BlackC230Coupe

I am hoping when i get my pully with all my settings on base with my usual 93 octance i will never get and knocking. Especially since i floor my car a couple times a day.

Outland

What do you mean?

I can't think of any reason for nearly ANY manufacturer to hold back on power and performance... The performance market, particularly in small cars is about to explode, even companies like Saturn will be offering a turbocharged Coupe with over 215HP and a lot less wieght than the C-Coupe is carrying. MB name or not, power is important to the customer. The G35 offers 88 more HP for a price not too far where the C230 sells at.

DCX should be looking at upping the C230 into the 250+ range, not lowering it.

Outland

Youve got two things to worry about...spark advance/retard , and fuel mixture...both can cause knocking.

Fuel mixture is the one I would worry about. Several people have had a/f tests show the car runs slightly lean at WOT after a pulley install. The spark should take care of itself just fine with the base settings.

DCXdynodog

They're getting squeezed pretty hard by the Environmentalists. MB have heavy cars with relatively poor mileage so the major goal for them is to up their mileage average. That's why engines are getting smaller.

They also like to charge major $$ for power, they just don't understand this market IMO, and they move kinda slow-our coupes come with a cassette player in 2003-enough said?

If Chrysler had taken over MB you would have some real fun!

The SRT4 has good power and a 6cd in dash HU-so it can't cost that much to provide these things
(and you will be able to buy an affordable power upgrade through MOPAR with a proper factory cal- no guessing/speculating- gee, do I have enough fuel?)

Outland

Here or in Europe? The A-Class has nothing to be ashamed about...nor does the C-class. If its from here, that explains the A-Class coming. I've heard there's an A-Class roadster and Coupe coming, along with more normal styling and packaging- true?

They should look into other technologies before downrating the power...downsizing them doesn't imediately mean less power. I think its going to require a change in their thinking however. Superchargers will have to give way to turbochargers...higher final drive ratios, better aerodynamics...

Doesn't DCX's US and Japan operations earn them a little slack? I think it would be better to offer a base motor that's more fuel efficient, but don't require everyone to buy it with just that motor...or does that make too much sense?

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They also like to charge major $$ for power, they just don't understand this market IMO, and they move kinda slow-our coupes come with a cassette player in 2003-enough said?

I think that's an understatement ...but, 2 years ago, I never would have even considered a Benz...they have come a long way just with the C230K. And theyve managed to overcome the stigma of the 318 hatch's demise by offering a much better car, with much better performance and styling. They still have room for improvement...if they could just get that point thru some thick skulls back in germany.

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If Chrysler had taken over MB you would have some real fun!

Agreed...but I don't know if that management team(the ones that sold chrysler down the river) would have done any better.

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The SRT4 has good power and a 6cd in dash HU-so it can't cost that much to provide these things
(and you will be able to buy an affordable power upgrade through MOPAR with a proper factory cal- no guessing/speculating- gee, do I have enough fuel?) [/B][/QUOTE]

If they had made that in a two-door, I'd have been interested. The power is incredible...SCC got over 215HP AT THE WHEELS! Thats more than what the motor is rated for AT THE CRANK! I think they will sell as many as they can build.

DCXdynodog

You are correct, but if you downsize an engine by lets say...hypothetically of course...50%...your gonna lose some driveability. The torque curve took a big hit with the 1.8L, I can easlily feel the difference in driving a 2.3 vs 1.8 coupe.

We just commissioned a new wind tunnel here which had to cost a few $$. It was planned before the merger and thankfully they let us build it, that could help DCX gain an edge. (it's just awesome too)

Makes too much sense :p

Who knows? Chrysler was getting kinda fat-n-lazy, but...
Eaton and Shrimp should be in jail for fraud. Period.
Many of our best selling new products (i.e. PT Cruiser) were set in motion by that team. We lost a lot of good talent in that fiasco and it caused many too "freeze in place" without knowing what they were supposed to do and could or couldn't do. A lot of productive time was lost just as the economy nosed over-bad timing indeed. There is no real sharing of "best practices" and they really don't want to admit that we can do some things better than they can. ( of course we can certainly learn things from them too, no one has all the answers)

100% agreement


Yup, most likely the power came from the fact they sprayed the intercooler during that test. We run at a constant conservative inlet temp during the cal process. (the engineer mentioned in the article is one that I work with so I have done some of the cal work on that engine) It runs very good and is quite durable as well.

Outland

Yeah, I had the same experience driving the 03...it doesn't have that big motor feel like the 2.3 does below 3500...the 2.3 feels like a six, and will pull anywhere in the rev band. The 1.8 is dead below 3000.

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Makes too much sense :p

I used to work at a company where the unofficial moto was "we spell quality with a small q, and if it makes sense, we don't do it".

No, it wasn't MB

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Who knows? Chrysler was getting kinda fat-n-lazy, but...
Eaton and Shrimp should be in jail for fraud. Period.

Yup!!!!!

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There is no real sharing of "best practices" and they really don't want to admit that we can do some things better than they can. ( of course we can certainly learn things from them too, no one has all the answers)

I think the Germans still look down on the american operation as the country cousins. I'd put my GC up against there ML anyday!

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Yup, most likely the power came from the fact they sprayed the intercooler during that test. We run at a constant conservative inlet temp during the cal process.

What temp? And how much of a boost do you get with keeping the intercooler 'chilly'?

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(the engineer mentioned in the article is one that I work with so I have done some of the cal work on that engine) It runs very good and is quite durable as well.

Like Ive said in numerous other posts, I give Chrysler Kudos for having the ***** to build such a gutsy car, and sell it for so little. There's going to be a lot of fried rice after these things hit the streets. Now, take that motor, and put it in a nicer looking car :-) Build the Razor !