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!!