Anyone topped a Cerbera out?

[V8C]

A simple question as I'm interested to know.
We all know the book says a 4.2 AJP8 Cerbera will do 160mph, but the book lies.
I'm interested as a great number of years ago, when I had a cerbera instead of 2 kids, I had mine flat to the floor at 180mph according to a racelogic box and it was still pulling when I decided that was enough. Has anyone actually topped one out and where did it eventually run out of grunt?

[RUSSELLM]

My owners manual says “185+“ ... which I reckon it’s geared for.

Mine did just over 160 on the standing mile at Fighting Torque. And just under 170 at a mile and a half at VMAX

I need a 3 mile runway

[V8C]

I'm going to plead the 5th on where I was at the time I hit 180 but it took a good couple of miles and seemed to still have a decent amount left in the tank. At that speed I didn't look down to see how many revs it was pulling, I had the vbox at eye level on top of the dash and used the rev buzzer to time gearshifts.

[Welshbeef]

How many revs does 2,000rpm equate to in mph for the top gear

If you do that then you know what it could do on the Rev limiter - but clearly unless under geared it would never pull such high revs but you could calculate what peak power would = in top gear, it might do it it might not.

[V8C]

Perhaps someone who still has one can tell us what speed 2000rpm equals? As I remember she used to redline at 7,200.

I hope to reacquaint myself with Cerbera ownership within the next 12 months or so, now the kids are grown up a bit and don't require car seats putting in and out any more. Shall have to see about some nice black alloys and I have no idea now who did the custom stainless straight through exhaust on her (it was about 14 years ago) but I think that might have to be a must as well.
I'd love to know if she's still running.
London thunder and the Thunderball bring back great memories and I still have the offensive Russian TVR coffee mug and London Thunder polo shirts knocking around.

[Byker28i]

no. Bruntingthorpe and still pulling, said 184 on the GPS before I thought I was running out of runway.

[Byker28i]

RUSSELLM said:

My owners manual says “185+“ ... which I reckon it’s geared for.

Mine did just over 160 on the standing mile at Fighting Torque. And just under 170 at a mile and a half at VMAX

I need a 3 mile runway

Burnters isn't bad if you use the whole runway as you can carry speed onto the runway from the peri track to give you a head start.

157 at fighting torque for mine, standing start to 3/4 mile in 26 and a bit seconds. I ran through the lights in 4th at 7500 revs, didn't want to lose time on changing to 5th. Could have been quicker as I got it rolling before flooring it to save the clutch etc.

I've also done starting start to a mile 168mph in 31 secs, nailed the start.

When I first bought mine, someone claimed 203 GPS indicated on a downhill stretch of autobahn, with a photo...

[RUSSELLM]

I’m not sure mine’s geared to do anywhere near 200. Looking at your 4th gear, I think it’s longer than mine, plus your motor’s got the power to get it to the limiter, before mine has



A couple of answers for the earlier questions.... Mine does 25mph (GPS) per 1000 revs in 5th gear.

It does 15mph (GPS) per 1000 revs in 3rd, and I hit 112 mph last Saturday at the Pod in that gear, indicating it revs to 7500.

So for my car, the 185 does seem possible, but I doubt it would see 190.

Seem to recall my old 4.5 used to do 27mph/1000 revs in 5th though.

Edited by RUSSELLM on Friday 5th July 08:54

[PaulK]

I had mine topped out at Elvington a few years back just nudging 180 on the gps no revs left mine is a 96 4.2. it was still pulling ever so slightly but runway was getting a bit short. I remember passing a GTR like it was standing still he was doing a 150 or so amazing experience in an amazing car.

[Welshbeef]

Pace wise are these on the same level as the latest C63S or are they still a good step on from those?

[RUSSELLM]

Welshbeef said:

Pace wise are these on the same level as the latest C63S

No

[Pvapour]

RUSSELLM said:

Welshbeef said:

Pace wise are these on the same level as the latest C63S

No

Maybe to 100 as they’re so much lighter, c63s should top 200 tho with enough runway if it’s sleek enough, sl55 used to but I think that shape woulda seen a lower drag (with roof up of course)

I certainly would be hesitant to do 200 in cerbie

[QBee]

Depends on the diff ratio.
Chimaeras have the same box, mine has a standard diff and pulls almost exactly 80 mph in 5th at 3000 rpm.
So if the Chimaera could rev to 7200 rpm, I would be doing 192 when I hit the rev limiter and needed to change my underwear.

[Jhonno]

Pvapour said:

RUSSELLM said:

Welshbeef said:

Pace wise are these on the same level as the latest C63S

No

Maybe to 100 as they’re so much lighter, c63s should top 200 tho with enough runway if it’s sleek enough, sl55 used to but I think that shape woulda seen a lower drag (with roof up of course)

I certainly would be hesitant to do 200 in cerbie

0-60 for a C63S 3.9 seconds.. So basically the same as a 4.5 if you can launch it. Can't find any other figures.. They aren't as powerful as I thought they would be!

[Jhonno]

Jhonno said:

Pvapour said:

RUSSELLM said:

Welshbeef said:

Pace wise are these on the same level as the latest C63S

No

Maybe to 100 as they’re so much lighter, c63s should top 200 tho with enough runway if it’s sleek enough, sl55 used to but I think that shape woulda seen a lower drag (with roof up of course)

I certainly would be hesitant to do 200 in cerbie

0-60 for a C63S 3.9 seconds.. So basically the same as a 4.5 if you can launch it. Can't find any other figures.. They aren't as powerful as I thought they would be!

My Cerb has 360bhp/tonne, the C63S is 285bhp/tonne

[Byker28i]

RUSSELLM said:

I’m not sure mine’s geared to do anywhere near 200. Looking at your 4th gear, I think it’s longer than mine, plus your motor’s got the power to get it to the limiter, before mine has



A couple of answers for the earlier questions.... Mine does 25mph (GPS) per 1000 revs in 5th gear.

It does 15mph (GPS) per 1000 revs in 3rd, and I hit 112 mph last Saturday at the Pod in that gear, indicating it revs to 7500.

So for my car, the 185 does seem possible, but I doubt it would see 190.

Seem to recall my old 4.5 used to do 27mph/1000 revs in 5th though.

Not sure what it pulls in each gear, but I know it does 130 in third, 155+ in 4th, 185 in 5th but not run out of revs.
There's a reason the Cerbera is the quickest TVR

[Byker28i]

Pvapour said:

I certainly would be hesitant to do 200 in cerbie

Actually it was remarkably stable, so much so I got my old iphone out to take the photo, just the clunk, clunk, clunk as you go over the concrete panels of the runway.....


.....until you see how quick the end of the runway is coming, you remember it's a grass strip with car transporters parked the other side, anchor on the brakes....and stop in loads of time.

In reality a few more secs delay would probably have seen me on the grass

Haven't seen the need to go anywhere near that again, although I was pulling 140+ along the Kemmel Straight at Spa...

For a 21 year old car - it's awesome

[300bhp/ton]

Welshbeef said:

How many revs does 2,000rpm equate to in mph for the top gear

2000

[RichardD]

Jhonno said:

My Cerb has 360bhp/tonne, the C63S is 285bhp/tonne

This is only the case when the engine is at peak power rpm though!

[Jhonno]

RichardD said:

Jhonno said:

My Cerb has 360bhp/tonne, the C63S is 285bhp/tonne

This is only the case when the engine is at peak power rpm though!

Yep.. It would be interesting to see a C63S power curve.. All it means, is flat out the Cerb might be there or thereabouts, but mid range/rolling start/on the road the Merc would possibly leave it, due to the low down torque it will have.