KudoZ: term help for translators

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German term

philgoddard

United States

29 questions

ein weites Turbototal durchschwächeln

German to English Tech/Engineering Automotive / Cars & Trucks

This is a magazine review of a car.

"Mit 25 Nm mehr sollte der Dreizylinder energischer ziehen und gleichzeitig weniger verbrauchen. Aber: nein. Bis er seine 200 Nm bei 2000/ min beisammen hat, durchschwächelt der Motor im Vergleich zum Skoda kein Turboloch, eher *ein weites Turbotal*. Danach legt er vehement und mit dem typischen Dreizylinder-Trommeln los, reagiert aber immer etwas verzögert aufs Gas."

So far, I have "When it reaches 200 Nm at 2,000 rpm, and unlike the Skoda ...".

Turboloch appears to be "turbo lag", but both "durchschwächeln" and "Turbototal" appear to be coinages, with few if any relevant hits. I assume "durchschwächeln" means something like "suffers".

I hope you'll excuse my putting two unknown terms in one question, but I'm looking for a translation of the whole phrase and I think they belong together.

Thanks!

Proposed translations (English)

3 +1	dragging itself through a vast or wide "turbo valley"	Helga de Vries
3	slogs its way through	Darin Fitzpatrick

Discussion

Ramey Rieger (X) Oct 29, 2015: too late Phil's closed it.
dkfmmuc Oct 29, 2015: You could offer a suggestion/answer - if you like, Ramey!
Ramey Rieger (X) Oct 29, 2015: Turbo dip and turbo crater
Ramey Rieger (X) Oct 29, 2015: Hi Phil Have you considered using and adjectival verb form? "unlike Skoda there's no languishing turbo lag, but more a turbo dip/hollow
Darin Fitzpatrick Oct 29, 2015: Careful with transcription The original has "Turbotal", not "Turbototal". It's saying that this car has more than just a "hole", it's a "canyon". But since the metaphor doesn't work in English (Turboloch = turbo lag) you need to rewrite it.
dkfmmuc Oct 29, 2015: Ideas for the discussion A wide rotational speed range where the normally small turbo lag is measureable/can be felt or A wide rotational speed range where the motor suffers from a vast turbo lag....
philgoddard (asker) Oct 29, 2015: Sorry I read this several times as "total". I think I can make more sense of it now. Thanks!
Steffen Walter Oct 29, 2015: Turbotal rather than TurboTOtal Unlike the question headline, your context says 'Turbotal', which is something like a 'valley' or 'trough'.
dkfmmuc Oct 29, 2015: Dear philgoddard, are you sure that the term is Turbototal and not Turbotal?