How fast is a really fast street car?

[kman10587]

In my opinion, anything in the 15's or lower is quick. Anything in the 13's or lower is fast. Anything in the 11's or lower is supercar.

[MR2Driver]

I hate how everyone throws the word "supercar" around. It used to mean something, most cars that run in 11's or lower has lost its balance and ability to handle.

[LjasonL]

Originally Posted by duplox

The Ford GT isnt set up for drag racing and its more than 3150lbs according to Ford. I think its somewhere around 3400, dry. With a bit of fuel(enough to get you down the track) and a light driver(160lbs, thats what I weigh), you're around 3575lbs. Also Ford's HP readings are for fwhp, so its probably putting 450-475hp to the wheels(if the 550hp is correct, some people report its more than that). So you've got a car not set up for drag racing with 475rwhp and weighing 3575lbs wet vs a drag car with 500rwhp and weighing 3150lbs wet... Not trying to be a dick, but yeah, 500rwhp in a 3150lb car set up for drag racing should get you into 10s. High 10s, like 10.8-10.99. But 10s none the less.

Dear duplox,

Please stop saying "fwhp" unless you're talking about Front Wheel Horse Power. I sit here and think "Mustang... front wheel horse power... WTH?". Then I think for several minutes before I decide you must mean FlyWheel Horse power.

Thank you.
Jason

[duplox]

Originally Posted by LjasonL

Dear duplox,

Please stop saying "fwhp" unless you're talking about Front Wheel Horse Power. I sit here and think "Mustang... front wheel horse power... WTH?". Then I think for several minutes before I decide you must mean FlyWheel Horse power.

Thank you.
Jason

No problem, it confuses me too, in a perfect world there would be different acronyms for "front wheel horsepower" and "flywheel horse power". But its not, so there isn't, and I'm lazy. Next time I'll write it out. In fact, since you put it so nicely, I'll go back and change it.


Oh, and 'wet' means what your car weighs at the starting line. This includes any and everything - coolant, fuel, you, your clothes/helmet, fire extinguishers, etc. Dry is the opposite.

[fearsomefairmont]

I think the line for a street car is incredibly high maintenence (every 500 miles or so), very poor gas mileage (5mpg) or requiring race gas, and exotic components like a lenco 5-spd, 6000 rpm stall converter, or mechanical alcohol injection.

Other criteria, particularly power accesories and A/C, are of little concern especially if the vehicle in question didn't come with them.

Here is a great proposition - I think the ultimate street car is the 3-G machine, capable of pulling a full G on braking, skidpad, and acceleration. That is supercar status, and if it gets 20+ mpg, you have perhaps created the ultimate street car.

If you can live with driving a car on the street, more power to you. And, if you can live 10 mpg (pump gas) on the freeway, idling at 1200 rpm, and having a grabby, chattery clutch, more power to you. Personally, I am looking forward to driving my "hot" '78 Fairmont complete with a 500+ hp full roller N/A small block and 4-spd manual on the street, and even to work on a regular basis if gas prices don't go up any more. It will require occasionally lash and valvespring checks for the solid roller valvetrain and probably get 8-10 mpg city/14 freeway, but that is fine by me. And with a predicted weight of 2500 lbs all up it is very fast - a truly fast street car. Try and work out the 1/4 times for a vehicle like that, and try adding a 150 hp shot of juice to speed things a bit. If you can't build more engine power always go for reduced weight.

Lastly, I don't think a truly fast street car can be bought off the lot, unless you are talking about a 390 hp Cobra or the Dodge Hemi Super stocks of old. Even then, the fastest will always belong to those who craft and conceive their machines themselves.

Race on....

[GMCSyclone]

Originally Posted by Neutrino

Crap I guess i'll have to tell the guys with Enzos and Carrerra GTs that they drive slow rice boy cars with all that carbon fiber and big deployable wings. I mean since they are not american...right

I didn't know Italy or Europe for that matter were big in the RICE industry. When I say RICE I mean Jap ie. your civic with the cardboard fiber kit and the 30ft 747 airplane wing on the back. When a Ferrari rolls out of Japan then you can tell a Ferrari owner he is a RICEBOY! rollseyes

[GMCSyclone]

Originally Posted by LjasonL

Ah, so imports running 10 and below aren't fast, but american cars are? And imports running low 13's aren't fast for street cars, but American cars doing the same are?

Use your brain much?

No RICE doesn't belong at the track 10s or not and I said stock my truck runs 13s there aren't to many RICE cars that come out of the factory running low 13s.

[losingxposer]

[kman10587]

No problem, it confuses me too, in a perfect world there would be different acronyms for "front wheel horsepower" and "flywheel horse power".

I just use bhp (brake horsepower). I've only heard this used by the British, and I live in America, but whatever.

[duplox]

Good point. I'm used to writing on a forum about old ford v8s, so no one confuses flywheel hp with front wheel hp.

[Sleepr awd]

Where i live, fast is 300-400hp w/ 13s attainable, most of us that jack around every weekend racing run 15s , there isn't much competition around and unfortunately, i'm third in my general class around here behind a prelude (dunno haven't raced him) and a GS-T (get him off the line til 3rd) besides that a 240 is 4th and everything else that wants to run so here
Here:13s are fast
14s and 15s dominate most around town in general

Originally Posted by duplox

No problem, it confuses me too, in a perfect world there would be different acronyms for "front wheel horsepower" and "flywheel horse power".

Try, crank hp or hp at the crank thats what i use to be less confusing

[JekylandHyde]

Originally Posted by Elchicoloco86

Where i live, fast is 300-400hp w/ 13s attainable,

How heavy are the cars where you live?

300-400 HP is easy 12s .... if not low 11s with good driving for a typical 2800-3200 lbs car.

[carrrnuttt]

Originally Posted by nissanfanatic

If anybody has read the september issue of Sport Compact Car, the supra in there is pretty badass. 991whp and 805lb-ft at 39psi(2.7Bar) of boost. It runs 9.7@150. I not sure wheter to believe this or not. But from what they say, it is driven quite often on the street

It's clone is for sale: http://autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ca...r=&cardist=100

At a huge bargain, I might add, for what you're getting.

I've seen that car in the mag run a few mid 9-second passes personally, and this car is it's (almost) double, built by the same people.

[cndctrdj]

Originally Posted by kman10587

I've got a question...if you've got a daily-driven street car that's running in the 11's and 12's, isn't it probably gonna be non-street legal (mainly in the emissions department), thus defeating the purpose of it being a street car? Or you can actually get most cars that fast without failing emissions?

my car will hit 12's with all the emissions connected and ac and it didn't take much to get tit thier

[cndctrdj]

Originally Posted by Chevyracincamaro

the lingenvette is a 9 sec car, and its as streetable as a z06...

i thaught the new ones were in the 8's
and have all emissions full weight with a stereo and ac