Sixty foot failure - Why are magazines afraid to measure in sixty feet?

Recently Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained calculated a clever theoretical zero to sixty miles per hour best-of time using the extreme threshold braking measurement. He used the sixty miles per hour to zero braking distance to calculate the time from 0 to 60mph. The braking shows the grip threshold of the tires. There are some problems with this. First the sixty foot should be the launch measurement. Second 0-60mph is only half the picture with too many variables and becoming moot with all-wheel drive.

Real world results of drag racing with street cars are obtained with the most participatory motorsport in the United States. Hundreds of drag strips across the country host hundreds of racers each on any given weekend or evening weekday. Whether minivans and Honda Civics, Prius or Porsches, and ever-present Camaros and Mustangs, they are all raced and the drivers get a timeslip with their results for each pass.  And on that timeslip is the sixty foot time showing how good the launch was. The magazines don’t do this. Dragstrips don’t measure the 0-60mph time. We have a discrepancy.

The 0-60mph measurement is becoming essentially moot among all wheel drive vehicles. Add more power and the time drops. With 8, 9 and now 10 speed transmissions, more aggressive gearing is even easier to make a vehicle quicker without negating overall mileage. Imagine hitting redline in first and second gear before hitting 60mph in under three seconds. So for all those AWD performance cars, does a 2.2 or a 2.4 second 0-60mph time really matter? Only in a stoplight race across the intersection. And assuming launch control is active, conditions are ideal and if an EV, has a nearly full charge.  But a sixty foot time tells the launch potential. Tesla now has the production car record 0-60mph. And the new 911 Twin Turbo S lifts the front wheels at launch per Motor Trend. What is the 60ft for both of these?

Rear wheel drive cars are not just limited to their street tires and a theoretical traction limit based on their braking distances. Weight distribution and transfer can vary, that is always a given. But surface and tire adhesion can be increased with substances like VHT which as a result decrease potential 60ft times. Also a very popular upgrade for better traction is street legal drag radials (“DRs”). Dodge is making history by equipping the upcoming Hellcat based Demon with DRs for the very purpose of better launch traction and hence a quicker elapsed time at the track.

So the NHRA and dragstrips across the country have been measuring the 60ft, the AWD cars are making the 0-60mph a secondary data point and now a car is coming from the factory with drag radials. A special mention should be made for the Mustang GT which comes with a line lock for allowing rear tire spin to clean and heat them up to make them more sticky. And of course Tesla, despite the only performance metric they excel at, for now having the 0-60mph record and bringing such attention to production car drag racing. Bottom line, the 60 foot time is long overdue for the magazines and needs to be incorporated in their testing.

Footnote:

An initial appeal was originally published on February 3rd, 2013:  http://cartruthblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/what-car-magazines-should-measure-part.html

Advice for drag racing with an automatic transmission

March 6, 2014

Hi Robert

I have a question for you, what’s the best way of drag racing on a automatic tranny? Everytime I take off my tyres always spins off and I always lose traction. What’s the best way to do it? I have a Holden Commodore VZ SS.

Rae E., Australia
____
Hello Rae,
The good news is an automatic is easier to launch due to consistency and only one pedal to manage.
Your main concerns are managing available traction from your tires with the available friction of the pavement and how the engine power utilized.

A warmed up tire will provide more grip than a cold tire. But if too hot it will be slippery as well. Optimally, spinning a street tire to just where it starts to smoke usually brings it up to an ideal temperature by the time you are ready to launch at your race. The other benefit is this also cleans the
tire of debris that can compromise grip.

The launch technique that works the best is called a brake torque while the transmission is in Drive. Hold the vehicle in place with brake applied with the left foot and press the throttle with the right foot. This also improves your reaction time, assuming you’re using a Christmas Tree, a flagger, etc.
At this point is where engine response and available traction dictate how high you initially raise the engine rpm. Street tires and the power of your engine will easily overcome available traction if the engine rpm are too high, producing too much power for available grip.

