The secrets of a good performance

[veilsidebr]

We are on an age that the sports cars like Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, Aston martins, they´re so fast, it´s really....but i guess they´re too heavy too.

Well, a sports car might be a light, and, at the same time, it might have a strong engine that allows fast acceleration times and high top speeds, in other words, adrenaline rush to the driver sat at the seat. But i think that the manufactures think more in luxury than in sportivity.

Well, if u think in a Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, yeah, they´re right. But a Ferrari with almost 1900 Kg!!! Well, neither a V8 Twin-Turbochargered engine would let it run for sample from 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds. I´m talking about the new Ferrari 575M Maranello. The old 550 Maranello is lighter and less power than it, but it´s faster.

Power is not the only factor that influences on a good performance, or ultimate performance, remembering the title of this post. A light body, light engine, light chassis, good suspention configuration, and many other things, are that influences on a good performance, or, in other words, good 0-60 mph times, or even top speeds. The secret of a good car, very fast, and good handling, is it´s power-to-weight ratio. The less(in number) it is, the faster is the car.

The car that i consider the best sample for what i sad about power-to-weight ratio is Maclaren F1. Yes, there´s many other cars i could sad, but i think the Maclaren is the one that reaches more the good performance with light body and good aerodynamics, perfect for drive on a track.

His engine - OHhh!! what engine my god - is a 6.1 liter aspirated V12 engine (like in the Formula 1, but, off course, with less power) with more than 627 break horse powers. It´s too power. The engine is very light, aluminium blocks and heads. Good project, off course, Maclaren did this car.

But the thing i consider his best quality is his weight. Well, this car has just about 1210 Kg!!! Very very light car for his "power" and "engine", if u consider that a Ferrari Modena doesn´t have less than 1450 Kg, and 400 horsepowers.
Well, this Maclaren F1 is fast!!

His numbers on the track are very very good. See it, according to Road and Track test in December of 1998:

0-60 Mph - 3.4 seconds
0-100 Mph - 7.7 seconds
0-120 Mph - 10.5 seconds

0-1/4 Mile - 11.6 @ 125 Mph

Top Speed: Est. 231 Mph

Well the Times are great... i think they still could be improved, because Best Motoring Magazine traped the quarter mile with the Maclaren F1 in 11.1 seconds at 128 Mph. Well, anyway, it´s too fast!!!

The top speed was already traped, with many drivers, some reached 384 km/h, about 240 Mp/h, some reached 390 Km/h, almost 244 Mph.

These times are good because it´s light and has a very strong engine.

The times are good too because it´s an MR car: Mid engine Rear drive car.
This factor favours acceleration and response to the gas pedal, because there´s a good balance of weight.

Traction is favored too, because the weight of the engine doesn´t leave the wheels to spin. It´s good when the engine stays on the rear of the car or in the middle of the car, like in the Maclaren F1, because in a dragstrip the weight of the car is transfered to the rear and with the rear more heavy the wheels gain more traction.

This configuration of MR is like the Maclaren F1 car, but now i´m saying the Formula 1 car, that has also a Mid engine and Rear wheel drive, like the Maclaren F1 road car.

Very good project, it´s for this reason that i love this car. Made in 1992, he´s still one of the fastests cars in the World!

To see the power-to-weight ratio of the car, just take it´s weight and divide it for the power of the car. If the weight is measured in Kg(Kilograms) and the power is measured in HP(Horse Powers), the power-to-weight result will be kg/hp

Sample of Maclaren F1
1220 Kg divided by his power 627 hp = 1.94 Kg/Hp

The less is the number, the faster is the car.

Now, like a Formula 1 car, the fastest on the world:

600 Kg divided by about 910 Hp = 0.65 Kg/Hp

Faster than the myght Maclaren F1!!!!So much Faster!!

Well, now you understood why is important the whole project of the car be good, and not only his engine.

Thanks, and see you later guys...Bye!!

[ahmedgiyab]

Mr Enzo said: those who can't built a good engine, concentrate on aerodynamics...!

Its only partly true...nowdays both are important!

[Fleischmann]

Yep, the power-to weight ratio is extremely important. The Lotus Elise is a great example. It weighs exactly 1565 lbs and it only needs a 120bhp emgine to make it go fast. Plus the handling in this car is just perfect.

[Fleischmann]

Oh yeah...and there is the 1999 Aston Martin Vantage 600. It's engine provides 600bhp and that's McLaren F1 territory. But it weighs over 5000lbs which is a lot, especially when compared to the McLarens 2840lbs.

Simple test (0-60mph):
4.5sec (Vantage 600) -3.2sec (McLaren F1) = 1.3sec


And that shows that there is a 31% difference in the cars acceleration, at similair engine power.

Aerodynamics are also very important.

[ahmedgiyab]

Maybe it was in the 50's-60's when Mr Enzo said it...

that time nobody really cared about aerodynamics...

[astonmartinandy]

Yeah I have to agree with all you said on this one. Its true that manufacturers are getting carried away with power and forgetting how much their car is actualy going to weigh. Problem really is that building a light, aerodynamic powerful car today is not cheap...

[veilsidebr]

yeah, it´s not cheap, but if it´s an expensive car, like a Ferrari or Aston martin i think it´s not a problem.

[brijoel]

i have been really disappointed with the weight of the sports cars as of late. i would really like to see companies like porsche get their weights back down to the 2500-2800 lb range without having to be a specialty car such as a gt3. i mean hell a porsche turbo weighs in somewhere around 3300 lbs, not to mention a 360 modena doesnt weigh much less. i have always preffered the super light weight sports cars that you can toss around a track and just play with that have just the right amount of power......too much does actually hurt after a certain point when it becomes difficult to put down.

[SamuraiGti]

Now imagine the new lotus elise with a 190hp engine or the lotus exige.

"Very" light weight compared with another supercar and very fast on track and off it.

[RallyeNLD]

Yes offcourse, weight is very important. But... all those 0-100 and 0- 160 numbers are really all unimportant. What really counts is the way a car handles.

All the manufacturers are building cars to make money. You make money by building cars which fullfill the wishes of the customer. I would love a very nimble light car, but especially the people who can afford suchs cars demand safety and luxoriousity (is that a word?). This all makes those cars topheavy.

A trend can be seen in lighter special editions, like GT3, CSL and stradale.

[corvette97]

imagine a elise with a ls1 v8 345bhp, jjejeje

[scubywrxr]

I have seen 125cc gokarts kill ferrari 360 modenas and porsche 911 turbos around race tracks, because they handle well and are very light. Road cars have to make many compromises to be suited to the majority of the drivers who use them. The ultimate combination of power, luxury, handling and braking unfortunately costs mucho pennies - look at the Mclaren and the upcoming Bugatti for example. Us regular Joes with smaller bank balances have to make do with elises, scoobies, evos and bmws.

The car that puts a smile on ur face that cannot be wiped easily is a keeper...

[coloradosilver]

A great car can only take you so far. Much of the performance that you get comes from driver knowledge and experience.

[veilsidebr]

Of course. To know driving techniques is always important in ordinary and sports car. This make you drive more fast and safe. In any car, it doesn´t matter if it´s a Maclaren F1 or just a Corolla.

[Vansquish]

When Autocar recorded performance figures for the Mclaren F1 they got some better numbers...
0-60mph = 3.2sec
0-100mph = 6.3sec
0-200mph = 28sec
and no 20mph increment between 150 and 200 was despatched in more than 3 seconds. top speed around VW's Ehra Liessen test track in one direction was 391kph, but a 2 way average came to 385.6kph.