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I would be interested to hear from other import owners just to compare, because I think mine is a rare bird. 5th Gear, exactly 3000 revs = 100 Kms (+/_ 62 mph).
Probably a bit of a dumb question,but why does the import have a lower speed at 3K than a UK Turbo? Seems like a huge difference in performance at that speed?????
Probably a bit of a dumb question,but why does the import have a lower speed at 3K than a UK Turbo? Seems like a huge difference in performance at that speed?????
Japanese cars are ECU restricted by Japanese law to 112mph/180kph which the ECU reads before passing onto the odometer. When they are imported they can be destricted by placing a speed delimiter (little electronic box) before the ECU reads the speed and affectly turns KPH into MPH ie. the restriction is now 180mph rather than 180kph. This also means that put a MPH sticker over the KPH sticker and you are sorted.
Anyway thats the background the reason the Japanese cars have lower ratios is the fact they stop at 112mph so you can lower the ratios to give much better aceleration and mid range i.e. less of a gap between the gear so you never drop out of the power band. A critism I had of my UK model was sometimes the lag between gear changes.
You would really be surprised how much of a difference in driveability it makes. Its just a pain on the motorway as its revving a little more and using a bit more fuel. Then agian it dont use mine on a motorway very often so I can live with that .
OK - we have a lot Japanese imports WRX's here in NZ .I dont know about the gear ratios of the ones sold new in NZ as I have never driven one, but would think they may be the same as the Jap ones. Obviously in England all the locally sold "English" cars ( or many ) have higher ratios than the Jap ones - is this difference to the final drive ratio, which effect all the gears , ot is it just one or two of the gearbox ratios - ie is just 5th higher to give lower revs at cruise ?
My Sti V4 does about 100km at 3000 rpm....
it could do with a 6th gear for 120km cruising...