My suggestion is to raise your rpm just above idle, release the brake and as soon as you start rolling forward, apply full throttle. Available traction will determine how high you can raise the rpms for the quickest launch possible with the available traction. Practice so you get a feel for your throttle response, reaction time, tire temperature, and available surface grip.

Good luck and let me know how you do!

Robert Eckaus
San Jose Cars Examiner

Drag strip advice for the Mercedes E55 AMG

Best way to launch an W211 E55 AMG
A great launch optimizes as much power as possible for the available traction.

Can you please tell me the best way to launch my car at the drag strip? I’m running bone stock.
Thanks in advance,
F. Goico

The supercharged V-8 in the W211 E55 is rated at 469hp and 520 lb ft of torque. Despite all that power, there are some established techniques to obtain a very good launch. Measured as the time to reach 60 feet, your goal on a decently prepped track should be 1.8x seconds.

A couple of essential basics are good tires and not letting the tires get too wet from the water box or too hot from spinning too long to clean and warm them up. Track surface, weather conditions (humidity and temperature), tire construction and tread will determine the best tire pressure to use, but start at the recommended pressure for your car/tire and drop 5psi and 10psi increments to find the best pressure.

Drive around the water box because the front tires will shed water that the rears will pick up. If you’re not allowed to back into it, smoke the tires at a standstill just a little to get the rubber temperature warm and therefore sticky. Too much heat and they will get slippery.

Make sure you put your suspension in Comfort mode and also Raised. The reason is to transfer weight to the rear during the launch to increase rear wheel traction. Some report on the MBworld.org forums that they didn’t see a benefit with the raised setting. If it increases consistency, that can be important if the number of runs you can get is many times limited. Note that in some cars with independent rear suspensions, the rear if the rear squats too much, the suspension camber changes and that is detrimental to traction. In other words, stance is stupid.

Put the transmission in sport mode for optimal shifting. Do not manually shift the car. The next step is to left foot brake and with your right foot raise the rpms to a suggested range of 1100-1200. On the last yellow light at the dragstrip, release the brake while applying the throttle. This is where you’ll have to learn to manage the power applied versus what the track and tires will support.

Check out this link for even more tips and experiences by MBworld.org forum members:
http://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/236339-drag-racing-how.html
Good luck and have fun!
_____
Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models,
events, etc.?
Reach me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here!

What car magazines should measure part 2 the Sixty Foot

Originally published February 3rd, 2013.
On weekends and weekdays throughout the year, thousands of amateur drag racers take their daily driven vehicles to the dragstrip to see how quick their car, truck or SUV is and who they can beat while finding out. It is great fun and a licensed driver can do it in any vehicle, minivans included! But the key to a great elapsed time is the “launch”.

When enthusiasts read magazine test results that don’t reflect their personal experience, or especially when it comes to rivalries, they lose interest. What would be ideal is to learn what a vehicle is capable of which would also tell if the published test result is the best potential run.

The launch is revealed to the racers on a printed timeslip handed out at the end of each ¼ mile race. The key measurement for the launch is the time it takes the vehicle to reach sixty feet. The difficult part is managing the available surface traction, tire grip and vehicle power. This is not related to the reaction time.

On street tires from the factory, the starting range is roughly very low 1.6x seconds for an exceptionally quick all wheel drive car. The upper range varies wildly and that is why we want to know what we can strive for. Is 2.0 seconds obtainable or is 2.2 the best we can expect? For every tenth of a second reduction, it translates to two tenths reduced overall in the quarter mile. Now you see why the times can vary wildly.

