1/4 mile question terminal speed
Discussion
Just having watched wheeler dealers eth the cobra kit car 6.3 ltr v8 370bhp and 600kg or whatever they achieved a terminal speed of 108 & 110mph - clearly a racing driver would have beaten that by some margin but let's say it does 110mph at that distance.
My old fiat coupe 20v turbo with 220bhp and 1200kg had a 1/4 mile terminal velocity of 98mph. So the question I have is how much faster is 12mph over a 1/4 mile? Is that a big big difference? I'm not sure how to quantify it as Ive never really taken much interest in 1/4miles apart from knowing a 11 second road car is pretty nippy while run of the mill GTI could be 18 seconds
My old fiat coupe 20v turbo with 220bhp and 1200kg had a 1/4 mile terminal velocity of 98mph. So the question I have is how much faster is 12mph over a 1/4 mile? Is that a big big difference? I'm not sure how to quantify it as Ive never really taken much interest in 1/4miles apart from knowing a 11 second road car is pretty nippy while run of the mill GTI could be 18 seconds
Terminal velocity is the key measure for road cars. The stopwatch time is too heavily affected off-the-line traction. Over 100mph terminal velocity is fast, under 100mph is not so fast. And A quick time with a low MPH indicates good traction but average acceleration once off the line. While A poor time but good terminal speed indicates epic acceleration with traction problems off the line. I think I know which I prefer!
Welshbeef said:
Just having watched wheeler dealers eth the cobra kit car 6.3 ltr v8 370bhp and 600kg or whatever they achieved a terminal speed of 108 & 110mph - clearly a racing driver would have beaten that by some margin but let's say it does 110mph at that distance.
My old fiat coupe 20v turbo with 220bhp and 1200kg had a 1/4 mile terminal velocity of 98mph. So the question I have is how much faster is 12mph over a 1/4 mile? Is that a big big difference? I'm not sure how to quantify it as Ive never really taken much interest in 1/4miles apart from knowing a 11 second road car is pretty nippy while run of the mill GTI could be 18 seconds
Terminal speed gives a good indication of how quick a car might be from a roll. It's also not really grip dependant and doesn't require a good launch. Indeed babying a car of the line will likely result in a similar trap speed, even with a hugely different ET.My old fiat coupe 20v turbo with 220bhp and 1200kg had a 1/4 mile terminal velocity of 98mph. So the question I have is how much faster is 12mph over a 1/4 mile? Is that a big big difference? I'm not sure how to quantify it as Ive never really taken much interest in 1/4miles apart from knowing a 11 second road car is pretty nippy while run of the mill GTI could be 18 seconds
A 12mph difference in ET is HUGE. If you lined a two cars up at 20mph and one could trap 98 and the other 110mph, it'd open up car or bus lengths on you. At the strip as it's about ET's and not trap speed, then a good launch can mean the cars would be a lot closer at the line.
In real world terms a classic Impreza Turbo 2000 from a roll against a C6 Corvette.
I ecall seeing an MG Maestro Turbo posting over 120mph terminal speed and it was just pipped by a black 2wd cossie 125mph. Road legal cars. The cossie looked modified the Maestro looked bog standard even had standard wheels. I'd have taken the maestro out of those two.
I'd opt for the slower time but with high terminal speed.
Out of interest what does the GTR hit speed wise as that's a benchmark round these parts as a fast car and then what's the time of say a Veyron/F40?
I'd opt for the slower time but with high terminal speed.
Out of interest what does the GTR hit speed wise as that's a benchmark round these parts as a fast car and then what's the time of say a Veyron/F40?
iva cosworth said:
1/4 mile in a road car is hardly rocket science.
Launch,accelarate,change gear,accelarate,finish line.
A day at a RWYB and anyone can be an expert in their own car.
And with that .....Goodnight
But noone would hold their foot on the carpet through a gear change in their P&J whereas a tester to max the car even if it's destroyed after it matters little to them. Hold the throttle wide open throughout the gearchange... I'd not do it so I'd be slower likewise the aggression on the clutch once in gear sure agree indifferent but say your car has no limiter a tester may push engine to nearly valve bounce to avoid time wasted in an extra gear change. You would never do that to your own car. Launch,accelarate,change gear,accelarate,finish line.
