Incredible Throttle Response at Highway / Mach 2 speeds

[Jlaa]

It took me a few years of owning this car, but I think I finally understand *Why* this car is so awesome on the highway.

Throttle Response. The throttle response on this car on the highway is fantastic. Superior to anything else I've driven. And I think I finally understand why:

• 4th gear is 1:1. No overdrive.
• Which means at highway speeds, you are always on cam. Never off cam.
• Natural Aspiration - no intake piping to pressurize as in a turbocharged car.
• Big torque - v8
• And --- something I never thought of until today - NO LOCKUP TORQUE CONVERTER. No locking function means not having the wait for the transmission to unlock. Press the gas, and you get more revs. Engine already on cam. With big torque.

I never thought about the non-locking torque converter until today.

 

[TerryA]

When you want to have a little fun it can be a real kick in the ass to drive. Something I recognized on my first day of ownership.

Some here make great mileage claims about thier cars. I’ve never gotten great gas mileage with my car because I can’t keep my foot from mashing the gas peddle.

 

[whipplem104]

Your converter has little to no benefit unlocked above its stall speed and Is a loss at higher rpms. Once you are at higher RPMs it consumes more energy that it multiplies.

 

[Jlaa]

Your converter has little to no benefit unlocked above its stall speed and Is a loss at higher rpms. Once you are at higher RPMs it consumes more energy that it multiplies.

Yeah - I mean, I get pretty poor mileage in my car (usually around 15-16 mpg per tank of gasoline) and lack of lockup means more efficiency loss --- my observation about the lack of lockup, though, is that one doesn't need to wait for the trans to unlock and for the revs to jump when moderately depressing the gas pedal at high speeds. That quality gives a sense of immediacy that's lost on modern cars.

That immediacy, incidentally speaking, is what make electrics cars such a hoot!

 

[Allgonquin]

I like the "snarl" starting at about 3000 rpm and climbing. But in top gear it starts to get very illegal at those speeds.