AGV70R Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 I think the additional item that contributes to the big turning circle is the transversely mounted 5-cylinder motor. A little extra room (e.g. gained from a narrower drivetrain) would allow the front wheels to pivot a bit more & significantly reduce the turning radius/diameter. I assume the AMG E Class has a V8 oriented parallel to the car's length?My super-duty work trucks feel more nimble than the R when it comes to negotiating tight parking spaces! But I'm ok with that, the occasional parking-spot nuisance is more than offset by other benefits. - Markedit . . . Doug apparently types faster than I do . . .Yes but the the xc70 has the same engine layout and size right? but the V70R just has a bigger turbo and other tweaks that (I think - not sure though) shouldn't impact the physical dimenesions. -GeorgeBut like you said Mark, its a tiny sacrifice for the rest of the package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexD Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 The 2.5L motor in the S40/V50 is not the same as the R's. It is a compacted version with reduced length. Allowing for a few additional inches of wheel turn-in would make a noticable difference in turn radius.While it's true it's not exactly the same total engine package, it is the same block. Which leads again back to say that it's a design issue since the same block could have been packaged smaller. Also, there is enough room in the design to have massaged everything in the engine bay around to have made it more compact. All excuses aside, it really is a design issue, they could have given the car a smaller turning radius if they wanted to. Another case in point is the new S80 with the shoe-horned V8, the new inline 6 and the venerable 5 cylinder. It has a turning radius of 36.75 feet with the I5 and I6 and 40 feet with the V8 (the new S80's track is only slightly larger than our V70R). Our model suffers from design priorities that did not include the turning radius, but did include room under the hood for the old 2.9L I6, which fits in the P2 chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Needsdecaf Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Yes but the the xc70 has the same engine layout and size right? but the V70R just has a bigger turbo and other tweaks that (I think - not sure though) shouldn't impact the physical dimenesions. -GeorgeAs Doug said, you're comparing different things when you're talking about the AMG vs. the R turning radius wise. I'm guessing the reason you didn't buy my original explanation is because it was an incomplete answer. I wasn't really discussing why the R had a bad radius, rather I was only addressing your original question of why it's got such a worse radius of a standard V70 or XC70. Hence my exclusion of the other problems...transverse engine, AWD, etc.As you said, there isn't anything in the engine bay or suspension that changes significantly between an R and the standard V70. It all comes down to the width of those wheels as well as the offset needed to clear the brakes. It's a big enough difference between the standard car and the R when you are look at the tire width and wheel offset. Big enough to prevent the wheels from turning far enough to make a decent radius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexD Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 As you said, there isn't anything in the engine bay or suspension that changes significantly between an R and the standard V70. It all comes down to the width of those wheels as well as the offset needed to clear the brakes. It's a big enough difference between the standard car and the R when you are look at the tire width and wheel offset. Big enough to prevent the wheels from turning far enough to make a decent radius.It has to be just the offset and the slight track difference, because the standard S60/V70 can be had with the same width wheels and tires without affecting the turning radius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGV70R Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 This is one heck of a mystery! -G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tzantushka1568908311 Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGV70R Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 FINALLY ..... an explanation that makes sense! -George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGV70R Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 One thing they did REALLY improve was the leather. I have the Nordkap color and its sooo soft and supple. First time I saw it I just thought it was black. Then I saw it in a different light and it looked like a dark metallic blackish blue - stunning. All the colors seem very unique. Kudos to Sven, Klaus and Joerg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob1568908302 Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Hmmm this thread is great, but we could spin off a separate one just to discuss the turning radius from around post number 24....http://www.v70r.com/forums/index.php?showt...d=25283&st=20? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGV70R Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 To sum up - a wicked fast scalpel cloaked in a comfortable cozy cardigan that only reveals its true self at a moment of the driver's choosing. Today I go for 3 day work getaway on the highways between Chicago and Wisconsin and I'm just at 1500 miles. The only downside is the temps are going to be in the 100s.The heat seems to slow down the car of the mark slighlty but not as much as I feared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Bradstreet Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Regarding turning radius, I purchased a '92 Nissan Altima SE back in '92 (imagine that?!). It had a sportier suspension than the standard Altima. I loved the car but it had an awful turning radius. Why? Mainly because of the suspension differences compared to the standard Altima. I always figured the current R had a bad turning radius for the same reason -- including changes to the engine compartment. But ultimately, I figured the big difference was the suspension and how it affects the angle the wheels can end up turning. Add engine compartment, suspension, track and tire width and you have enough to explain a bit of difference, I guess, but I wouldn't have expected the difference to be as big as it is.According to the Volvo website, the standard V70 has a 39-foot circle and the R has a 43.3-foot circle. That's almost a 4.5-foot difference! If I have the right numbers, my 2000 R has a 37.7-foot turning circle. I've driven the XC70 and an 2005 R, but I didn't drive the R enough to get a feel for the difference in radius. Still, I think I'll buy the next generation regardless of the turning circle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix R Posted August 2, 2006 Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pm2000541568908310 Posted August 2, 2006 Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGV70R Posted August 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 I just ordered my second mod - IPD Black Door Pins with R logo! - I wonder how many extra HP Im going to be seeing ? Not mention the better handling, since the IPD door pins are lighter so I've probably lower the center of gravity of the car by one MILLIONTH of an inch. skid pad here I come Seriously, their first batch ran out but they're expecting a new shipment in a few days.-George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGV70R Posted August 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2006 Just got back from a 120 mile each way drive on the highway this past week. Average speed 67 - 70 mph - Avg mpg 20 - 21.I have < 1900 miles. and I haven't changed out the factory oil (& wont be till 3500 mies)I was able to use cruise once in a while but there were a lot of semi-trucks with lane closures as well. Does the mpg seem good given speed? Thanks.I did notice above 80mph you pretty well need adavanced mode if you want to do any fast lane chnages.I love the sport button - but an improvement would be to make the little light more bright or to make the button by vissually clear whether its on or not by how far it is depressed. Other than that it was a joy getting past people in mini vans in the left lane who drove just fast enough so you couldnt pass them with a normal car. -George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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