I recently drove from Atlanta to Chicago in less than 8 hours When I left Atlanta it was 60 degrees when I got to Chicago it was 17 degrees and the wind chill factor was 0 degrees. I have driven in cold weather in Atlanta we have had some mornings in the 20s but this was an unbelievable feeling. While I was in Chicago if I would gun from a stop or even @ 20 miles an hour the tires would intermittenly spin until my shift to second, What I am saying is as my MPHs increased I still could hear the tires breaking loose ( in the 35-50mph range. Shifting into second just threw me and a 230lb friend back into our seat, I am about 225 lbs.

This was not the car I left Atlanta in, so much throttle response so much torque so much pull. As I paraded around the streets of Chicago that weekend I prayed that my car would still be a monster when I returned to Atlanta. I was thinking maybe the fact of getting it on the road and running in the 100+ range most of the trip just "cleaned out" the engine because I drive a total of 3 hour aday in traffic "Welcome to Atlanta" so I assumed my ECU adjusted it self and I officially had a Factory Freak.


No deal I get back to Atlanta and the thrill is gone. If I gun it @ 20 she hawls buttock but she ain't breaking the tires loose like in CHI-town. So either you midwest/Northeast are monsters in the winter or just the combination of a gradual temp drop 50 degrees over 7hours(while driving) made my car a temporary factory freak.

Because if I was driving now what I drove in Chicago I would be breaking my neck to get to the track.

Kind of long huh........


Later

 

Yeah, the VQ LOVES a cold, dry day. Do you actually get dry days in ATL? I visited one summer, and the humidity was killer, worse than a NY summer.

DW

 

The reason your car was spinning the tires so much in Chicago was becuase your tires were not stiking to the cold street. When the rubber on the tires gets cold it loses a ton of it's traction.

 

That combined with the cold air you engine is breathing is why you spin your tires so easily.

 

What he said. I have first hand experience of that from riding my motorcycle. When it's warm outside, I whack the throttle in first, the tire grips and the bike wheelies. Do it on a cold day (the handful of those we have here in Texas) and I get nothing but wheelspin.

 

the throttle response either.

 

I agree, it's not just the tires getting loose, but the throttle is so much more responsive! I feel it all the time in Chicago, that's why I love driving when it's cold outside! I can't explain it, but it feels the exact opposite as sluggish. So much more that I even think it sounds better!

I read somewhere on some uh....acura...techy site (please don't flame!) about the correlation between cold air and power. It stated that generally, for every 10 degrees difference in the ambient temperature outside, your ECU will compensate with more fuel and you will feel about a 1% increase in power.

If normal intake temperatures are around 60 degrees, and it's in the 10's outside, well that's a few percent of 155hp which is substantial!