The thirteen second range, which is a decently quick street car compared to the masses, requires a helmet. Blow your launch, run 14s and now you’re “slow” like everyone else and all the spectators are saying you can’t drive…

Rear wheel and front wheel drive car owners and enthusiasts are the ones to gain the most here. Granted all-wheel drive vehicles can potentially launch harder, but the transmission and the gear ratios must allow for it along with engine power output. What if the car is capable of 1.8 second 60ft times and you’re only getting 2.0s? What can you do better? The magazines ought to provide this metric so owners know what to strive for and what the competition can do. Remember, there are thousands across the US doing this nearly every week, weather permitting. This is an opportunity to capture more subscribers.

The number of participants is far greater than those fortunate enough to track their cars on road circuits but we always read about threshold/emergency braking distances, handling, skidpad results and lap times. That is invaluable data, but it’s time to add another dimension that even more of us can relate to.

2011 BMW 335is - Are the Changes Enough?

BMW recently announced the 2011 model 335is twin turbo will have power, transmission and cooling enhancements vs. the prior year 335i. I question if these enhancements will enough to sway the enthusiast to purchase the standard 335i with the single turbo. Not giving the car a limited slip differential remains a huge disservice.

The 335is will have 320 horsepower with its revised twin-turbo 6-cylinder engine, up from 300hp. Also 7 seconds of overboost will be available raising the torque figure from 332ft lbs to 370ft lbs. This isn't really an improvement over existing aftermarket tuners such as Dinan (which offers a warranty) and Burger Motorsports Juice Box series.

Potentially bigger news is the Non-S model now has a single turbo instead of the "twins". Likely significantly larger in size than the twins in the "S" and last year's model, this will mean greater potential for adding power in the aftermarket.

The 6-speed automatic is replaced by the 7-speed dual clutch transmission which probably won't mean turbo boost levels will fall off since the Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911 Twin Turbo manage. But if the gear ratios are the same from the M3, the 6-speed manual has been shown to be the quicker car once the speeds are above 120mph. Will the DCT transmission withstand higher-than-stock power levels?

An upgraded radiator and motor mounts are included as well for track duty. What is really questionable is the decision to leave out a limited slip differential. Making a car more track ready with more power, a fast shifting automated transmission and cooling enhancements without adding an LSD is like making it a better burnout competition entry. Check out this article on the new McLaren MP4-12C supercar not having an LSD and the problems this poses.

While improving the breed, BMW potentially makes the base 335i the enthusiast's choice with a single turbo system and the "S" model still doesn't have a key performance element. Still world class, will the 335is meet sales expectations vs. the non "S"? Will the automatic transmission, now no longer available, be the desired transmission at the 75,000 mile mark? And will the need for an LSD make itself even more apparent?
__________
Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc? Ask me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!
BMW 335i Coupe

Will the single turbo 335i be the model to choose vs. the 335is? Is the lack of a limited slip becoming a bigger detriment?
View Slideshow »

More About: drag racing · performance · Car and Driver · racing · cars · Ask Rob About Cars · BMW

Porsche Panamera - why is it so quick?

Three letters in the March 2010 Car & Driver question the 3.3 second 0-60mph time of the Porsche Panamera Turbo that was tested the December 2009 issue. That makes it potentially quicker than many cars with much more power and less weight including the McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo and Porsche's own GT-2. Weighing 4409lbs with 500hp, on paper it shouldn't beat any of them. There are three reasons it's so quick.

All-wheel drive, the dual clutch transmission and gearing that is probably more aggressive than any performance car in history make it accelerate quicker than much more powerful and lighter cars. The Panamera Twin Turbo is in 3rd THIRD! gear by the time it hits 60mph. Many extreme cars like the Bugatti Veyron, Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 and others go over 60mph in 1st gear. Check out the Bugatti Veyron road test with the top 10 quickest cars they have tested.

The all-wheel drive ensures no slippage unlike the others where power delivery has to be managed with available traction. I eluded to this challenge in my 60-130mph article. A 1.2 second 0-30mph time is extraordinary, on par with the AWD Veyron and GT-R. I would guess this translates to a 1.6 second 60ft at the dragstrip given the previously mentioned gearing.

