It's cold outside, but car sure runs great

[eaton]

It's a bittersweet time of the year for me. Any drive could be the last one of the season before the car goes up for an extended hibernation. But damn, the temperature drops below 50 and my car runs so great. Why is that? My muscle car drag racing days (remember the gas line cool can?) tells me it's the cooler air and cooler gasoline providing a stronger explosion. But it seems more pronounced in my Porsche than in any other car I have owned. Can anyone shed a more technical light on this? Anything that can carry this over to the summer months?

[moito]

the air contracts....more oxygen inside the combustion chamber..i think

but maybe it is just a mental thing...i remember the days when i drove my motorcycle the hole year round(and austrian winters were still cold back then) sitting freezing on the bike also felt like riding much faster

i think the only way to carry this over is tomove to the very north or very south...

[steve shea]

Cold air is more dense, heavy and sinks. Gives a much better mixture. Hot air is thin and rises requiring fiddling with the mix; less fuel more air. Move to the Rocky Mtn states and have cool air in the mornings for your Porsche drives. The afternoons can be wicked hot though. Sometimes a 60 degree temperature spread, 20's in the morning 80's in the afternoon. I live at 2000m and my Porsches seem pretty happy.

[larwik]

I believe moisture content (dew point) is also a factor ...Back home in my PV544-days...it ran exceptionally good on foggy mornings and misty evenings....better "fill rate"?...I remember something like "water injection" systems as well...it sure got those "SU's" roaring....../ Lars...

Ooops...didn't wann'a imply that this was my cool and bad 544...mine were more subdued...with more Marchal light "glitter" up front...this, for me, was a great era though!...

[boxster03]

cold air helps the lousy gas we have to run - hot weather is no friend of cheap unleaded we are buying and even worse if it is polluted with ethanol

[eaton]

All makes sense. I'll enjoy it until the snow flies. Those are some bad Volvos Lars. Looks like fun.