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Comparing cars from a manufacturer in stock form is OK in my mind, but comparing cars and then allowing for the fact that one was modified and the other was not does not make sense to me. Also, since those modifications might not even be legal depending on where the car is registered and driven,it makes it even more of a stretch.
260-280 HP for the Saab engine sounds pretty reasonable as far as being able to make that power over a reasonable lifespan, and still deliver both decent fuel economy and reliability. 300-310? That is pushing it, and if It were really possible, Saab would have done it,since the competition is out there with that kind of power.
480? Holy hand grenade Batman? Bringing my car in to the shop for an oil change and a transmission is not on my list of things to do.
For years, hot rodders have been able to obtain huge power ratings from engines that are used for short term runs. 7,000 HP from a nitro burning dragster is good for about eighteen seconds of running time,five of them at full power.
Point of this is that unless a factory that is going to develop, certify, and warranty a powertrain puts it's stamp of approval on a particular configuration, it really doesn't matter. Even with a reputable firm like Hirsch, you are taking a gamble on thier being there five or six years out when you have 150,000 miles on your engine and it develops problems that do not show up in stock engines. This is not to say that they have bad intentions, but the fact is that any aftermarket tuner or accessory company can shift gears and go off in a different direction,leaving the owners of their prior products in the lurch.
No matter what you do with an AAudi 1.8,Saab, or whatever, the only good comparison I will use in evaluating one against the other is how they leave the factory, because that is where the engineering is done and fully tested, not in the aftermarket.
posted by 24.128.2...
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