Quote:
Originally posted by y2kimmel
There is no way that a 2.82 rear end in that car could give a 0-60 time SLOWER than a U.S. spec 2.24 rear end.
|
Agreed, that figure caught me off-guard as well. I thought the publisher might have inadvertantly swapped specs with the 500E listing (225 width tire, 2.82 rear end), but the trend was not consistent. In fact - now really cursing my lack of camera - the spec table had a breakout of effective gear ratio in each of the four driving gears. I will try to find the magazine online later today using some non-english search engines.
With regards to the confusing 0-60 spec - In Europe, it was common practice to "underrate" manufacturer published specifications for a number of reasons. Given that these are test numbers rather than quoted specs, the lower acceleration might be caused by an inexperienced or conservative driver.
Also keep in mind that 100kph is quite close to the posted limit on major highways (120-130 in NL, 140 on the autobahn in DE), so greater low-end torque with a quick 0-100 is not as relevant to the market there as in the States. Another reason why (if true), the 2.82 in a highway cruiser does not make sense.
-dm