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2.8T owners: Is 340bhp enough for you?

5.7K views 39 replies 21 participants last post by  MrSTCS  
#1 ·
Well not strictly Saab, but there is no reason why this upgrade could be applied to the V6 Aero(?). It probably doesnt go round corners too well - but i bet it goes like greased lightening on the straight bits: [just to bring people up to speed the Vectra VXR uses the same engine as the V6 Aero if you had'nt already guessed!]

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No, your eyes are not deceiving you – this is the world’s fastest Vauxhall. What’s more, it’s a near- standard Vectra VXR that’s expected to be offered through selected dealers towards the end of this year.
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Capable of 186mph, it’s been built by German tuning legend EDS as part of a project involving race car firm 888.
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Capable of 186mph, it’s been built by German tuning legend EDS as part of a project involving race car firm 888. With 252bhp and 355Nm of torque, the stan-dard motor is already potent. But for those who want supercar performance, EDS has fitted a new turbocharger, worked its magic on the ECU, and modified the ex-haust to generate 340bhp and 500Nm.

Auto Express jumped at the chance to get an exclusive first drive in EDS’s development test car, and the performance differences are easy to spot. The car is noticeably more urgent, and you can really feel the surge in thrust as the turbo comes on boost. But it’s the acceleration in gear which is really impressive – particularly in fifth and sixth, where the ability to overtake or increase speed without changing down separates this model from a standard VXR.

However, away from the test track putting this much power through the front wheels asks a lot of the transmission and traction control. And with this in mind, EDS has programmed the standard VXR’s Sport button to be an on/off switch for the extra performance.

The tuned parts can be retro-fitted to an existing VXR, or ordered complete with a new car. Either way, the result will be most unlike your average Vectra.

Original Autoexpress link
888 racing
 
#6 ·
funny thing is, Clarkson tested a 9-5 (Aero i think) which did much thte same round the track and he almost praised the car for being 'impossible to crash' the footage is rather fun too....


<searching for a youtube thingy>


ahh theres a 2 part thing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH8vBUEv8h0 (ok well the first bit is just a gratuitous bit of top gearing!!) onto the 2nd part which is more of the actual test..... and I think he has let our secret out as welll :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsPKLDRhyDM see for yourselves!!
 
#7 ·
Clarkson can be a tool sometimes.

Yes, most FWD cars have moderate to heavy understeer. That's partially the issue of weight transfer and partially the way they're set up from the factory. (That's the whole "impossible to crash" bit, especially from guys accustomed to driving skid-happy RWD cars.)

Want to make the V6 Aero handle better? Add a thicker rear ARB, drop the car about an inch, widen the front track, and ****!

Neutral to slight oversteer.
 
#15 ·
Whatever they've done to the Vectra VXR would be applicable to the Saab Aero V6 - the two motors are identical and as JWLANKY suggests, only their software separates them. The V6 doesn't use trionic T8 so there is no reason to think that the mods to the Bosch system would be any less effective (in conjunction with the turbo mods).

Lots of turbo lag and understeer sounds like a nasty combination - difficult to meter the power to the right level. Bet its fun in a straight line though - Now imagine the faces of M3 drivers (... that's bound to get a response!)
 
#17 ·
The famous TopGear "look how it understeers!" bit is just ridiculous. You can provoke all cars to abnormal behaviour, FWD cars no exceptions.

Evo ran a comparo test between the Vauxhall VXR and 330i, Evo X-something and of course the Scooby-something... On the road the Vauxhall received loads of praise, and it was rated pretty close to the BMW. They did not complain about heavy understeer, only vague steering feel.

I think the Vauxhall and the Saab are well handling as long as you drive normally. That is of course a word non-compatible with the Funny Gang at TopGear...
 
#18 ·
Just having a 340hp Saab would be thrills enough for me - even if it wasn't practical - but how could everything work unless tailored to the Saab setup - aren't the sensors and other factors the engine management controls like traction control - speed warning sensors and the such different
 
#21 ·
ANTMAR said:
Just having a 340hp Saab would be thrills enough for me - even if it wasn't practical - but how could everything work unless tailored to the Saab setup - aren't the sensors and other factors the engine management controls like traction control - speed warning sensors and the such different
340 hp is a decent level for a family car, like my 2006 9-5 Wagon (310 whp, running on environmentally friendly Ethanol)...

Best regards,

KK
 
#24 ·
smurkenstein said:
Aye, how is the 9-5 on bioethanol? I asked my dealer recently and he didn't have the foggiest.....is the torque delivered evenly?
Runs very nicely. Slightly hesitant to turn over when cold, but always starts (eventually...:) ).

Power delivery is very even and linear. I have full torque (almost 460 Nm) at 3.000 rpm, and the torque curve is very nice and flat. Extremely "driveable" in everyday use.

Best regards,

KK
 
#25 ·
I had just received my first copy of Nines - the mag you get when you join the SCNA - there was a good article on Biopower and how most manufacturers vehicles perform poorly with the use of Ethanol but Saab apparently gets more from there Biopowered cars than their normally powered cars - I'll have to look up the percentages - but it is more hp and torque than using the traditional method.
 
#26 ·
ANTMAR said:
I had just received my first copy of Nines - the mag you get when you join the SCNA - there was a good article on Biopower and how most manufacturers vehicles perform poorly with the use of Ethanol but Saab apparently gets more from there Biopowered cars than their normally powered cars - I'll have to look up the percentages - but it is more hp and torque than using the traditional method.
E85 (85% Ethanol, 15% Gasoline) is a very suitable fuel for turbocharging (not to mention tuning) as it holds appr. 104 RON. This means that it can sustain higher boost levels and signifcantly more aggresive ignition timing.

My car delivers appr. 310-320 hp on 98 RON gasoline (judging from airflow figures) and a measured 344 hp (310 whp) on E85.

Sounds marvellous on E85, much more aggressive than a gasoline car of the same tuning level... :D

Best regards,

KK