New Mazda MX-5 2.0 litre 0-60 5.9 secs

[TWPC]

How do the Americans do it...?

In this Car & Driver test, they timed a new standard 2.0 litre MX-5 at 5.9 secs in the 0-60 drag race. From the sounds of things the only difference from normal is that they used 'premium gas' which one poster reckons boosts power from 155hp to 167hp.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-mazda-mx-...

Should I assume that the 155hp Mazda for the UK 2.0 litre engine is conservative too?
Do the American mags have better drivers than ours or super sticky asphalt?? How do they consistently get such punchy acceleration numbers? Like their gallons, perhaps their miles are smaller than ours...?

[marcosgt]

Car and Driver are renowned for ALWAYS getting the fastest 0-60 times, even amongst US magazines.

Maybe their track goes downhill?

M

[J4CKO]

Google "Roll Out" and that may be a factor in that time, plus its a fairly powerful, light car, its going to be reasonably quick, but maybe not quite 5.9 to sixty quick.

[Pintofbest]

I was reading an old Evo the other day with a Corvette and it mentioned something about US measuring the time after the car had moved something like 11.5 inches - kind of like a rolling start. They thought it was worth c0.4 seconds so might explain it. I'll try and find out the facts rather than make them up from my poor memory :-)

[matpilch]

they've timed the NC at 6.5 sec to 60, while on this side of the pond it does 0 to 62 in 7.8 seconds.
caranddriver measure what is effectively 5-60mph

[TWPC]

Pintofbest said:

I was reading an old Evo the other day with a Corvette and it mentioned something about US measuring the time after the car had moved something like 11.5 inches - kind of like a rolling start. They thought it was worth c0.4 seconds so might explain it. I'll try and find out the facts rather than make them up from my poor memory :-)

Thank you all for these responses.

I guess I have been too sceptical about the speed of these new MX-5s: if the C&D times are only exaggerating by 0.4 secs, the 2.0 litre is punchier than I thought.

[s m]

What tyres are on the Club 17" wheels?

[Nemo Sum]

I'm sure I've read somewhere that some of the American testers also do not let up on the accelerator when shifting through the gears as well.

Whether that is a) true and b) helps I don't know!

[xRIEx]

This came up on the other MX-5 thread, it's because NHRA timings don't trigger until the car has moved a foot or something like that, so American magazines/testers/datalogging factor that into the test so as mentioned above, it's actually a 3-60mph or 5-60mph test.

[TheFinners]

What makes it interesting is they recorded a 5-60mph time of 6.6 sec and that is with the car rolling at 5mph before the start of the run rather than doing a full launch. Since these runs are usually a good few tenths slower than the 'standing start' runs it would suggest that low sixes is possible. It will be interesting to see what figures Autocar get when they do a full road test.

[shalmaneser]

Nemo Sum said:

I'm sure I've read somewhere that some of the American testers also do not let up on the accelerator when shifting through the gears as well.

Whether that is a) true and b) helps I don't know!

?!?!?!?

Surely not?

[bazza white]

TheFinners said:

What makes it interesting is they recorded a 5-60mph time of 6.6 sec and that is with the car rolling at 5mph before the start of the run rather than doing a full launch. Since these runs are usually a good few tenths slower than the 'standing start' runs it would suggest that low sixes is possible. It will be interesting to see what figures Autocar get when they do a full road test.

This is what I have heard to, 5-60 a bit slower than dumping the clutch at redline. Its not just the one review posting 6ish figures seems a few are. This new mx5 gets more and more interesting.

[s m]

I've noticed in the test that the 0-100 time is pretty much as quick as the old Elan Sprint ( although that only had 155 tyres ) - just a smidge over 16 seconds
That's not bad as the MX5 is a lot heavier

[TREMAiNE]

shalmaneser said:

Nemo Sum said:

I'm sure I've read somewhere that some of the American testers also do not let up on the accelerator when shifting through the gears as well.

Whether that is a) true and b) helps I don't know!

?!?!?!?

Surely not?

Yep, 'powershifting'.

The accelerator is held down the entire time.

They got an RX-8 to go from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds, the official time is 6.4 and the best I've had out of mine was 6.7, so it must make some difference!

[DukeDickson]

They always manage the fastest times around. IIRC, they test one up, sniff of a barmaid's apron worth of fuel and so on, as opposed to norm of two up, lots of petrol, maybe luggage etc.
Equivalent of someone like Ferrari quoting racy looking dry weights, or all of the other tricks manufacturers pull.