Quote:
Originally Posted by Phase
So lower drag pretty much Would help me more when I’m passing slower cars on desert roads?
Sometimes the speed limit is 65/70 and one lane and you gotta stomp it to pass 3 cars following behind a slow Rv going 45/50 mph
I’ve hit 110 mph before for a second when having to pass a slow train of cars in the middle of nowhere in Arizona/Utah
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That is actually an interesting question, assuming you are in top gear at reasonably low revs, (say 1000-2000rpm) the engine (assuming petrol and naturally aspirated) will have very little power even at full throttle.
Say, for example, at 50mph you may need 15hp, and the engine is capable of producing 30hp at that rpm. If you cut drag by 33%, you have reduced drag from 15hp to 10hp. But you have also gone from having 15hp to accelerate with to 20hp to accelerate with. Theoretically you accelerate 33% faster.
Doing 0-60, when you are in optimal gear at high revs, the available power/drag ratio is far different, most cars having 100-200hp you wouldn't notice 5hp extra because you have better aero.