American Cars, I am trying not to troll.
Discussion
I am a great fan of American cars, we've had a few in our time. I watch Overhaulin and American Hotrod on the Discovery Channels. The Americans are the Fathers of car design, some amazing and beautiful looking cars.
I have one problem...the speed. I just saw Overhaulin and they were talking about a large powerful engine but they seem to disappoint with their top speeds, this one does 125mph! That is relatively slow compared to their smaller engined European counter-parts.
From watching American films and documentaries with cars as the main subject, they all seem to be impressed with cars that go over 100mph!
I don't understand it, genuinely. I do know some American cars will do alot more than that, like the full red blooded Muscle Cars and supercars but the bigger than 5 litre engined coupes or sedans should be capable of doing 150 at least!
Discuss...
I have one problem...the speed. I just saw Overhaulin and they were talking about a large powerful engine but they seem to disappoint with their top speeds, this one does 125mph! That is relatively slow compared to their smaller engined European counter-parts.
From watching American films and documentaries with cars as the main subject, they all seem to be impressed with cars that go over 100mph!
I don't understand it, genuinely. I do know some American cars will do alot more than that, like the full red blooded Muscle Cars and supercars but the bigger than 5 litre engined coupes or sedans should be capable of doing 150 at least!
Discuss...
They maybe should but clearly many do not.
Do the buyers actually want a car that can do over 150mph ?
Many of the big American engines are tuned to give big torque but not lots of power and are understressed and so long lived, this is not a bad thing.
Cars are clearly made for a market and if people didn't want to buy these cars they wouldn't, many don't but enough do to make their production worthwhile.
Do the buyers actually want a car that can do over 150mph ?
Many of the big American engines are tuned to give big torque but not lots of power and are understressed and so long lived, this is not a bad thing.
Cars are clearly made for a market and if people didn't want to buy these cars they wouldn't, many don't but enough do to make their production worthwhile.
absolutely said:
but the bigger than 5 litre engined coupes or sedans should be capable of doing 150 at least!
Discuss...
That's the family car...yes ?Discuss...
Well they design the car, then they select a drivetrain that produces the performance that the family wants . A typical American car at 40mph with OD will probably be around 1200 revs. If the family car did 150 plus, then it would cost a lot more. Think tyres brakes safety features.
If someone here (US) wants a faster car, mustangs are cheap, corvettes go quite well considering they are a push rod engine and very good value for money.
AMD Mercs, BMWs and Porsches are plentiful, so going fast is not a problem.
Should you want one of these fast cars, the dealers actually have them, it's not place an order and then settle for another colour three months later.
It's walk in, drive out.
Development in American racing does not pass through to the regular street cars.
For example the NASCAR Monte Carlo is rear wheel drive with lots of horses. The one in the showroom is front wheel drive and has a 3.8 (I think)
Just in case any Americans read this I'll add that the SS made for four years had a vette engine and was RWD.
But for acceleration and speed look at some of the quarter mile times even at local tracks. Mustang below 8 on street tyres. Although you can be pretty sure anything with twin parachute brackets on the back is quick. Albeit more than 5 litres.
Also most Americans have more than one car (we call it a spare) On a hot day there is no way we would drive a convertable, family saloon that pumps out the A/C is way better.
For example the NASCAR Monte Carlo is rear wheel drive with lots of horses. The one in the showroom is front wheel drive and has a 3.8 (I think)
Just in case any Americans read this I'll add that the SS made for four years had a vette engine and was RWD.
But for acceleration and speed look at some of the quarter mile times even at local tracks. Mustang below 8 on street tyres. Although you can be pretty sure anything with twin parachute brackets on the back is quick. Albeit more than 5 litres.
Also most Americans have more than one car (we call it a spare) On a hot day there is no way we would drive a convertable, family saloon that pumps out the A/C is way better.
Edited by jeff m on Friday 22 August 06:11
jeff m said:
RobDickinson said:
There are exeptions but also remember US brought in 55mph speed limits too...
That was some time ago, the current upper speed limit in NJ is 65mph. Although the only one doing 65 is the one just infront of the State trooper.In fact many urban roads have much more realistic speed limits than the UK/NZ which means less need to speed.
Of course there are exceptions...........
24 hours @ 175.8 average speed. Not bad for a production car.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www....
24 hours @ 175.8 average speed. Not bad for a production car.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www....
AMCDan said:
power to weight.. power to weight. it's the only reply you ever get! it's that or something to do with leaf springs or going round corners.
doesn't matter how much they weighed, they could still hit 120!
Aren't the T-Birds around 4000lbs or something and could just top 100mph.doesn't matter how much they weighed, they could still hit 120!
I've had a few American cars and the difference between ones I owned from the early and late 70's is staggering. The reason for this disparity was down the the amount of throttling that was done in th emid 70's to them to comply with their emissions limits.
The same applies today. I read on here a couple of days ago, (I think it was Flemke that posted.), that apparently even relatively new cars have trouble meeting with the emissions limits for their particular year and are 'detuned' within an inch of their lives to meet with them.
So I think the reason the 'big inch' cars which in real terms should wipe the floor with other cars on power output are being strangled.
JM2PW.
The same applies today. I read on here a couple of days ago, (I think it was Flemke that posted.), that apparently even relatively new cars have trouble meeting with the emissions limits for their particular year and are 'detuned' within an inch of their lives to meet with them.
So I think the reason the 'big inch' cars which in real terms should wipe the floor with other cars on power output are being strangled.
JM2PW.
ZR1cliff said:
Of course there are exceptions...........
24 hours @ 175.8 average speed. Not bad for a production car.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www....
Not bad at all!24 hours @ 175.8 average speed. Not bad for a production car.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www....
Chainguy said:
ZR1cliff said:
Of course there are exceptions...........
24 hours @ 175.8 average speed. Not bad for a production car.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www....
Not bad at all!24 hours @ 175.8 average speed. Not bad for a production car.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www....
[/whisper]I always tease the Yanks, claiming LT5, the engines code, is an abreviation of LoTu5
jeff m said:
Development in American racing does not pass through to the regular street cars.
For example the NASCAR Monte Carlo is rear wheel drive with lots of horses. The one in the showroom is front wheel drive and has a 3.8 (I think)
But NASCAR isnt a development series is it? Its all but a silhouette class really.For example the NASCAR Monte Carlo is rear wheel drive with lots of horses. The one in the showroom is front wheel drive and has a 3.8 (I think)
Theres not many pick ups that will stay with the lightning over here, if that helps.
Now I'm not going to go on about power to weight or anything else. I believe that many American cars of shall we say an older vintage suffered from terrible (compared to europeans) transmission power losses. Manuals were old fashioned and designed to handle torque rather than transmit power, suspensions were not great for putting power actually onto the road etc.
Plus it has to be said, even the most modern US car engine is about twenty years or so behind in its design to a BMW or Japanese engine. Big engines but not much power, or even that much torque when compared to something AMG would come up with.
Plus it has to be said, even the most modern US car engine is about twenty years or so behind in its design to a BMW or Japanese engine. Big engines but not much power, or even that much torque when compared to something AMG would come up with.
Edited by Mikeyboy on Friday 22 August 11:29
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff