Comments: 1-15, 16-27
I have a 2001 Echo coupe 5 speed. I'm curious about the Weapon-R air intake kits from nopi. com that a few of the earlier posts have referred to. I have no previous experience with upgrades of this sort, but have been looking for ways to increase the performance of the car. How hard is it / what is needed to install this type of upgrade? I'm interested because it appears to be a rather inexpensive way of adding performance to this car.
In august 2003 toyota will be launching a new echo.
This car will come in the form of a 3 door and 5 door hatchback.
With a turbo option.
Brings it up to 150 hp.
0 - 60 in 7 seconds.
I'd like to buy the turbo charged car from the dealer. Does anyone know if this is really an option? If so, what web page can this be found at? Do you sacrifice a lot of the gas mileage when you do the turbo charging additions? Or, only when you actually use them to go at faster speeds? Please email me at JamesMannheim@yahoo.com.
News & Features.
Toyota Echo Turbo
New Echo Sporty To A T
29/05/2002 09:13 AM - David Linklater
There's just one problem with the Toyota Sport (TS) version of the Echo hatchback: it's not very sporty. Its 1.5-litre engine is shared with the prosaic Echo sedan and it looks stylish rather than sassy.
Toyota New Zealand may rectify that with the Echo Turbo, a new model currently under evaluation. The turbocharger boosts performance of the 1.5 variable valve timing engine by 38 percent - power is up from 80kW to 110kW, while torque has risen from 142Nm to 196Nm. The turbo engine is fitted with an intercooler.
Although slightly heavier than the TS, the Turbo has a 30 per cent better power-to-weight ratio.
The suspension set-up is bespoke, while the 16-inch super lightweight alloy wheels are two inches larger than the alloys on the Echo TS.
The exterior styling includes front and side skirts and a rear spoiler. The interior features include red and black front seats with Toyota logos, a three-spoke red and black steering wheel, aluminium gear shift knob and red leather gear shift boot.
Even if the Turbo gets the green light for New Zealand, such purposeful performance won't come cheap. The standard Echo TS is a relatively expensive proposition at $30,500, but the Turbo could cost well over $35,000.
According to Toyota's own tests the Echo accelerates zero to 60 mph in about 10 seconds.
It's a reliable cheap car guys, but get real, it is not fast.
The dropping it off the cliff comment got me thinking. 10 seconds of free fall (neglecting drag) will only get you to about 80km/h or 50mph. So you need to drive it down a steep hill, engine and gravity might get you to 60mph in 6.5 seconds.
I did not agree that Echo is not a fast car. I own this car and it runs fast. I agree that it would not reach 80km in just 10 second, but I can guarantee that it will reach 160km in just 20 seconds on flat roads, I mean not down or up hill.
Why would anyone want to drive an Echo fast?
It is meant to be an inexpensive economy car.
I Think your all a little off beat here, I bought my ole lady an echo because of fuel MPG. It's a neat lil car, but its not a sports car. It's a little zippy, but its not fast. Yes I've taken out some hondas, but cmon there not that fast either. I also have a 95 contour LE V6 with intake and exhaust and it whoops the crap out of the echo.
One place I disagree with some of you though is that I think these things look neat with rims and such. kinda like a scion or something as far as being a weird neat car. Id buy an echo over most other imports anyday!! Plus the system is pretty sweet, we added a 1000 w. amp and a 12" sub with everything else stock and Its pretty loud and very clean.
I've owned an 88 corvette 2 camaros a civic, saturn ion and the contour and I do place the echo above all of them for overall dependability, great mpg and a fun drive. if they just improved the visual appeal they could have the next CRX!
My parents have an Echo automatic that I've gotten to drive quite a bit. It isn't fast but I could see how some might be fooled into thinking that it is. The Echo is extremely snappy off the line. It seems to bring all of its torque into play at low rpm. An earlier comment about it turning over high revs at speed isn't true. On the freeway, like most cars, it is running around 2000-2500 rpm depending on speed. Still most of the fire is gone over 1500 rpm. So passing is a bit nerve-racking. Still it's an excellent car whose specs shouldn't be so uncommon in these days of high gas prices.
I must say, I am still laughing about the "dropping it off of a cliff" comment, it was almost as funny as the guy who put a cold air intake on his echo. however the echo is a great little car, and if you waste time arguing about whether it is fast or not, you should put it up for sale and let someone drive it that deserves to... someone that wants an economy car. Cold air intake, ha! are you people serious???
Based from comments the Toyota Echo looks like a perfect candidate for a "sleeper" car.. so Echo owners you might want to take note.
The echo only weighs 850kg (do the power-to-weight ratio) less than 200-400kg of a typical car.
It is equipped with VVT-i twin Cam Multi-valve engine. Multi-valve heads allow engines to have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde character - thrifty when driven sedately but powerful in high rpms.
Echo Hatch has a drag coefficient of 0.30 (2009 Nissan GTR has 0.28).
Echo’s compression ratio has been set at 10.5:1, for optimum combustion efficiency and power output across the revolution range. Check your manuals to see maximum gear change. Also don't be afraid to floor the pedal since the echo likes to be revved. This will also help you take advantage of the echo's high torque at around 4400rpm.
Suggest not to change stock mufflers as it has unique features. The two-stage muffler improves performance above 3000rpm, variable back-pressure, and slightly longer exhaust valve opening duration (this means less loss of power when quickly changing gears).
Echo was ranked top 11 out 159 cars in Top Gear's reliability survey.
Other tips:
Use iridium plugs, it gives of 3 more horses (more if you car weighs less than 1000kg hehe).
Weight is the key so do away with audio devices and skirts anything that will add to the cars weight and focus on just increasing horsepower.
Lastly lighter cars have an advantage in a downhill attack compared to heavier cars during braking and cornering.
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