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-   -   Excitement vs. Practicality: Your preference for engine performance (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/110459-excitement-vs-practicality-your-preference-engine-performance.html)

GTO's recent thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...eal-maker.html has handed over the winner's trophy to "Engine" as the One deal maker / MUST have / most desirable feature.

So what exactly is your idea of desirable engine performance? I think this can broadly be divided in two categories:

1. Excitement orientation with a rush of adrenalin: Refined engine loving enthusiastic high-revving; just floor the gas pedal and off you go!
2. Nirvana through effortless exhilaration: Excellent driveability with good low-end torque and preferably flatter torque-curve across the practical rpm range; little need for high-revving, just relax and still take the world on!

What's your preference? Excitement or Nirvana?

Pl. also let us know your preferred ride that gives you your kind of enjoyment.

On my part, I fell for Etios (P) for its effortless driveability.

I think both are desirable under different circumstances. For ex., an excitement oriented engine is preferable on trackdays where you want the performance, but for a daily drive vehicle, nirvana is better.

Nirvana anyday. Looking at the traffic we face everyday we need a car which does not need frequent gear shifts and enough torque at lower revvs to chug along when the traffic moves forward inch after inch. A high revving engine is useless in day-to-day bumper-to-bumper traffic.

For 9 am and 6 pm traffic Nirvana, for Expressway runs and Sunday drives Excitement !

For me, its a high revving engine. Love to hear the roar.
A high revving engine though desirable, usually lacks the high end punch. Shifting through gears more often to do any progress is not always what we always want.

My FIL's santro is one such car which is really high-revving in nature. It looks as though its ready to roar once you cut loose. It does for the initial bit but a little after 4K RPM, its of no use to rev it any further. Its all noise and no progress.

Excitement... coz excitement always leads to nirvana :D

Excellent thread RadiantKarma. For me it has to be 'Nirvana' driving pleasure personified. Though at times when I am on open roads i might prefer the high revving engines.

For me its Excitement. I just love the feel of sheer acceleration,even in heavy traffic condition. Even the sudden turbo spool in a diesel while floorin ght throttle sets the pulse racing(i loved it in Scorpio & Swift).

Recently I did the TD of the new Swift. I was redling in every gear and the sales representative was like :Shockked: and I was like :D.

To me Excitement is a wish, but Nirvana is need

Nirvana any day for me, as I don't find too many places where I can rev the engine beyond 4k rpm in Bangalore city roads.

I may be going against the tide, but I chose 'Excitement'.
To me, the fun of high revving the petrol engine is super fun that cannot be duplicated by any sensibility.

I high rev my Swift G series engine every now and then. Having said that, my next car will most certainly be a diesel sedan: For diesel running cost and torque on offer.

I'd like to generally maintain a balance between the two (by having multiple cars:D). If I were to have only one, I'll take high revving petrol.

PS: BTW, I am assuming that we are comparing apples to apples i.e. high revving petrol to torquey petrol. If diesels were to be brought into picture, then it will be a prejudiced comparison (coz of low diesel running cost)

Am I being too greedy to wish for both?. because:
An enthusiast cant do without a nice redline once in a while
And there is nothing like a good driveable engine.

For that reason, I might prefer the 1.6 ROCAM. :D

I am a sedate, defensive and considerate driver. Racing on our Indian roads: city or highways don't appeal to me.

Driving ease & pleasure, power available on tap for those extra passengers or heavy luggage during occasions, a long bond with the engine: these are much more important.

Nirvana, all the way!

A Diesel engine for me, which pulls from low down with a flat torque curve and is eager to revv to 5000rpm redline without complaining.

My list of favorite Diesels-
VAG 4.2 TDI
VAG 3.0 TDI
BMW 30d
BMW 20d
VAG 2.0 TDI

Smaller Diesels i love-
VAG 1.6 TDI
Hyundai 1.6 CRDI(offered in new Verna)- minus the lag
Hyundai 1.4 CRDI(Offered in i20/Verna) - minus the lag

Petrols-
The whole FSI/TFSI/TSI range
BMW straight 6 range
Honda 1.8/1.5/1.2 iVTEC

Absolutely agree with you. Still, what would you pick if you can't get the best of both the worlds - as often is the case?

Nirvana for sure. But then the engine should not be uninspiring at high speeds. I mean, the sound should still be smooth at all frequencies, it should not feel like the engine is going to burst out at higher RPMs.

To fit the bill, among engines, a refined diesel is what I long for. Even the hum of a diesel generator is music to my ears. The thump of the diesel rail engines are ecstasy.