nolan penney writes:
> However, there definately is something to the rumble and feel of a v-8,
> or a v-12 for that matter. My fathers Mustang has a rumble that no
> Triumph or Lotus is going to match. And a torque force that only comes
> with lots of rotating mass.
Therein lies the yin and yang of it. Of the many methods mankind has
used to scoot himself about over the years, nothing quite matches the
rumble of a BIG 'murrican V8. Driving milady's Mustang ('65
convertible, with the 2V 289 and Cruise-O-Matic) is certainly enjoyable,
but it also sharply focuses the reasons that I like my MGB so much.
Classic American V8s are the automotive embodiment of the American
mindset in many ways, especially when paired with a slushbox. They're
grossly excessive (nobody actually NEEDS 5 liters' worth of rotating
mass to bring home the groceries), relatively inflexible (they rarely
shove the tach needle past 3k rpm), and not particularly enamored with
efficiency (gas mileage? who needs it at $0.30 a gallon?).
But man, that torque. Nudge those butterflies open and you're THERE.
The throttle really becomes more of an on/off switch; the whole driving
experience becomes more like an afternoon in your favorite armchair,
letting your unused limbs flop about in the breeze while your right foot
assumes one of the two positions and the index finger of your steering
hand is constantly adjusting the 4-turns-lock-to-lock power steering to
keep you between the little white lines. It's an attitude.
And the flip side of that coin is represented by the nimble little
racers we usually talk about here. One the one hand you have a massive
engine generating massive torque and requiring a massive chassis to
control it; on the other you have a well-tuned small-displacement motor
working efficiently inside a lithe and (relatively) lightweight coccoon.
One man blasts the most direct route through; the other gracefully picks
his line with the care of a choreographer. One driver needs only a few
simple controls and a vast reserve of power; the other chooses instead
the car that lets him fine-tune to the demands of the road.
To appreciate sunshine you must live through rainy nights. To feel joy
requires having grieved. To tune in to the rapture of the buzzy
four-cylinder as it shrieks towards the loud end of the tach, subtly
flicking the tactile steering while the entire car follows exactly the
line you planned for it, you must have some understanding of the
philosophy behind the lumbering giants you so effortlessly weave your
way around.
--
Todd "Now where did I put that book of MG koans?" Mullins
Todd.Mullins@nrlssc.navy.mil On the lovely Mississippi (USA) Coast
'74 MGB Tourer in pieces (but getting there)
'65 Mustang convertible 2V 289 Cruise-O-Matic Americana-on-a-stick (hers)
"I could go at any time..."
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