Cold today = muchos performance?

Jez · 5 Jul 2006 at 22:49

Today has been much much colder than it has been for the last week or so, when i took the car out at 6:30 this morning it was a mere 11C or something compared with the 33-35C i'd driven it home at the previous day.

One thing i noticed is that my car (Seat Leon TDi) seems much faster in the cold weather, i understand the physics about denser air etc, but THIS much? the increase seems almost as good as the power resistor of justice

p)Anyone else noticed a big increase in performance thanks to the cooler weather?

Maybe it was all a dream :/

L0rdMike · 5 Jul 2006 at 22:51

Yeah on the RR day my car felt really slow, still made 270bhp but I just wasnt impressed, anyway went home that night around midnight and the acceleration was insane. I flew home blowing every other car away.

Fireblade2K4 · 5 Jul 2006 at 22:53

Cold Weather = Better performance

Hot Weather = Not so good performance

I really do feel it also in my ST200

Good job we don't get a LOT of hot weather

Stu

austinpowers · 5 Jul 2006 at 22:56

See... I knew there was a reason my vitesse only made 187bhp/196ftlb on the hot day at powerstation

Fireblade2K4 · 5 Jul 2006 at 22:57

austinpowers said:
See... I knew there was a reason my vitesse only made 187bhp/192ftlb on the hot day at powerstation

Yup it does have a negative effect on performance

Stu

panthro · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:05

Any car that is intercooled will definitely feel it on a cold day as the air is much denser......and cooler (obviously

)

Dr House · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:06

I notice the difference more in the TT then I do in the Golf which had a larger engine.
It does make quite a noticeable difference between 5 and -5’C the fuel consumptions also goes up a little.

On a nice cold evening if want to take the car out for a real hard blast around the country roads of Prague I normally put octane 100 fuel in adjust the ECU timings and increase the boost pressure a little

MrSix · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:08

L0rdMike said:
Yeah on the RR day my car felt really slow, still made 270bhp but I just wasnt impressed, anyway went home that night around midnight and the acceleration was insane. I flew home blowing every other car away.

Next time you're up in brum on 'business' and it's a little cooler, you ARE taking me out for another spin.

paradigm · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:10

Mine was really bogged down with the heat for the RR day, and infact has been noticable slower for the last few hot weeks.

I want some colder air again dammnit!

Liverpool-Lad · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:11

panthro said:
Any car that is intercooled will definitely feel it on a cold day as the air is much denser......and cooler (obviously )

Same goes for any engine.

paradigm · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:11

Liverpool-Lad said:
Same goes for any engine.

You will not feel it anywhere near the same amount on a N/A engine.

EDIT: Infact on 99% of N/A engines I bet you won't feel a thing.

L0rdMike · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:11

It really does feel like a massive difference, might not be much on paper from a dyno but the feel of being forced back into your seat.

As for the lift I will take you out in it again sometime, just dont know when. I got a lot of work so wont be going up so much now so might have to be the next meet I see you at.

Jez · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:14

panthro said:
Any car that is intercooled will definitely feel it on a cold day as the air is much denser......and cooler (obviously )

Ah there we go then, my car is an intercooled turbocharged firebreathing beast

Firestar_3x · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:16

I've noticed the diff these past few hot days in my car, seems to pickup slower just seems to lack power, hot weather + really poor mazda air pickup pipe = loose!

Liverpool-Lad · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:18

paradigm said:
You will not feel it anywhere near the same amount on a N/A engine.

EDIT: Infact on 99% of N/A engines I bet you won't feel a thing.

Of course there will be a difference, but you should be able to feel the extra power with almost any engine with lots of cold air entering the intake.

panthro · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:20

paradigm said:
You will not feel it anywhere near the same amount on a N/A engine.

EDIT: Infact on 99% of N/A engines I bet you won't feel a thing.

I feel bugger all on mine cos if its a cold day, then chances are its usually wet and my wheels will just spin

Dr House · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:21

i don’t notice it much in the golf 2.3 N/A compared to the TT 1.8T but that my be in my head

Simon · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:30

I was surprised your Mr2 made so much power, didn't think it would make that much in the heat.

paradigm said:
You will not feel it anywhere near the same amount on a N/A engine.

EDIT: Infact on 99% of N/A engines I bet you won't feel a thing.

Can sure feel a difference on mine tonight, much cooler. You should notice it on any car. More oxygen and hence more fuel. Obviously it is gonna be faster

My Rover is stupid on a cold day, loads and loads of power when the turbo comes in, just grip is usually a problem lol

Jonnycoupe · 5 Jul 2006 at 23:34

Liverpool-Lad said:
Of course there will be a difference, but you should be able to feel the extra power with almost any engine with lots of cold air entering the intake.

Indeed, mines got razor sharp throttle in the cold.

Nozzer · 6 Jul 2006 at 00:00

paradigm said:
You will not feel it anywhere near the same amount on a N/A engine.

EDIT: Infact on 99% of N/A engines I bet you won't feel a thing.

I disagree. My Lotus feels noticably quicker to accelerate on cool days. Recently it's felt very sluggish.