free hit
counters
Unhappy Ferrari Owner - Lotus / Motoring / Cars Chat - The Lotus Forums - Official Lotus Community Partner Jump to content


IGNORED

Unhappy Ferrari Owner


Recommended Posts


Upgrade today to remove Google ads and support TLF.
  • Replies 30
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Next people are going to start wanting money back, because the vehicle doesn't get the rated fuel economy.... my Toyota doesn't get 60mph....

Oh jeez it only does 175...

Joey

Spencer WV

Found my Esprit, but due to family issues, money went to other things :(

I guess I just have to wait for a while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmmmm.....

Personally I have no desire to reach such insane speeds even on an autobahn. A casual 120mph does me quite fine. Any faster and I don't actually trust myself... <_< It's also the maximum speed pursuit police cars are allowed to drive at here in the UK.

However... trading standards are trading standards. And if it won't do 186mph when brand new and straight out of the factory then it's a bit cheeky to advertise it as such. If it were 183mph or 181mph I'd say 'on another day, with a following wind' - BUT 175mph is a full 11mph under the stated and a worrying 94% of the advertised top speed.

On a completely separate note: a 60yr old German in a Red Ferrari? wtf?? It works if you're Don Corleone and doing 25mph through twisting Sicilian farmtracks but PLEASE... someone get this man a top end Merc!

He can spend the rest down at the playboy mansion.... :blink:

Edited by EspritMiltonKeynes

EspritMiltonKeynes - ironically now lives in Edinburgh London (SE4)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not really suprised as alot of cars wont reach their advertised top speed :blink:

I think he should get his money back or have the car "fixed" so it will go as fast as advertised.

Poor bastard probably hates Porsches chewing on his ass <_<

SUNP0003-1.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Under what conditions is the top speed rated by ferrari?

Am i being dumb, but i'd expect them to get that figure in a car

with no passenger, no spare wheel, perfect road surface, favourable

wind or at least no side wind, and just enough fuel to get the figure etc..

hard to reproduce on the road.

Or are there stricter fairer guidelines they have to follow?

?

<_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dont Ferrari do all there high speed testing at Nardo in Italy?

I heard the Esprit SE will only do 95 mph with an electrician driving, catwoman as a passenger and a trunk full of chocolate eggs <_<

Edited by WayneB
SUNP0003-1.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

not true Wayne I was behind paul and oneshot on the run to lisa's on sunday and it was many bananas faster than 95 !!!!

The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.

Friedrich Nietzsche

find me on Tripadvisor

http://www.tripadvis...mbers/espritguy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends if you trust the speedo or not.

On my private test track I have done x2 the uk limit yet GPS was telling me I was about 10 mph slower.

Look at the gear ratios / RPM / wheel size to calculate theoretical values but as paul says these speeds are probably chaieved on an optimum day (air temperature is important) wind direction and laden weight...fill the car up with fuel increases its weight thus requireing more hp to get to the top.

facebook = jon.himself@hotmail.co.uk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lotus got the stock V8 to do 175mph at Nardo. That's an 11km circle and even that's not enough due to the scrubbing of the front outer tyre.

If you want the true top speed you need something like a dry lake (e.g. Bonneville) but the salt is murder.

The longest tarmac straight is the old VW test track at Ehra Lessien - which is 9km if I recall. The Macca F1 did it's 241 there as did the Veyron's 252, but VW (i.e. Bugatti) won't let anyone else near <_<

My VMAX 179mph was on a straight and the car was still accelerating fairly hard. Runway was 2 miles with timing beams at 1.4 miles. 1.4 miles may seem a lot but when travelling at 3 miles/minute it is bugger all!

May: DON'T hit it with a hammer!

Clarkson: Why?

May: Cause it's the tool of a pikey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Under what conditions is the top speed rated by ferrari?

Am i being dumb, but i'd expect them to get that figure in a car

with no passenger, no spare wheel, perfect road surface, favourable

wind or at least no side wind, and just enough fuel to get the figure etc..

<_<

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

weight has no effect on top speed.

chris

90SE

just because I don't CARE doesn't mean I don't UNDERDSTAND

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MotorTrend did 179mph in the 98 Esprit V8 (with the big 98 wing) on a test track in Arizona in the US. It was redline limited in 5th... Still had power left they said.

Weight does have some effect on top speed, but the forces are dominated by drag. Weight effects friction in the tires and other driveline components. If you want to go fast, put really skinny tires on the car, well and raise the limiter or make the gearing taller.

Travis

Vulcan Grey 89SE

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Someone on here done a calculation on the effective drag on an Esprit and how fast it could go. Came out to about 190 if the gears were long enough - funny thing was I did a quick experiment on GT4 (hahah) and came out with the exact same result. Then they calculated you needed about 400 BHP to get to 200mph, done that experiment and again came up with the same figure (who knows might actually be a good simulator).

