interesting that so many people like to refer to overboost, but no one seems to really know what defines it...
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Sorry for the late reply. I'm no expert for sure, but overboost gives you up to 21 psi of boost, without it it's 14 psi. I thought it was higher without, but when I was playing around with the Cobb AP that was as high as I could get in 1st and 2nd.
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One thing I'm seeing on European tuner sites is big power claims like +27 bhp with a tune.
Since they rate the engine at 180 HP, they just make over boost continuous, +17 hp right there and then they remap which they claim makes another 10.
I doubt their stuff is any better than Cobb except that some tune for higher octane gas.
Any way, those are the tricks that are played, and probably why the Fiesta ST loses to a Focus ST in a drag race.
I hope there is some solution to get full power in at least second gear. Maybe its possible to fake out the vehicle speed sensor to make the ECU think its in third?
Since they rate the engine at 180 HP, they just make over boost continuous, +17 hp right there and then they remap which they claim makes another 10.
I doubt their stuff is any better than Cobb except that some tune for higher octane gas.
Any way, those are the tricks that are played, and probably why the Fiesta ST loses to a Focus ST in a drag race.
I hope there is some solution to get full power in at least second gear. Maybe its possible to fake out the vehicle speed sensor to make the ECU think its in third?
Overboost: when the turbo holds a higher boost pressure (21 PSI according to golfhack above) than it would in sustained use (14 PSI), resulting in the engine making more power. In the case of the Fiesta ST, the car is programmed to provide overboost for bursts of up to 20 seconds. If you lift, the timer resets and you get another 20 seconds. There aren't too many situations where you would be at full throttle for more than 20 seconds, therefore the car is pretty much always using the overboost function. You wouldn't be able to see this on a dyno sheet unless you ran the car twice and found a way to disable the overboost for one of the runs. If you did that, you'd get a chart that looks something like the one shown here: http://www.edmunds.com/mini/cooper/2007/long-term-road-test/2007-mini-cooper-s-overboost.html.html.html.html
Overspeed:The car is allowed to be at 6375-6500 RPM for three seconds, after which point it will cut the fuel supply and bring the engine speed down to 6375 RPM.
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