The horsepower deficit is apparent in the trap speed in the 119mph range vs. the 125-130mph or higher times of the other cars. With excellent track preparation, technique and usually drag radial tires, a few have been able to match the launch of the Panamera and therefore run a much quicker quarter mile. Modern-day street car drag racing legends such as "Ranger" and "Furman" are examples of Corvette and Viper drivers who have done this.

Finally the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission means nearly uninterrupted power delivery. As one clutch disengages, the next engages with a speed and consistency that can't be humanly repeated. With 5 non-overdrive gears, it's fierce.

There is no other-worldly driving skill excuse or strongly suspect fudging of power levels in any gear with the Porsche Panamera Twin Turbo, unlike the Nissan GT-R. The car doesn't defy physics but it's transmission sure tries to make it seem so. Just wait when the new 911 Twin Turbo is tested.

The 2010 Porsche 911 Twin Turbo assuming the gearing is the same as the Panamera is that it will accelerate even quicker since it's about 800lbs lighter than the Panamera. So besides still not matching the GT-R's "factory" 'Ring time, it still won't accelerate to 130mph 1.6 seconds quicker than production models nor accelerate from 120 to 130mph in .9 seconds either in production form.

A great link for various automotive calculators courtesy of Wallace Racing. There are several for 60ft translations and various speed indicators.
__________
Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc? Ask me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!

More About: drag racing · performance · Car and Driver · racing · GM · Ferrari · Corvette · Nissan · Porsche · Panamera · Dodge · Veyron · Chevrolet · Viper · cars · Lamborghini · Ask Rob About Cars

Drag racing tips for your street car

Many amateur drag racers already know the tricks, tips and techniques to help their car go faster and more quickly at the dragstrip. However, there could be a few you're not aware of. Additionally, there is one potential major misconception and a technique for automatic and perhaps manual transmission cars that could be key as well. Listed are some obvious old-school and some not so obvious tips due to rampant electronics in modern cars.

Weight reduction - easily established by racing with a low tank of fuel. Modern fuel injected cars won't run lean with less fuel - don't worry. Remove the spare tire, etc. Removing rear seats (if equipped) is not uncommon. However, a totally stripped interior, if a daily driver or even weekend car, just really looks cheap and junky unless the interior is purpose built and finished for racing. Edit: Extra weight in the rear may allow for a lower 60-foot time and hence lower ET while making only a minor difference in trap speed. Experimentation is the key. 

Run cooler - icing the intake manifold. Cold air is denser air which translates to more horsepower. A hot engine will heat incoming air. There isn't much that can be done with the ambient air temperature, but running extra hot doesn't help. Without going deeply into modifications, a lower temperature thermostat is used for this reason. Push your car if feasible instead of the stop-n-go in the staging lanes. There are handheld tuning tools and even fusebox modifications that allow the cooling fans to start and run at lower than factory-set temperatures. Being the only guy pushing your nearly 2-ton car gets old real fast.

Something you may not know regarding running cooler. Some cars actually make more horsepower due to fuel programming when coolant temperatures are below 180 degrees vs. the normal operating temperatures of 200 degrees or higher. The balance of engine temperature, fuel economy and emissions is altered when seeking maximum power at wide open throttle.

Tires - lower tire pressure may very well be worse for two reasons. Losing traction from lack of grip means sitting and spinning while your opponent is accelerating. Also, if there is an increase in the rolling resistance of the tires, that is a parasitic drag. Every little bit counts when counting in tenths of a second or miles per hour.

When equipped with high performance low-profile tires which have stiff sidewalls, a common misconception is that if you lower the tire pressure significantly, you'll have more traction. This is because racing slicks use lower tire pressure to soften the sidewalls and increase the size of the contact patch. If the modern low-profile tires have structurally stiff sidewalls, less air will mean less contact patch in the center of the tire while the sidewalls maintain their stiffness. What is very important here is knowing how your tires respond to air pressure. Unless there is an established technique that is getting 60ft times below 2.0 seconds, try starting with pressure in the high 30s and work your way down. You may find a range that your car performs the best is far higher than those that are running 22psi in their low-profile 35 or 45 series high performance tires.

