Friday night topic - most power through most narrow tyres

Friday night topic - most power through most narrow tyres

Author
Discussion

MaxA

238 posts

143 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
I just drove an R56 (third generation) MINI John Cooper Works on the track with 230bhp and what looked like stretched 205s, but I'd want more tyre ... I used to run my ~230-240bhp R53 (first generation) MINI Cooper S on 185/65-15 Nokian Hakkapeliitta5 studded winter tyres - great for gentle drifting - but now I run 195/55-16s in winter which are the stock (summer) size.

Edited by MaxA on Wednesday 5th August 12:27

And

191 posts

256 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
My Cerbera Speed 6 puts around 350bhp through 225 goodyears. Front end grip is fine the back 'uns wheelspin in the dry in 3rd gear (of 5) and you need to be careful around the roundabouts in any gear.

donz29

363 posts

204 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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The 2014 C63 has 450 bhp and 255 rears as standard.

thiscocks

3,127 posts

194 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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M11 MFP said:


As manufactured in 1937 for tarmac road circuits and hillclimbs.

637hp, <750kg, 7.00 x 19 (cross ply - so less than 175 contact patch?)

The sound of it in the mountains.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcFn8KDq0SM

The same pass the two british men sadly died driving yesterday.

Edited by M11 MFP on Saturday 25th July 10:27
Win.

Makes everything else look pretty gay to be honest.

Fish

3,974 posts

281 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
Current cars has to be an Atom..

the 3.5R is 350bhp through 195 tyres.

when I had my Atom 300 they would easily wheel spin at 90 in the dry..!

FD3Si

857 posts

143 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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Just shy of 480 through 235s here.
D01js, so stickier than most.

underphil

1,245 posts

209 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
I had a Hyundai Genesis for a while when I lived in the states, 330bhp driving the 225/55R17 all season rear tyres

Made me realise how over tyred most cars are nowadays

SturdyHSV

10,083 posts

166 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
Monaros were always under tyred, the VXR is ~400bhp and ~400lb ft through a 245 rear tyre, same as the fronts.

Gives it a nice balance though hehe

James P

2,950 posts

236 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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Neil E 99 said:


It just needs more power!
Would win the opposite competition I think. I recall LJKS writing that the 2CV was the most generously tyred car per horsepower based on (if memory serves) 29bhp and 125 section tyres. I'll get my coat ...

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
Narrow tyres and HUGE performance and power...


MitchT

15,788 posts

208 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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One of these?


PHMatt

608 posts

147 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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ging84 said:
200hp through the rear wheels of a 1.5+ ton car is very different to 200hp through the front wheels of a car not much over a ton
IIRC The Sierra Cosworth (3 door) weighed less than most hatches these days.

Oakman

325 posts

157 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
My 1971 Lotus Elan Sprint: 126 bhp runs on 155 x 13" radial tyres - weighing 12cwt or 1,344 lbs (whatever that is in new money) !

I've just done a power to weight ratio comparison that equates to 210 bhp / imperial ton.

I have just checked the specifications on my 1997 993 Carrera S. It has 281 bhp with 285 x 30 x 18" rear tyres. It weighs in at 3,186 lbs giving a power to weight ratio of 198 bhp/ton

PS. I am not a mathematician - used an online motoring calculator as I ran out of fingers and toes :-)))






PHMatt

608 posts

147 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
I was foolish enough to fit 205/35/18's to my MR2 Turbo that was tuned to about 320bhp at the time.
When I drive it sideways up a kerb, over a verge and into a fence I replaced those with 225's on the back.

It was annoying as the car really did need staggered wheels and tyres but there's not too many manufacturers out there that make wheels in different widths. I ended up having staggered tyres on the same width wheels (didnt come with OEM Wheels before anyone says it, they were gone long before I bought it)

Cytokine

2 posts

148 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
quotequote all
PHMatt said:
I was foolish enough to fit 205/35/18's to my MR2 Turbo that was tuned to about 320bhp at the time.
When I drive it sideways up a kerb, over a verge and into a fence I replaced those with 225's on the back.

It was annoying as the car really did need staggered wheels and tyres but there's not too many manufacturers out there that make wheels in different widths. I ended up having staggered tyres on the same width wheels (didnt come with OEM Wheels before anyone says it, they were gone long before I bought it)
I had 225's on the front of mine and 245's on the back and that was only an NA. Never went sideways unless you wanted to to like that. Could corner at amazing speeds without any fear.

Rob.043

62 posts

180 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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Plenty of wild numbers for modified cars, my stock E39 540 has 225 section tyres all round, and 286bhp.

225mm x2 tyres / 286bhp = 1.57mm per HP.

superchipchaz

31 posts

193 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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1995 Subaru STI Version 2 271bhp 205/50/16 I had one and you still hardly got any wheelspin with the 4wd and LSD also Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1 195/55/15 with 250bhp

Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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maybe this?


gweaver

906 posts

157 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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delta0 said:
Technically area of contact has no effect on grip.
This might be true, up to the point at which the rubber starts to tear or vaporise.

tog

4,516 posts

227 months

Wednesday 5th August 2015
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Du1point8 said:
maybe this?

No power through the wheels, and the wheels it will have won't even have tyres smile

Gandahar said:
Is there anyone with more than 200 bhp with less than a 205 for instance?
My Bristol puts about 250bhp through 205s, though would have had 185s originally.