A day at a RWYB and anyone can be an expert in their own car.
And with that .....Goodnight
Welshbeef said:
I ecall seeing an MG Maestro Turbo posting over 120mph terminal speed and it was just pipped by a black 2wd cossie 125mph. Road legal cars. The cossie looked modified the Maestro looked bog standard even had standard wheels. I'd have taken the maestro out of those two.
I'd opt for the slower time but with high terminal speed.
Out of interest what does the GTR hit speed wise as that's a benchmark round these parts as a fast car and then what's the time of say a Veyron/F40?
120mph trap is pretty darn fast. BMW M6 is like 119mph and something like a Veyron is 142mph iirc.I'd opt for the slower time but with high terminal speed.
Out of interest what does the GTR hit speed wise as that's a benchmark round these parts as a fast car and then what's the time of say a Veyron/F40?
Most UK fast cars are more like 88-95mph trap speed unless modified. Anything 110-120mph is supercar quick.
300bhp/ton said:
120mph trap is pretty darn fast. BMW M6 is like 119mph and something like a Veyron is 142mph iirc.
Most UK fast cars are more like 88-95mph trap speed unless modified. Anything 110-120mph is supercar quick.
Never got my old MX5 @ 265bhp to the strip, someone with the same turbo kit and same claimed power output posted a 112mph slip from Santapod on the MX5 forum I use to go on. Nice to see an MX5 described as supercar quick Most UK fast cars are more like 88-95mph trap speed unless modified. Anything 110-120mph is supercar quick.
Welshbeef said:
I'd not do it so I'd be slower likewise the aggression on the clutch once in gear sure agree indifferent but say your car has no limiter a tester may push engine to nearly valve bounce to avoid time wasted in an extra gear change. You would never do that to your own car.
Which is one of the many reasons why automatics are quick and reliable. It's no accident AMG don't build a manual.8.9 seconds at 169mph in a modified GTR must be fast then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed2pJkuosD0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed2pJkuosD0
300bhp/ton said:
Welshbeef said:
I ecall seeing an MG Maestro Turbo posting over 120mph terminal speed and it was just pipped by a black 2wd cossie 125mph. Road legal cars. The cossie looked modified the Maestro looked bog standard even had standard wheels. I'd have taken the maestro out of those two.
I'd opt for the slower time but with high terminal speed.
Out of interest what does the GTR hit speed wise as that's a benchmark round these parts as a fast car and then what's the time of say a Veyron/F40?
120mph trap is pretty darn fast. BMW M6 is like 119mph and something like a Veyron is 142mph iirc.I'd opt for the slower time but with high terminal speed.
Out of interest what does the GTR hit speed wise as that's a benchmark round these parts as a fast car and then what's the time of say a Veyron/F40?
Most UK fast cars are more like 88-95mph trap speed unless modified. Anything 110-120mph is supercar quick.
Olivera said:
An MG Maestro hitting 120mph on the quarter is anything but standard. If it did happen (which I doubt) then I'd guess nothing at all from the drivetrain is original, in fact it's probably a Maestro shell on top of another car.
It was around 1995/96 iirc the cossie had at least 450bhp I remember that well. I've no idea on the engine or power of that Maestro but he seemed to be a regular at the time. He ran his tyres with so little PSI they looked pretty flat on the fronts I saw him decreasing the pressure. Think it was a red maestro. I'm sure with enough money spent on that engine you could get up to serious bhp plus of course add in crazy amounts of NOS - this was huge back then I recall a friend used to have nos in his road car 150bhp shot of power.... Killed his engine in a month but my god when he hit the nos it was brillient. Engine went like the clappers.
Around 400-500BHP depending on who you believe?
http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=120495...
---> http://www.an-racing.com/maestro.html
http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=120495...
---> http://www.an-racing.com/maestro.html
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