To turbo fortwo owners.....

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Denis Williams on June 20, 2009 at 9:30pm

Mine does 60mph in about 9 seconds, it started out as the standard 84ps version (UK/Europe model) and then was "remapped" by RS-Parts in Germany, limiter is off and it has 112 ps now. It has done 117mph downhill, on the SatNav (as speedo stops dead at 100). And it surprises the $hit out of the Golf GTI brigade at the traffic lights.
Fuel consumption? well it still does 230 miles on a tank, a lot more if I can bear to drive "normally"

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on June 20, 2009 at 10:48pm

Dennis, you must drive on unlimited Autobahns...
Here in Australia, driving at over 100 kph is becoming a rare thing. OK... my pulse turbo has indicated 140 kph when needed to pass traffic on a short, uphill, overtaking lane... but one prays no police are around to take notice. With general 100 kph top speed limits and narrow, two lane highways, there's few places where the performance envelope of the 84hp turbo is really stretched, except for the brief few seconds from zero to 60 kph at the traffic lights. 0 to 100kph / 60 mph is not much use in daily driving. Factory quotes 0 to 100 kph in 10.9 secs. 80 to 120 kph is around 8 secs... highway overtaking. 0 to 60 kph is so quick I can't measure it (GPS doesn't log that, so I'm writing software to capture it) Generally: 0 to 60 kph is faster than most cars on the road and the turbo can be heard spinning down after the rush.

Daily commute driving hardly uses the turbo. The specs indicate more power and torque at lower rpm than the non-turbo. In factory mapping, the turbo is meant more for low end grunt while retaining economy than screaming performance... that's why it's a mild 84 bhp / litre and not the over 100 bhp / litre that fast remaps can achieve.

PS: for those that don't know: turbos can be remapped for pressure boost; non-turbos cannot... and that is the turbo appeal for speedsters.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by mr bad example on June 21, 2009 at 1:56am

you might want to talk to smartgurl, she recently did a turbo, ian's is quite mild compared a US turbo conversion. the turbo smartmadness is selling puts the smart normal turbo to shame. for about $1200 you can make your smart faster/quicker than a euro-turbo smart (new exhaust, intake and ECU remap) and not void the warranty. the turbo smartmadness sells will double your HP, god knows what it will do to your clutch life if you really stomp on the gas.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on June 21, 2009 at 2:22am

hi mr bad,
yep... the clutch is one concern... but my main one would be wheels and tires.

I did the Cairns to Townsville round trip when my car was a week old and I was a bit wary of pushing the performance because the car felt light on the road. Brakes were not worn in, neither were the tires.

I did the same trip this weekend, after a 8k of break in. Gone is the black disc brake dust. The car now sticks on the road like glue. Hands off the wheel driving at speed is not a worry. It tracks true and safe. But that's with the bigger pulse standard wheels and tires... not the skinny US pure and passion standard. I'd be a bit wary of doubling the horses and not beefing up the wheels and tires. So... add another $1k to replace the US wheels?

I have no idea what the factory turbo engine has added besides the external turbo bits. Probably the same pistons and bearings as the NA... ? The turbo has an intercooler and added sensors, so USD1200 sounds like a bargain. I paid AUD2000 for the factory turbo. (1 AUD bought over 0.9 USD last year)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by mr bad example on June 21, 2009 at 1:56pm

the aftermarket turbo here is set for 8psi boost and gives 115HP at the wheels and costs $3500 USD. the front tires are what would bother me. sooner or later, i'm putting 185/60-15's all around, these are the standard tire for the old MB 190E which is over 1000 pounds heavier than the smart.

▶ Reply to This