One last point regarding tires. The smoky burnouts look and sound fun, but do it for too long and a street tire can become slippery rather than sticky. A general rule used for non-drag radial street tires is do it just long enough to see smoke, then stop.

Fold your mirrors inward. Minor I know, it sounds silly, but trapping at 109.9mph vs. 110 can be frustrating. The competitors at the Bonneville Salt Flats who use duct tape to seal body gaps wouldn't laugh. Do you think that's allowed at the Texas Mile?

If equipped with adaptive shock absorbers, the "comfort" mode may allow for more weight transfer to the rear, facilitating better traction and a better launch. Conversely, "comfort" mode may also trigger a slower shift from the transmission with more slippage and even at a lower rpm. Who the heck drag races a car with a "comfort mode" anyway? Well, Mercedes Benz E55 owners with smaller-than-stock supercharger pulleys have been known to run 10-second quarter mile times. Crazy but it really pays to know how the various electronics influence the behavior of the vehicle.

Use a toilet brush to scrape debris off the tires. Buy a new one at the grocery store (please) and before you get in the staging lanes, a quick scrub will remove some of the larger debris. Does it work? Well I'd say it doesn't hurt. Pebbles in the tread can cause voids in the contact patch.

Related to the toilet brush, VHT track bite traction compound helps immensely for traction off the line. Spray after taking off the debris and preferably by crew member after doing a brief burnout on your street tires. Granted, if track prep is fresh, this probably isn't necessary. At some tracks, it's essential for street tire cars. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the street tire equipped cars that run fantastic times do this during track rental days.

Adaptive transmissions and electronics can be the most confusing and impactful of the various necessary steps to run the best times. It's important understand your car and how it reacts. Read up on the forums from other owners for their techniques. Others may do certain routines not even realizing why they seem to work. I'll list examples of how some cars respond to various inputs.

A slow diagnostic transmission shift may occur after start-up. Not noticed during daily driving, but at full-throttle, it could be painfully apparent, hurting trap speeds. One resolution I'm aware of is to drive over 20mph before lining up at the lights so the initial 2nd to 3rd gear shift is done. Even a single or dual clutch automated manual might do this. At some dragstrips like Infineon Raceway at Sears Point, the staging lanes are so close to the "christmas tree" this occurs.

Manually shifting the automatic transmission, while not as consistent, may make for firmer shifts. On the other hand, another car may shift better if simply left in "Drive". Further complicating things nowadays some mechanical tachometers actually can't keep up with the engine speed which means easily "banging" off the rev limiter when manually shifting while trying to judge the optimum shift rpm. Hitting the rev limiter means blowing your run and maybe losing. Lexus actually has a digitally simulated tachometer for this very reason in the new LF-A. Remember, this can apply to automatics, dual clutch and single clutch automated manual transmissions.

Lastly, when you sometimes pull the fuse to the transmission, it resets the "adaptives". What this means is some types transmissions will "learn" how you were driving previously and mimic that. For example, if you're idling at the stoplight waiting to enter the track, slowly driving to tech inspection and finally in the pits, your transmission could possibly store this and repeat this in the form of sluggish yet smooth shifts. Pulling the fuse will reset it to the default setting and the wide-open throttle will signal faster and firmer shifts. This can really make for a literal checklist.

Modern cars with all the electronics that make our lives easier and safer also are a pain in the butt to extract the maximum performance they are capable of. Keep in mind the basics - keep it cool, learn how your tires react to air pressure changes and finally learn how the electronic nannies hurt or help your car.
___________
Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc? Ask me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!

