Test drove an XRS today

Test drove an XRS today

Nice car, but it kinda suffered from bad timing, because I just took a ride in Mike's (hookedup96rolla's) turbo MR2 the other day. While it doesn't compare to the MR2, it was still a cool car to drive. The seating position is too high to be a real performance car IMO, although the engine, tranny and clutch all felt great.

Maybe someone can school me on how VVTL-i works, but I didn't really feel a changeover in engine tone or tenacity when I took it in the higher rev range. Does the VVTL-i change the cam/lift profile instantly at some point, like VTEC? With some mods, this might be a nice car, but for the money, I think I'd try to save up a little and get a WRX. Anyone else driven one?

You should feel it at ~6200rpm, IIRC. How high did you rev it?

I took it all the way to the red line and actually bounced off the limiter in 2nd gear. lol It was fun as hell to drive, but I didn't really get to push it past 50 or so.

XRS is really fun to drive. To get the most out of it. Just rev it all the way to redline. lol

Btw, dyno shows that lift kicks in at around 6700~6800rpm

Damn, it kicks in that late? Wow thats a pretty short burst of power. What is the rev limiter on the XRS set too?

seemed like when I was bouncing off the rev limiter it was somewhere around 8000...

The rev limiter is at 8200 isn't it? I drove 7MGTTE's XRS and it pulled pretty nice, I like that lift feature.

Unlike the steady pull from idle to redline in a VVT-i powered Corolla, the VVTL-i pulls OK from off idle - drops a bit before the change over and you get a strong surge all the way to redline. Also depends on how many miles were on the car to begin with as well - best "feel" when the engine is not too green or too loose. The feel is like a sequential turbo setup from an RX-7 when you jump on the gas in higher gear at highway speed. Nothing like the ON/OFF switch off power from large single turbo setups like on a Porsche 930 or some aftermarket setups.

All the green XRS I test drove didn't have too much of a pull (from the butt dyno) at the switch-over point and made more exhaust noise. But the speedo showed differently. After you give it a good break-in the jump becomes more pronounced. I kind of like it - but then, I'm comparing it to my VVT-i Corolla. If I just stepped out of a higher powered car (example - I stepped out of a S4 at Carmax and tested an Corolla XRS - felt like I was driving my Corolla) then you probably would not notice the switch over point.

I'm running 8psi of boost on my 01 Corolla and it pulls like a bull all the way from 2k to 6k. I need to find me a frisky XRS on the freeway so I can really see what thoes guys got.

too bad u don't live in co...I'm always frisky on the highway...either in the xrs or the supra...rev limiter on xrs is 8200 and lift kicks in at about 6700-6800...only a 1400 rpm range for the extra power....

Would the equivalent of a VTEC controller be able to lower to RPM that lift kicks in?

This car only had 134 miles on it, so it was very green. Maybe the changeover is better when the car is more broken in.

Yeah, why kick lift in so late in the game. Why not enable that bad boy earlier. Unless it completely ruins the effect of a surge of power which is what they were going for maybe. I don't know. I should drive one sometime and see what the deal is.

There was a discussion on lower the switchover point on the XRS - but almost all attempts ended with reduced power output. A custom cam with a reprogrammed engagement point would probably be viable - but the costs associated with that would be immense. I'd like to see some aftermarket company do something like that for people that want to stay N/A, but with forced induction solutions for the 2ZZGE already in place - not much incentive to do that.

Wow. The 2ZZ is 11.5:1 compression ratio, that is pretty damn high. I thought the 1ZZ was very high and its only 10:1. I wonder if anyone is reporting turbo problems on the 2ZZ because it is such high compression?

http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/elise/thecar/engine/toyota.html

the new IS250/350 is running 12:1(IS250)/11.8:1(IS350) compression ratio...

Wow.

I don't think the vtec controller would work with the vvtl-i, due to it's a completely different system. Although it works pretty much the same as vtec. There's a computer out there that does lower the rpm where lift kicks in at, but I have yet to find it. maybe mr vortex could help us out on that one....

I drove one in May last year when they hit the lot. It was alright. Definetly nicer thatn my S, but not enough hp and goodies for me to justify trading in. I agree although the lift was pretty cool, it is nothing compared to the kick of a good turbo kit. Also, I am weary about high- revving engines like that...Granted it may be designed to drive like that, but I can't help thinking how short the engine life will be on the XRS models, what from every trying to drive them like they're Mario Andretti.

That is true, everyone drives them like an insane mad man because they crave that lift so bad and the only way to get it is to take it ot the edge

Obviously a VTEC controller wouldn't work... that's why I said the equivalent of a VTEC controller for VVTi.

I'm sure Apex'i will come out with something to work with VVTLi/VVTi.

Ask and you shall recieve, works on all VVT-I/VVTL-I cars. http://www.edoperformance.com/store/index.php?art=13

the vvtl-i is a great idea...just sucks on delivery. I've driven several and you can feel it punch in but once you shift right before rev limiter, you drop outta the vvtl-i range...you get back in range fairly quick but that slight drop kinda makes you go "awe man"

Yeah, I'm glad I got a small turbo (GT25R) cause it spools so fast that after I shift and punch it I'm hitting the full 8psi again instantly. I mean the needle on the guage goes up so fast you almost cant even see it

niiiiice....nothing worse than feeling the pull...shifting...and feeling yourself go forward...GAH I hate that...stupid underpowered car...need to get off my ass and finish my project...er...get started

*slaps forehead

obviously there's no comparison from lift to turbo but it's a nice feature to have WHEN you're boosted though..... not sure if it'll maybe mess with the lift range when u turbo a vvtl-i motor or something

Nintey Four.... I'll have to take you for a ride in mine.

To really enjoy driving a XRS you'd need to get the tein coil-overs, get a short shifter, and get better tires.

I can drive my car at 8 or 9 tenths no problem. Driving it 10 tenths makes the brakes overheat/temporarily warp, and the whole car will creep outwards when cornering too fast for the tires (not just the front or just the rear).

Things that suck when it comes to hammering this car are the the lack of telescoping wheel, tall seating position (though it is improved when you lower the car), and soft clutch pedal. You can get a racing seat with a shallow cushion and a performance clutch with braided steel lines (I THINK I saw them somewhere).