200mph and front wheel drive? I presume its been done?

[kambites]

Well if a Focus RS can really do 160mph with 300bhp, it'll need 300*(200*200)/(160*160) to do 200, which is only 470ish bhp.

[catso]

As FWD cars normally have their engine across the body (between the wheels) it restricts the length of engine that would fit so no V12s etc.

But I suppose big turbo conversion 4 cyl could make the power, but 200mph power would be difficult to control through the front wheels making the car a bit of a handful and I would have to ask anyone would want to do it?

[Slinky]

marcosgt said:

Hence my comment that you could do it easily if that's ALL you want it to do.

You would need to focus heavily on reducing drag and fitting long gears, but not ALL FWD cars at shaped like the Kia Soul...

The RS Focus is reckoned to do 163 (maybe more) on just 300 BHP - 40 more MPH with a lot less weight, longer gearing (JUST for max speed) and improved aero would seem quite feasible, although it wouldn't do 0-60 in under 6 seconds or be that practical on a day to day basis I suspect.

Read the link about the 200 MPH Civic - That's basically what he did and it DOES 200+...

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Friday 18th December 10:40

Weight doesn't have an impact on top speed, it will dent acceleration, but not the top end...

On another note, welcome to the world of FWD drag racing... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCeKjafSV6o

Skip towards the end of the video, the left lane is a 199Mph pass (in 1320 feet)..

[otolith]

Reducing weight doesn't make much difference to top speed. Not sure how much you could practically reduce drag on a production hatchback without the use of a wind tunnel - remove aerials, mirrors and spoilers, fit narrower tyres, etc. You'd probably be better off starting with something like a Polo BlueMotion than a performance car, though I suppose you would come across problems like finding small, narrow tyres that will survive 200mph.

[marcosgt]

True - Fair point - Was thinking about getting your car there...

On the other hand, those dragsters are exactly the kind of thing I had in mind along with desert speed racers.


Cheers.

[NickyTwoHats]

A guy in my accounts department has a Calibra that he says is the fastest road legal car in the UK. Not sure if it's front or four wheel drive though

[DrTre]

NickyTwoHats said:

A guy in my accounts department has a Calibra that he says is the fastest road legal car in the UK. Not sure if it's front or four wheel drive though

If he's that unutterably st with numbers then there's no way he should be working in your accounts dept.

I can't see any particular engineering issues with getting a FWD vehicle to 200mph?

[Slinky]

NickyTwoHats said:

A guy in my accounts department has a Calibra that he says is the fastest road legal car in the UK. Not sure if it's front or four wheel drive though

I'm detecting a hint of sarcasm there however, what's his name? If the initials aren't SP then he's talking tutt.. Even if they are, there's still faster cars in the UK..

[Fittster]

catso said:

As FWD cars normally have their engine across the body (between the wheels) it restricts the length of engine that would fit so no V12s etc.

Citroen cx should have plenty of space for a big engine.

[dougc]

http://www.fensport.co.uk/fensportcarsfiles/Fenspo...

[gazchap]

The Fensport Corolla isn't FWD though.

[CliveM]

kambites said:

Well if a Focus RS can really do 160mph with 300bhp, it'll need 300*(200*200)/(160*160) to do 200, which is only 470ish bhp.

:nod:
Doesn't a F550 manage 199 with c450bhp? Surely can't be too hard for 470ish in a Calibra (assuming drag is similar?)

Edited by CliveM on Friday 18th December 11:51

[dougc]

I should really have read the first line of my own link shouldn't I

[Andrew_M]

http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16301

580+bhp, might not be streamline enough but it might get near?

[NickyTwoHats]

Found a video.
Accelerates quickly
Still don't know if it's 2 or 4 wd.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Steve+P...

[Slinky]

NickyTwoHats said:

Found a video.
Accelerates quickly
Still don't know if it's 2 or 4 wd.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Steve+P...

It's RWD and a long way from being standard.. and also, not the fastest.. Andy Frost, John Sleath and Colin Lazenby have all been faster IIRC..

But anyway, back to the FWD discussion..

[Plotloss]

kambites said:

Well if a Focus RS can really do 160mph with 300bhp, it'll need 300*(200*200)/(160*160) to do 200, which is only 470ish bhp.

Surely the calculation isnt that simple?

Drag increases at an exponential rate doesn't it?

I'm no mathematician, I'm not even clever but that all seems a bit straightforward to me.

[NickyTwoHats]

Thanks Slinky

[tomkandy]

Plotloss said:

kambites said:

Well if a Focus RS can really do 160mph with 300bhp, it'll need 300*(200*200)/(160*160) to do 200, which is only 470ish bhp.

Surely the calculation isnt that simple?

Drag increases at an exponential rate doesn't it?

I'm no mathematician, I'm not even clever but that all seems a bit straightforward to me.

Drag is proportional to velocity squared, but power = Fv so the power required is proportional to velocity cubed, so the correct numbers are 300*(200/160)^3 = 586. This is only approximate.

As a rule of thumb 10% more speed needs 33% more power (1.1^3 = 1.331)

[dave_s13]

kambites said:

K87 said:

Would there be any issues with gearboxes? Obviously less room to play with at the front the big issue for getting the power in there.

I don't see why it would be a problem. You don't need any more gears to increase the top speed (if you have enough road to play with) and the strength of the gearbox seems to be more determined by the materials used in its manufacture and the quality of the parts than its physical size.

Edited by kambites on Friday 18th December 08:59

I'm just guessing.....but..

To get a car to 200mph you need upward of 500bhp.

that much power in a FWD motor makes it pretty much uselss for anything else. I'd imagine there's much fewer folk about willing to spunk several grand and lots of time on a fiesta that can't do a shopping run, but can crack warp speed.