New Performance Standard: 60mph to 130mph

The quarter-mile has lost some relevance, especially among modern ultra-high horsepower cars. The 60-130mph measurement is easier to obtain and consistently more representative of the car's capability. The quarter-mile will always exist and rightfully so because of the all-around nature of measuring a cars straight line performance. Of course, it's a lot of fun and its always great to see a large variety of different cars race. But many times its simply easier to get a 60-130mph measurement. I don't condone speeding on public roads but this is the reality.

Instead, a VBOX http://www.racelogic.co.uk/result result of a 60 to 130mph run gives a very accurate depiction of the performance of the car. Traction and surface preparation issues are minimal and heat soak is no longer a factor. The 130mph speed separates the big boys from those that perform better at lower speeds due to gearing or AWD. It also represents what happens in racing on road circuits - a rolling drag race when exiting a turn. And it's much easier to find a stretch of road with no traffic that fits the bill. Again, obey your traffic laws...

Check out these links to see how its structured and the results. All most likely done in Mexico or on private roads: http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996-turbo-gt2/55163-6speedonline-1-4-mile-60-130-mph-standings.html and http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=911116&highlight=130

In this day of 600hp+ cars, low profile tires and intrusive emission controls, an optimal quarter-mile result is becoming more and more elusive. We all want to know how cars are capable of performing. But how many of us can go to a dragstrip with a well-prepped surface for excellent adhesion, a negative density altitude (cold dense air) for highest potential horsepower output, no long waits while idling to approach the staging lights, and time to practice launch techniques with various tire pressure in order to achieve the quickest elapse time and highest trap speed possible?

If you have a modern high performance car, especially in the 500+hp range, it has stiff, low-profile tires and is very difficult to launch. Is your track even open when the temperatures drop into the 40s or below? How is the surface preparation? How many runs do you get in? At 600+hp, it becomes an even greater exercise in power and wheelspin management, especially on stock (low profile) tires that are designed for handling and braking vs. drag radials or slicks.

Magazines must continue to use the quarter-mile as the benchmark for a car's straight-line performance potential. But the magazines have certain benefits racers at many tracks do not. First and foremost, they have easy and open access to the tracks. That is not the case for tens of thousands, especially during the work week. They do not sit in a line of 10, 100 or even 300+ cars while engine temps climb beyond normal operating temperatures, robbing precious horsepower. They are able to practice various launch techniques because they can get multiple runs. Finally, many tracks are closed to the public during the colder seasons. The track should always be our preference, but the alternative is quite frankly, easier.

What about the magazines? They must keep testing, and always test to 130mph, preferably 150mph. That way comparison data can be easily extrapolated.

Drag racing at the tracks is still a blast. The competition, sights, sounds and camaraderie can make a great time even if getting only three poor runs. More tracks should open to address the public demand and street racing should be discouraged.. However, brief a 60-130mph blast in a high performance car on a clear multi-lane road is far safer than the daily 60-70mph commute millions have every day. So now, the 60-130mph is becoming a new standard of measuring acceleration

PINKS lacks results!

Pinks and Pinks All Out on Speed TV is a fantastic show. From a letter sent to them:

But there is a key element that is lacking in the television coverage. Every time a complete 1/4 mile run is shown, its rare for the ET and trap speed to be listed.

What I propose, and quite frankly this shouldn't be too hard to do, is for every pair of cars, show the year, make and model, the 60ft and at the end, the ET and trap speed. IF possible, the engine size and power adder. This way viewers are getting the complete story and results.

The way it is right now, its like watching Olympic diving without the scores. Or, NHRA races without the data! Nice to see, but what were the results? There are tens of thousands of viewers who greatly desire this information.

Since it is only 2 objects on the screen that are the focus, one line of text for each car would not take up much space. Or even a column on each side. This would greatly improve the coverage and interest level in the show.

Edmunds makes a HUGE blunder!

