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Old 05-21-2022, 07:13 PM   #13 (permalink)
ERTW
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 130

Bu - '08 Chevrolet Malibu LS
90 day: 32.29 mpg (US)
Thanks: 52
Thanked 73 Times in 36 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard View Post
What do you think about the work described in the X-Prize Sonata thread? ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/x-prize-sonata-40234.html#post668238
Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard View Post
What do you think about the work described in the X-Prize Sonata thread? ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/x-prize-sonata-40234.html#post668238
The X-Prize was interesting and proof of basic physics. The winners "All weighed under 1,000 pounds and turned in drag coefficients of 0.15", with 250cc single cylinder engines and just squeaked past 100 mpg. Any 3000 lb gas car that claims 100mpg is bs. Smokey Yunick's "100 mpg" was just hype to get sponsorship money (recent video by dragboss garage with Mike Campbell). Engines today burn over 98% of the fuel, so there's not much gain to be had (wrt combustion efficiency). "Cracking" or "catalyzing" fuel, heating, or any other processes, mathematically can't offer much gain; even if they worked. There's just no way to get around the fact that a vehicle needs a certain HP to move it down the road, which requires a certain amount of fuel to be burned.

I'm not expecting to see a huge increase of mpg with my car outside of a very specific set of conditions. I'm mainly curious to see what the "best" LS head can do, and how lean it can tolerate. With porting and some other mods I should be able to push it a little further.
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