Any other way to ID a V8 besides the badge?

Cool story, bro....but I think your Audi driving co-worker must not have a clue how to drive a stick shift. His older generation Audi isn't as fast as the new ones today, but it's still faster than a V8 4Runner. And believe me, the 2.0T engine isn't anything to brag about...it's decently quick, but it's not what I consider a fast car at all.

And at speeds of 90 MPH and higher, the 4Runner is at an even bigger disadvantage because it's about as aerodynamic as a brick. Once you approach triple digit speeds, pushing through the air becomes more even more difficult for a 4Runner.

That older generation of Audi was one year newer then my truck… I just try to reiterate my point that there is not a ton of 4 cyl car (even with turbo) that can even try to race V8 4Runner.
I totally agree with aerodynamic disadvantages of the 4Runner at the high speed, but in my experience with this truck as well as end results of race with Audio is just another proof of how good that V8 is… ;):


P.S. Like I said I do not like the guy… but he is really good with stick shift and he knows how to drive … not only his car but his motorcycle as well, as I have done one day bike trip with him…
 
That older generation of Audi was one year newer then my truck… I just try to reiterate my point that there is not a ton of 4 cyl car (even with turbo) that can even try to race V8 4Runner.
I totally agree with aerodynamic disadvantages of the 4Runner at the high speed, but in my experience with this truck as well as end results of race with Audio is just another proof of how good that V8 is… ;):


P.S. Like I said I do not like the guy… but he is really good with stick shift and he knows how to drive … not only his car but his motorcycle as well, as I have done one day bike trip with him…

Well, I don't know what to tell you then. All I can say is that even his older generation Audi (which is a B7) should still be quite a bit faster than a V8 4Runner. And the newer generation engine (B8) should be even faster. I have the B8 engine in my A5 and believe me when I say that a V8 4Runner wouldn't stand a chance. These Audi engines aren't exactly HP monsters, but they do make a lot of torque at a very low RPM. My engine makes like 260 lb. ft. of torque at just 1500 RPM and stays at the same peak level of torque all the way through 4500 RPM. That's why the car feels much faster than you'd expect out of a 4-cylinder engine. The turbo boosts up right off idle with almost no lag at all. It's really just a high 14-second car off the showroom floor, but since it's a factory turbo car you can get big performance gains out of a simple tune. Guys are running low 14's and high 13's with nothing more than a performance tune (which raises the maximum boost pressure) on 91 octane fuel. And that's with the small factory turbo. A bolt-on turbo upgrade (KO4) can put the car into the low 13's. So it's definitely a good engine, but it's far from maxed out in stock form. None of this matters though because a V8 4Runner just ain't keeping up with any 14-second car, unless the 4Runner is modified to make significantly more power.

It's still seems funny to me that we're discussing acceleration of a 4Runner versus a car. I could see if we were talking about a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 or maybe a Trailblazer SS, but not a 4Runner!
 
The only way you can reliably tell if it is a v8 or v6 without popping the hood would be by the VIN.

In the spirit of the OP who is apparently comfortable with the .00374 statistical risk that a particular V8 badge will not actually indicate a V8, I'd say the hitch method works pretty well.
 
In the spirit of the OP who is apparently comfortable with the .00374 statistical risk that a particular V8 badge will not actually indicate a V8, I'd say the hitch method works pretty well.

True, but how hard is it to count five digits and look for a U or T? I mean the VIN is right on the windshield.
 
True, but how hard is it to count five digits and look for a U or T? I mean the VIN is right on the windshield.

Yeah, but then you'd actually have to get of your car and walk up close enough to read the VIN plate. The other methods at least let you know from a quick glance at the vehicle...
 
DSC03433.jpg~original
 
True, but how hard is it to count five digits and look for a U or T? I mean the VIN is right on the windshield.

I'd say it would be proportional to the speed and position of the 4Runner.

Kind of a reverse quantum law of 4Runner identification. You can know the momentum of the observed 4Runner if you know its position and you, unfortunately, are in the wrong one.:roadkill:
 
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Gotta chuckle at the V8 guys talking about blowing by other drivers on the road. Hopefully you guys are talking about other SUVs, right? I hope so because you're certainly not blowing by very many cars, even with a V8 4Runner. :hello:

That said, I did come across a V8 4Runner driver just the other day who tried his hardest to blow by me when I was in my other car (which is just a 4 cylinder) and it really did crack me up. I almost wanted to shout out my window to the guy to tell him that I'm a 4Runner owner too. But he was too far behind by that time :driving:

Don't race the 4runner, but meet me on the street sometime and would be more than glad to make you feel like, indeed you are driving a 4 banger.
Cobra wannabe
 

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Don't race the 4runner, but meet me on the street sometime and would be more than glad to make you feel like, indeed you are driving a 4 banger.
Cobra wannabe

LOL... I've said several times that my Audi isn't a fast car. I could very easily make it pretty damn fast, but I really don't care because it's not a car I bought to drag race and it's more than fast enough for me in stock form.

That said, I'm more of a road course guy than a drag racer anyways... and I'd love to see how you'd handle a nose-heavy car like that with those skinny little tires on a road course. Did you upgrade the brakes on that thing? It looks like a nice car, but I'd probably upgrade the brakes before even thinking about dropping a V8 in that car!
 
LOL... I've said several times that my Audi isn't a fast car. I could very easily make it pretty damn fast, but I really don't care because it's not a car I bought to drag race and it's more than fast enough for me in stock form.

That said, I'm more of a road course guy than a drag racer anyways... and I'd love to see how you'd handle a nose-heavy car like that with those skinny little tires on a road course. Did you upgrade the brakes on that thing? It looks like a nice car, but I'd probably upgrade the brakes before even thinking about dropping a V8 in that car!

Think you need to google The History of Sunbeam Tigers, it will enlighten your thinking, as to what it was developed for in the first place, a cheap road-course cobra killer, and it succeeded very well, for a total outlay of less than 5k, care to meet at road Atlanta, some weekend, maybe a little head to head, if you get my drift.... how bout 100K to sweeten the pot winner take all???? And by the way, the tires are for the street, also have a set of original wheels and tires, set up for the track use. Carroll Shelby, still has one and its one of his favorites.........and original sleeper from the 60's.
 
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Think you need to google The History of Sunbeam Tigers, it will enlighten your thinking, as to what it was developed for in the first place, a cheap road-course cobra killer, and it succeeded very well, for a total outlay of less than 5k, care to meet at road Atlanta, some weekend, maybe a little head to head, if you get my drift.... how bout 100K to sweeten the pot winner take all???? And by the way, the tires are for the street, also have a set of original wheels and tires, set up for the track use. Carroll Shelby, still has one and its one of his favorites.........and original sleeper from the 60's.

The only thing I know about the Sunbeam Tiger is that it's a relatively inexpensive British roadster. It was probably acceptable for 1960's performance, but today's performance cars would give it a spanking like no other. LOL. As for a Cobra killer...I don't think so. Those cars have NEVER been able to match a Cobra on the road course. Everybody knows that. Keep dreaming....
 
Note to self:

Don't get interested in a Shelby. The guy who wants to bet $100k can't afford one.
 

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