I found this a while back and was amazed at what I read. I decided to summarize my findings to Edmunds in December of '08 but didn't receive a response. I think I know why. While Editor in Chief Karl Brauer seems like a nice guy, product knowledge wasn't his strong point in this case. And in his position, that is critical. As always, I'm offering my help.

Unfortunately Edmunds has a horrible reputation among enthusiasts regarding performance oriented vehicles. This example is exactly the reason why. They redeemed yourselves a little with the Challenger, but this was simply horrible. Probably the worst I've ever read in over 30 years:
www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Followup/articleId=107369

"the Chrysler 300C SRT-8 we tested last year. That car pulled a 5.7-second 0-to-60 time and ran through the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds at 105 mph. Putting the Charger through similar testing netted a 5.4 0-to-60 time while taking 13.5 seconds to clear the quarter-mile at 105 mph. With curb weight, tire size and gearing the same in both models we can only conclude that the Charger's cold-air induction is really working. Well, that and the usual variances between test vehicles and testing conditions." Did they even open the hood? See the 6.1 Hemi in the photo. No ram air.

Problems:
1. 300C result is the worst ET (elapsed time) ever published for an SRT-8.

2. 14.1 @ 105mph is obviously due to a very bad start or "launch" which indicates exceptionally poor driving or testing procedures.

3. Identical trap speeds means there is virtually no difference between vehicles and conditions. It is an indicator of identical horsepower.

4. 13.5 @ 105mph is suspiciously identical to Dodges' published time. And easily beaten by all owners at or near sea level with a good "launch". The trap speed is a little low however. Virtually the "big three" magazines have all recorded 108 to 109mph trap speeds when actually testing the car in good conditions. "Good" meaning cool air, low humidity, etc. Factors which "rob" horsepower.

5. Cold Air Induction does NOT reduce ETs, especially by .6 seconds! It may increase the trap speed by about 1mph, 2mph if very, very lucky. It is for a minimal gain in horsepower, not directly translating to a huge drop in the ET.

6. The Charger does NOT have cold air induction! The hood scoop is for cooling purposes only and does not feed into the engine air intake. Therefore, no power advantage. And if there was a power gain, the manufacturer would be required to have a higher horsepower rating.

7. The stability control can be fully turned off by depressing the ESP button and holding it for approximately 6 seconds.

This follow-up was hardly better. Not very good results on the track, and by the way, SRT-8s do NOT start in 2nd gear! Also, interesting commentary on the braking distance being significantly longer than the first test: 120ft vs. 135ft. And the Challenger did it in 119ft despite a softer suspension which would translate to more "dive" and possibly a worse weight distribution.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Followup/articleId=121127

Finally the owners requested that the transmission automatically shift from 1st to 2nd at redline. Why? Because the tachometer readout was slower than the actual engine rpms and along with the response of manually shifting the automatic "Autostick" caused frequent and annoying delays by the engine banging off the rev limiter. The reason this was wanted was when maximum acceleration was desired. Not for doing ridiculous burnouts beyond 1st gear, which is useless and potentially harmful.

Quite frankly these reviews were atrocious. This goes to show you not only is product knowledge needed when reviewing cars, but also research, decent driving skills and communication with the factory. This was bad, really bad.

In all fairness to the brand and the magazine, the following tests weren't too bad. This test wasn't instrumented but it should be noted the wheelbase is 116", not 112". http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/do/vdp/articleId=124470/pageNumber=1?synpartner=edmunds&pageurl=www.edmunds.com/new/2009/dodge/challenger/101020245/roadtestarticle.html&articleId=124470

And this one was well done with good results: http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/do/vdp/articleId=125459/pageNumber=1?synpartner=edmunds&pageurl=www.edmunds.com/new/2009/dodge/challenger/101020245/roadtestarticle.html&articleId=125459

The performance results of this manual transmission car were noted to be disappointing. I wonder if a software update would have resolved this problem from research I've done. http://www.edmunds.com/dodge/challenger/2009/testdrive.html

If Edmunds takes some minor steps, their relevance and reputation can raised to a level that will bring them more fans, more readers and more attention. I wonder if they are too mad to hire me?

