RE: Charger SRT is 'fastest saloon in the world'

RE: Charger SRT is 'fastest saloon in the world'

Author
Discussion

sideways man

1,307 posts

136 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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That orange one looks good!

Andy83n

355 posts

61 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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do Amercian Manufacturers still release power figures at the engine, not the wheels?

donkmeister

7,999 posts

99 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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BFleming said:
Is the Bentley Flying Spur (207mph) not considered "mass produced"?
I recall reading a NASA article that referred to Alan Shephard as the first man in orbit in 1961...
Two problems with that, firstly Yuri Gagarin was in space a month before Alan Shephard. Secondly, Shephard didn't go into orbit in 1961 (he did a sub-orbital space flight, and John Glenn was the first American in orbit in 1962).

Presumably someone had said the somewhat patriotic "first *free* man in space" which got misunderstood as "first man in orbit".

So... Perhaps someone at Dodge said something like "fastest American mass produced sedan", and this was misunderstood.

ensignia

919 posts

234 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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I know as a rule Yank performance motors are always RWD, but in those Worlds Greatest Drag race series the American cars always end up getting obliterated despite having a billion horsepower. What's the point of them?


BogBeast

1,136 posts

262 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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ensignia said:
I know as a rule Yank performance motors are always RWD, but in those Worlds Greatest Drag race series the American cars always end up getting obliterated despite having a billion horsepower. What's the point of them?

They are cheap and they are fun.

Terminator X

14,921 posts

203 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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I keep looking at that Steeda 750 in the classifieds, allegedly 800hp and "only" £50k spin

TX.

rs mexico

473 posts

215 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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Surely it’s not just the BHP that limits end speed ,it’s the gearing ratios and what the manufacturers perceive Jo public want or need.

Frimley111R

15,537 posts

233 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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These things will be the super valuable classics of the future. If you have one these you'll be paying big money in a few decades

TREMAiNE

3,904 posts

148 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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tommy1973s said:
Last time I was in the US, US car mags had a few group tests on Challenger, Camaros and Mustangs and they were all unanimous - Ford is the best all-rounder, best quality etc, of the bunch. But I still want the Challenger, in orange please, without the horrible body kit. Yee, and indeed, haa.
As a Mustang owner, I too want a Challenger, in orange.

In a few more years hopefully, I'll be in a Hellcat! smokin

TyrannosauRoss Lex

34,946 posts

211 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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BogBeast said:
ensignia said:
I know as a rule Yank performance motors are always RWD, but in those Worlds Greatest Drag race series the American cars always end up getting obliterated despite having a billion horsepower. What's the point of them?

They are cheap and they are fun.
The narrator's inability to pronounce his Ts is really rather irritating! I know I should have focused on other stuff, but....yeah.

That Senna though!

Edited by TyrannosauRoss Lex on Friday 3rd July 14:46

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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I love that we live in a world where cars such as these exist. It is awesome!!! biggrinbiggrinbiggrin :drive:

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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ensignia said:
I know as a rule Yank performance motors are always RWD, but in those Worlds Greatest Drag race series the American cars always end up getting obliterated despite having a billion horsepower. What's the point of them?

RWD with a front engine on street tyres. Means you'll not put the power down. Fit some DR's (Drag radials, a bit like a semi-slick, but with a softer sidewall) or some crinkles. So they could make the most of the power they've got. And it would likely be a very different story.


e.g. you need the traction to enable them to do this:


Which is only a cheap tyre mod away..... so hardly even a modification.

The factory tyres, which in the USA might even be all seasons, depending on what State you bought it in. Will likely be a struggle to launch, even with half the horse power. And drag racing is often all about getting of the line. Therefore it is not surprising they don't do very well.

10.5 ET in the 1/4 is seriously quick. There are a great many supercars that would get nowhere near this.

TyrannosauRoss Lex

34,946 posts

211 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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300bhp/ton said:
ensignia said:
I know as a rule Yank performance motors are always RWD, but in those Worlds Greatest Drag race series the American cars always end up getting obliterated despite having a billion horsepower. What's the point of them?

RWD with a front engine on street tyres. Means you'll not put the power down. Fit some DR's (Drag radials, a bit like a semi-slick, but with a softer sidewall) or some crinkles. So they could make the most of the power they've got. And it would likely be a very different story.


e.g. you need the traction to enable them to do this:


Which is only a cheap tyre mod away..... so hardly even a modification.

The factory tyres, which in the USA might even be all seasons, depending on what State you bought it in. Will likely be a struggle to launch, even with half the horse power. And drag racing is often all about getting of the line. Therefore it is not surprising they don't do very well.

