Quote:
Originally posted by yhliem
atatexan,
i've gone from drivign a 500e to the 16v back to a 500e and yes, a big v-8 will leave the 201 in the dirt, but the 201 is more nimble than a 124. they're different types of car. the 16v was designed to nibble at, not gobble up the road.
the 2.3-16 may not be the ultimate car, but it's still fun to drive and has a personality that's all its own. 
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The little 16 valver does nibble up the road and doesn't gorge up like a 500E....but being designed as a "rally" car the little 201 does an excellent job on roads with tight radius turns and switch backs....During April of this year I drove my 1985 16 valver from Cherokee N.C. to Gatlinberg TN up US 441 thru the Great Smoky Mountains National Park..25 miles of mountain road built for the little 16 valver...using 2nd and 3rd gear most of the time and holding the power band between 4500 to 5500 rpm the car had just a bit of under steer in the tight turns..and I could feel the ground effects working as it would seem to know the exact spot to keep low on approaching the apex of a turn...the car always felt like it had a small reserve of power during the steep climbs..(up to 6500rpm's during this segment).. what really surprised me was the feeling that the car was commading the road to its will ....but I did start to experience some brake fad towards the end of the run...all and all with 108000 miles on the clock I feel the car aquitted itself quite nicely in an enviorment for which it was designed....and the best part...it got me back home to Sarasota FL with no problems....on the interstate the engine felt most comfortable in the 90 to 100mph range...its no 500E on the straights...its a nibbler.....keep the revs up and stay safe.