Automotive magazines need help

A letter sent to Car & Driver magazine in response to the 1/09 issue.

Regarding the "Dirty Speed" comparison test, page 41 for the Cobalt SS.

The no-lift shift feature is a factory feature that should be included when conducting your performance tests. If it's engineered into the car, then it should be included. Not using a factory performance feature is a disservice to your readers, the manufacturer and a potential buyer reviewing the test results. You don't lift off the throttle when testing a DCT (dual-clutch transmission) equipped car, correct? This is absolutely along the same line of reasoning.

If you really want to provide an additional data point for your readers (and please, not online), you would reveal the difference in the test results between a lift-off of the throttle and the no-lift feature.

Additional Data Required:

C&D should make it a policy to publish the Road Test Review 6 times a year, perhaps on even-numbered months. Also, an online summary of all test results should be made available. There is a fast amount of information archived in hardcopy form, but it really should be made available online. C&D has always had great test procedures, it's time to make efforts from decades to present available.

Also, and I've requested this before, regarding the skidpad tests, please publish a table of the lateral acceleration measurement and how it translates to mph traveled. Also, what speed differential do you see when you sample the 1/4 mile speed of a car vs. the measured trap speed at a dragstrip (terminal velocity vs. a timed calculation of the last 60ft or so). These would be a great ways for readers to relate to the speed differential of various cars. These tables can be included in your Road Test Review listings.

Update 5/16/09: I thought of something else recently. Aerodynamics and the effect on mileage and performance. A value called a .cd or coefficient of drag is commonly given when describing the aerodynamic design of a car. A second and often ignored value is the frontal area. In other words, and I'm simplifying fluid dynamics hear, how much and how tall is the mass of the car going into the wind? What am I asking for? Supply a reference table showing the .cd x frontal area and how much of an effect it has on performance at various speeds. One idea is to show a table that displays how much horsepower is needed to match superior aerodynamics. And conversely, the mileage benefit.

If a 436hp Corvette and a 426hp Camaro SS is traveling at 150mph, how much do the aerodynamics effect each one? If a Prius could obtain 100mph (can it?) as well as the Tesla (it can), how much hp is needed for the Prius to maintain that speed vs. the Tesla in terms of the aerodynamic design of the car? It's the age of information, time to show it all.

Appealing to a wider audience:

More information is needed, perhaps a monthly guide, regarding dragstrip performance. For instance, you measure the 0-30mph time, but what about translating that to the 60ft time? How does tire inflation play a part in street tires? What does a Cold Air Induction (CAI) kit do for performance from both a standing launch and from a roll? Keep in mind this is a very common item offered by both OEMs AND the aftermarket. How about lowering kits in relation to skidpad and slalom performance? Handheld tuners vs. stock and various octanes used.

Although Car & Driver has been very good about reporting on racing for amateurs, mentioning the SCCA and NASA, the amount of participants in a 1 week time period in any given region at the dragstrip(s) far exceeds that of the SCCA and NASA in that given region. And these are mostly street-going, licensed cars. For example, Infineon Raceway (Sears Point), closes off the entrants at 300 cars for Wednesday night drags. Of the 14 or so staging lanes, at least 10 are for street cars. And many times for owners with the strip-only cars - they have street cars they take to the track for grins once in a while as well. There are 3 dragstrips within 100 miles of the Chicago area, I would be curious how many entrants they have over 7 days vs. the regional track events. Finally, most of the debates on the internet are regarding a cars straight-line performance as well.

I suggest polling the dragstrips to find out how many participants there are during the 7 day week. Additionally, polling the tire companies about their drag radial sales would be very interesting as well. This would lead to an interesting test comparing the 60fts, ETs and trap speeds