As for weight - at those kinda speeds to increase in a small amount of speed needs a fair bit of power in comparison to accelerating at lower speeds. Eventually the weight of the vehicle will start to cause a negative effect on the top speed (albeit not by massive amounts but then again the customer was only complaining about 1% of his max speed missing). By loading the car up (espeically un-evenly front/back - left/right) you'll affect the car, at those speeds little changes can make noticable differences.

I take it thats why you over inflate the tyres as well on a high speed runner, less friction, less heat.

Wasn't it Vauxhall that got rapped about this also with the Astra GTE ?

Didn't they strip the thing right out and present its 0-60 times (yes I know thats not top speed but it's a manufacturer's claim) well below what the porduction car could do...read something along those lines anways.

facebook = jon.himself@hotmail.co.uk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ferrari not fast enough. Buyer wants refund... <_<

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...6lr%3D%26sa%3DN

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I bet its as simple as Ferrari were lazy or more likely has a marketing department who didn't have the courage to quote a slower top speed than the standard car... or engineers and marketing never actually talked about it - Dilbert cartoons spring into my mind for some reason!.

With the extra aero package on the Challenge Stradale it generates a lot more downforce than the slight power difference can overcome at 175+. With wind resistance squaring with speed it bound to make a big difference.

Well done to Lotus on this point (Elise/Exige).. they would honestly say the Exige is slower on top speed at a given power output in a back to back comparison with a standard Elise. Forget top speed which is academic anyway, its designed to and it will lap a track significantly faster than the standard car.

To be honest give me a car that goes where I point it around corners and does it at silly speeds. I'd happily exchange a second of my 0-100 and better handling for 20MPH of my top speed anyday.. My mate has a Rover V8 engined racing kit car that will do about 130 tops but corners and outsprints my V8 Esprit significantly.. It has a massive advantage on power to weight but is as aerodynamic as a brick. But I know which one I'd pick for a fun quiet road or track day.

Anyway for

Edited by jeff_hooper
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is that a fact?  :rolleyes:

Is just it takes longer to get there then?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes. That's the main effect although, it will increase rolling resistance of tyres slightly.

I thought that, if you advertised a given performance of you car nowadays, it had to be able to meet those claims. I know that production engines have to be within so many percent of the claimed figure and a government representative has to witness the dyno test that gives that figure.

If the car is 5% down on top speed that's 15% down on power. That's a lot. If I were the owner, I think I would get a rolling road check of the engine performance ot just keep sendig it back to the dealer to have it checked over (under warranty). It should do what they say.

S4 Elan, Elan +2S, Federal-spec, World Championship Edition S2 Esprit #42, S1 Elise, Excel SE

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Top speed is reached when (in aircraft terms) thrust = drag. For a vehicle on a level road, thrust equates to the force produced by the engine, through the transmission, to the driving wheels to produce acceleration. Drag becomes a combination of the aerodynamic drag and the rolling resistance of the chassis due to the tyres, brake drag, wheel bearings etc. Once thrust = drag at maximum power, no further acceleration is possible and the top speed has been reached.

Weight acts at right angles to the thrust/drag axis and thus has no influence on top speed on a level road. Of course, if you're going downhill, more weight = more speed!

Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been." - Albert Einstein

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weight acts at right angles to the thrust/drag axis and thus has no influence on top speed on a level road. Of course, if you're going downhill, more weight = more speed!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is probably where i thought less weight = more speed...

I empty my tools onto site whenever i can so the van goes quicker,

But you are quite right, it's on the inclines (quite obviously) that the

lack of speed is most obvious, on open flats i suppose it would reach

it's top speed, with enough road!

:rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The theory being discussed only works if the engine powering the vehicle is capable of developing the torque needed to overcome the weight at higher rpms.

My Buick wagon will do 135mph flat out (6500Lbs.)

With a car trailer behind it loaded (total weight 10,500Lbs.) It will max out just over 100mph.

I know the added friction of the tyres and surface areas will account for some of the speed loss, but the main reason is the engine develops its 300hp/350ft.lbs. at lower rpms , so it cannot deal with the added weight at higher RPM (where it develops less power)

SUNP0002.jpg

Edited by WayneB
SUNP0003-1.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

With a car trailer behind it loaded (total weight 10,500Lbs.) It will max out just over 100mph.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So is this a good tow vehicle wayne? Im looking for something but i hate SUV/Trucks. Been around them too much i guess when i used to like in Riverside...

Shah

My Beautiful Car http://www.glcforum.com/ukesprit/forums/in...CODE=12&CID=182

...

ribbon200.gifProud to be a G-car ownerribbon200.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wayne, how odd I have a 1992 Buick Roadmaster... not the LT1 version, but Buick roadmaster non the less... Great long distance driving car as well...

Joey

Spencer WV

Found my Esprit, but due to family issues, money went to other things :(

I guess I just have to wait for a while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



Upgrade today to remove Google ads and support TLF.


×
×
  • Create New...