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Old 10-12-2012, 10:56 AM   #11 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,534

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 57.73 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wmjinman View Post
4) That brings us to the surprise that it was so "straight"... I was expecting it to curve over sharply and to drop like a rock at 70 and above, but it didn't - just kept decreasing at about the same rate....
That sometimes happens. Even though the aerodynamic load is going up dramatically as speed increases, depending on gearing and the engine in question, the engine may be be getting closer to its peak high-load efficiency zone - see Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) Maps - EcoModder

Approaching peak BSFC as speed climbs would tend to "flatten out" the line on the chart. (Moreso than you would see with an electric vehicle, by comparison.)

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