Speed vs Acceleration

Discussion in 'Chit-Chat' started by wilfredlgf, Jul 9, 2004.

  1. wilfredlgf

    wilfredlgf Regular Member

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    Your car specs spoke about cars that you own and how it performs, based on your own observation.

    Now, let's say you need to get a new car and you can afford only two:-

    Car A - Higher acceleration, lower top speed eg. 0 - 100 in 10s, top: 150kmph
    Car B - Lower acceleration, higher top speed. eg. 0 - 100 in 14s, top: 175kmph

    Based on your driving habits and preference, which will you choose and why?

    Allow the argument to go based on subjective reasons - feel, personality, experience, driving environment.

    Let's keep it simple yeah, because not everybody in BF is an auto-fanatic, so we make a simplistic assumption based on speed and acceleration. No gear ratios etc please! ;)

    Assume all other variables are the same.
     
    #1 wilfredlgf, Jul 9, 2004
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2004
  2. bluejeff

    bluejeff Regular Member

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    I will take A, because you never need to be that fast anyway (plus you will get a speeding ticket for that), but you sometimes need fast acceleration for:
    1. avoid an accident (or things on the road......etc)
    2. quickly pass the car in front because you don't like him :p
    3. Just a quick pick up after making a turn :)
     
  3. wilfredlgf

    wilfredlgf Regular Member

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    Exactly the kind of answer I'm looking for. :)
     
  4. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    neither, 0-100 in 10s is still too slow :p
     
  5. 604badder

    604badder Member

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    Hehhe.. I'm a car nut and I wanted to say too that 0-100 in 10 is not really brisk acceleration.

    In anycase, I'll put in my vote for the quick accelerating car. In city driving (and even autocross SCCA Solo II racing), it's just plain more useful than top speed.

    i.e. I'd take a Lotus Elise (high acceleration) over a Lamborgini (high speed) any day. Of course a Mclaren F1 has both and I'd take that if there ever was one for sale *wipe drool*.

     
  6. Qidong

    Qidong Regular Member

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    Gee. 0 - 100mph is too slow!? You guys must be all millionaires driving Italian sport cars. :eek:
     
  7. 604badder

    604badder Member

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    Oh right 100 mph.... excuse me there :eek: Being Canadian and all I always assume kph (Horray for Metric!). Yes... 0-100 MPH in 10 is pretty darn fast.

    P.S. In all fairness, the original post says 150 kmph..... so it's actually 150000 mph.
     
  8. Qidong

    Qidong Regular Member

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    I see. 100 kph is about 60 mph. 10 sec is quite slow. Lucky you all, and poor us had to deal with gallons, miles, lb... especially when taking physics and math classes in college. :(
     
  9. bluejeff

    bluejeff Regular Member

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    To make this clear, I would say this:
    Since Miles Per Hour and Meters Per Hour are all abbreviated in MPH, the original post's 0-100 kmph is consider close to 0-60 miles per hour, or 100000 meters per hour.

    PS: 1 mile is roughly about 1.6 km and 1 km is 1000 meters in case if anyone want to know the calculations.
     
  10. 604badder

    604badder Member

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    Bluejeff, I was just joking around with the typo he had (he typed kmph). kilo mph.... so at 150 kmph, that's one hundred fifty thousand miles per hour.... ... guess there wasn't much of a chuckle out there :)



     
  11. bigredlemon

    bigredlemon Regular Member

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    kilometers per hour is correctly abbreviated as km/h which is kmph. kph is technically wrong :p


    and it doesn't really matter which car you pick... if you aren't happy, just change the gear ratios :cool:
     
  12. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    Only 2 countries in the whole world still use the imperial system, US and UK. I thot american had booted out the british long ago (last rumble was jan 1815). I guess US never had got rid of those british :p :p :p
     
  13. 604badder

    604badder Member

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    Boy I think I'd suck at physics if I had to do it in slugs, miles, and pounds. Don't even start me off on 32ft/s^2. Sorry...little off topic ^_^
     
  14. bluejeff

    bluejeff Regular Member

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    I know , I know.... :) :)
    But I think there are tons of people don't know what those means....so I just said it out. :p
     
  15. ayl

    ayl Regular Member

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    Our dowdy home made mum's taxi or boring rep cars generally does 0-100 in 7s. We Aussies like cars that accelerates hard but not necessary that fast due to our stupid road laws.

    Most of our cars are speed limited to 180km/h even though most of them can get up to 250km/h....
     
  16. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    that's why i've said i prefer driving quick than driving fast. There is no law against 0 - 30 mile/hr in 2 sec or 0 to 60 mile/hr (within 60 mph zone) in 5 seconds ;) but if i travel at a sleepy pace of 35 mile/hr in a 30 mile/hr zone, i'll get a speeding ticket. :eek:
     
  17. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    in the UK, it depends on the circumstances. If in getting that acceleration you get some wheelspin, or maybe you do it approaching a pedestrian crossing etc.., the police have been known to say you are not in control of your vehicle, or you are driving without due care and consideration, or whatever else they think fits the bill if they are below their quota of tickets.
     
  18. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    Yes, it's the same here but we call it stunting. However, you should also know that spinning the tires won't yield good acceleration, no matter how many HP the car has, it only attracts bystanders, including the cops. So, to make good time, one dont want (or try not) to make the tires slip. :p

    Of course, one dont do these things around cross walk, school zones, playground zones. Safey beyond the car should also be taken in consideration when driving.
     
    #18 cooler, Jul 12, 2004
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2004
  19. wilfredlgf

    wilfredlgf Regular Member

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    My my, what have this thread become? I can hardly recognise it anymore. ;) I thought I was asking about what you prefer but most of it was about my 'typo'?

    I have never heard of 'kilo-mile per hour', have you? Kmph is as clear as km/h. Unless 'kilomile' per hour really is widely used, I don't quite see how kmph can be misintepreted as 'kilomph'.
    Not to mention the SI unit for length is 'm' for metre... ;)

    Anyway, I would prefer acceleration - same with jeff because there could be a time when quick response will be the only thing pulling you out of possible danger - but this is subject to how experienced a driver you are in the first place to read the signs and incoming hazards. I'd slow down most of the time, that's why I need the pick up! ;)

    Second, related to above, is that I simply hate waiting for the car to move especially after bends. Haha. :)

    Third, as jeff said again - most of the top speed isn't achievable on Malaysian highways without attracting the boys in white and an invitation to the police station. 110kmph is the fastest we can go here and 150kmph is not quite useful here.
     
    #19 wilfredlgf, Jul 12, 2004
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2004
  20. JChen99

    JChen99 Regular Member

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    Car A... unless u liv in countries where there r "freeways"
     

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