It would seem that way. Kinda weird that the USA market got the shortest ratio. Why Swiss has the tallest.. No idea.
I thought I'd add this on 1st gear getting useless. For sure as engine torque goes up 1st get less useful, but many parking lots around here will have 5mph signs.....my car doesn't go 5 without the clutch pressed.....it goes 12-15 with the new gear ratio, which looks close to 328CH. When I 1st got the car (US QV) and put on decent but not great tires launching in 1st I needed 4500-5000 rpm, so right at the torque peak (180ftlbs?) to take the tires loose....so 1st gear was perfect. The 8-10 psi blower with the engine making about 360hp it needed 3000-3500 for a nice launch, it was very controllable and no longer needed me to dump the clutch. At 22-24psi blower making about 500hp so about 400 ftlbs, 1st gear was had to use, launch was 2000-2500 and I really had to watch boost and stay under 10, but in 2nd I could ring it to 3000-3500 and just go! much like the 8-10pis setup did in first. I've not yet really tried with the new 5.4l, new gearing, and wider stickier tires, but 1st is controllable if the throttle stays below about 1/2 but I suspect 2nd is the fastest straight line launch.
The US is drag racing is quite popular here and the US ratio optimized 0-60 times would be my guess for the choice i the US market.
Maybe.. But what's sucky is that for the US to hit 60 you're winding the engine out to 8k and on the QV & 328 I think you'll need to grab 3rd or wind her out passed the rev limit.. stock is 7800.. so that might be right at 58-60mph unlike the euro and Swiss.
Agreed, up to 325-350 1st is still useful, beyond that and esp at 500+.. depending on the tq curve, 2nd gear launch saves time short shifting 1st and losing traction. But for big tire smoking burn outs..1st is loads of fun! Nothing like a little redneck fun in a Ferrari!
Right now 1st is too short for my stock engine. An indication for me of a gear being to short in any car is if I can just let the clutch up without pressing the throttle we have too much mechanical advantage. If I pull away from a light at the speed the rest of the traffic moves at, I make it half way through an intersection and need to shift unless I want to shift at 5 or 6K - which I don't when Im just driving home from work. My RC30 for example will do 82 MPH in first gear, I dont need it that tall but I do need to change it from stock. I'll probably end up with drop gears from Modena Engineering.
That will be a monster! Can't wait to see it. Do they offer helical or only straight? Straight will likely be loud in an annoying to drive kind of way??? But if the exhaust is done correctly I guess you'd never hear the gears
It would be cool if there was a gear set that could go in the transfer case that was reversible like a Winters quick change...