10.5 ET in the 1/4 is seriously quick. There are a great many supercars that would get nowhere near this.
So you mean put illegal tyres on it so it's a more fair comparison against the other cars wearing legal tyres? I think the point of the race was also to show how the cars perform when in their "road" settings. The Aston (whilst a lot more expensive) has less power yet still was a lot quicker, despite being FR layout.

cramorra

1,664 posts

234 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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Bentley flying Spur
M5 competition
Alpina
C63 s
And they all might be able to do it longer than a quarter mile with normal tires and fuel...

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
So you mean put illegal tyres on it so it's a more fair comparison against the other cars wearing legal tyres? I think the point of the race was also to show how the cars perform when in their "road" settings. The Aston (whilst a lot more expensive) has less power yet still was a lot quicker, despite being FR layout.
What makes you say such tryes would be illegal? I think if you bought the Demon with the extra box of bits, DR's are what it would have. Nothing illegal about them.

As for this particular race, dunno. But suspect individual driver skill has a great deal to do with it. And lets be reasonable, the Aston has 715hp, which is pretty similar to the Dodge. And it probably weighs less and is certainly more slippery.

I don't know if the Charger was auto or manual. The latter would probably have been slower for this type of thing. However go back and rewatch the race. It was over for the Charger in the 1 second, dreadful launch, is was practically the last to leave the line. And did so far worse than any other car. Some of this might be down to the car being difficult to get off the line. But the driver certainly plays a part.

Then at 5min 10secs you can see the Charger roasting it's tyres while everyone pulls away. So certainly was a lack of traction/driver skill thing going on.


BTW - while the Aston is front engined. I bet it is more front/mid mounted with better weight distribution than the Charger. Not too mention the price!

And let's not ignore the fact, that despite such a poor launch. It was only 3 tenths slower than the Aston and beat a whole heap of cars that got off the line better than it did.

TyrannosauRoss Lex

34,946 posts

211 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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300bhp/ton said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
So you mean put illegal tyres on it so it's a more fair comparison against the other cars wearing legal tyres? I think the point of the race was also to show how the cars perform when in their "road" settings. The Aston (whilst a lot more expensive) has less power yet still was a lot quicker, despite being FR layout.
What makes you say such tryes would be illegal? I think if you bought the Demon with the extra box of bits, DR's are what it would have. Nothing illegal about them.

As for this particular race, dunno. But suspect individual driver skill has a great deal to do with it. And lets be reasonable, the Aston has 715hp, which is pretty similar to the Dodge. And it probably weighs less and is certainly more slippery.

I don't know if the Charger was auto or manual. The latter would probably have been slower for this type of thing. However go back and rewatch the race. It was over for the Charger in the 1 second, dreadful launch, is was practically the last to leave the line. And did so far worse than any other car. Some of this might be down to the car being difficult to get off the line. But the driver certainly plays a part.

Then at 5min 10secs you can see the Charger roasting it's tyres while everyone pulls away. So certainly was a lack of traction/driver skill thing going on.


BTW - while the Aston is front engined. I bet it is more front/mid mounted with better weight distribution than the Charger. Not too mention the price!

And let's not ignore the fact, that despite such a poor launch. It was only 3 tenths slower than the Aston and beat a whole heap of cars that got off the line better than it did.
Sorry I thought the tyres that you were referring to are slicks, which are illegal. Are you saying that the Dodge should have more sticky rubber than the rest of the competition to give it a more fair chance? That seems a bit odd to me?

Anyway, who cares. They're all more than quick enough. Then there's the Senna laugh wonder what the Speedtail would be like!

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
Sorry I thought the tyres that you were referring to are slicks, which are illegal. Are you saying that the Dodge should have more sticky rubber than the rest of the competition to give it a more fair chance? That seems a bit odd to me?

Anyway, who cares. They're all more than quick enough. Then there's the Senna laugh wonder what the Speedtail would be like!
I don't know what tyres the Dodge has. But for the power, torque and weight distribution. Normal road tyres are probably not the best choice. And I suspect unlike the exotics, it would be fitted with either summer tyres or all seasons depending on exactly where it was purchased.

Drag radials look like this:


Soft rubber compound like a semi slick, but a softer sidewall to allow the tyre to flex more under rotation. Very popular type of tyre to run in the USA on performance cars.


Anyhow was just trying to answer the question of why the Dodge didn't do as well as some might have expected. smile

SturdyHSV

10,083 posts

166 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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Threads about American cars really do bring out the boring grey business wkers hehe

You go rub your soft touch plastics and I'll take the 800bhp V8, deal? beer


V88Dicky

7,302 posts

182 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
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Andy83n said:
do Amercian Manufacturers still release power figures at the engine, not the wheels?
Yes.

I'm not aware of any manufacturer that quotes Wheel Horsepower?

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Friday 3rd July 2020
quotequote all
Andy83n said:
do Amercian Manufacturers still release power figures at the engine, not the wheels?
All car makers rate them at the engine. I don't think in the history of the motorcar, has any car maker every published at the wheel figures. Quite impressive as we are about 120 years into production tongue out

biggrin