147 Mph????

[volvospeed850turbo]

Markgase2000, your cool, I realize you like the volvo's, along with others on this post and I think that you can back me up with this. My "family car" didn't cost 20K, try higher and you will be closer. The guy with the chevy has more power but it is how it is used. He could take me from a stop, but I bet if we were running 65 and went from a roll, I would clown the chevy. I can do it to a corvette, honda s2000, mustang GT, plus more cars that cost more. I can also promise you that to have a car handle like a volvo in the curves of the country, markgase2000 is correct, you would need to spend 10K on the system. I could run laps around people in those conditions and feel as safe as I was when I was only going 25mph. The car is safe all the way across the powerband, it doesn't have a huge torque jump, and has high amounts of power all the way across, which I can truely say that many cars don't have that and that the volvo have a setup that is superior to almost anything, even the "American Muscle, The Corvette, which I think are worthless just like the britts do. That is just my 2 cents and you are free to have your own opinion, but if you doubt me, go to a local volvo dealership and see if they will let you take the V70 T5-R out, it has the same setup and I think that it's zip to 60 and up will be plenty to change your mind.

[Forkliftguy]

Originally Posted by 383Chevelle

the 1 liter bus was a huge exageration just to get point across, but i really think that to a limit the hp doesnt matter, because lets say we upgrade to a 4 liter in the bus putting out 250hp and torque...that will get the bus moving and eventually it will get to 50 mph yes? well if u keep the foot on gas theoreticly(forgeting about friction, bumps, wind resistance, and that junk) then eventually u will go through the gears and wind up redlining it, at which point u will b going the outrageous 230mph...as long as u have enough hp and torque to get it moving then its possible, no? i could be way off, this is the way i understand it though, and i got a few speed calculators and when u factor in hp it doesnt affect anything.

Ok, yes, in theory it is possible. You would need a long, very long tunnel that is sealed at both ends and all of the air removed from it (this way here you would have a vacuum created where there would be no air resistance), then all that would be needed is to overcome the rolling resistance of the vehicle, which is where torque comes in to play. The reason HP doesn't come in to play on some speed calculators is probably because of the fact that they are only calculating speed on the actual mechanical aspect of the vehicle. Basically, if you have an engine that spins at 5000rpm, with final gear ratio through the transmission of 1:1 and tires that have a circumference of lets say 60", you could have an estimated top speed figure drawn up from that.

1 Mile=5280 Feet
Our example tire is 60", or 5 Feet in cicumference. So we know that one turn of the tire will move the car 5'. Since our gear ratio is 1:1, every 1 revolution the engine makes, the tire will make.

So 5000rpm of engine=5000rpm of tire. 5000rpm x 5'=25000'/min. 25000'/min x 60= 1,500,000'/hr. 1,500,000'/hr divided by 5280 = 284.09mph.
This does not include any CD, rolling resistance, or inclines in the road. That is as basic a speed calculation as you can get. In practical use though, this is no good. I think this proves what you are saying though. Sorry I had to lay it out this way. LOL. If you were to double the engine rpm in this example the top speed would become 568.18mph. Almost every vehicle made today have engines that redline above 5000rpm with final gear ratio's in between 2:1 and 3:1 and similar size tires. Very few of them can make it to their estimated top speeds. Suspension and tires will affect this because they determine how well the car will handle the given speed. The biggest reason for not reaching extremly high speeds is there CD. This is where HP counts.

[pimprolla112]

arent volvos known for having safety not an insane suspension system. maybe a sports coupe but no way in hell a family sedan. if you can smoke a coevette from rolling 65 then thats not a stock car considering a stock corvette can do 0-100 in about 11 seconds. volvo has never been known for performance in any range including suspension just safety. there have been some nice euro cars i just dont see volvo as having any of them there might be one im not sure but id take an s2000 or a corvette over any vovlo.

[volvospeed850turbo]

Yes, Volvo's are known for european performance, which surpasses any american vehicle for a comparable price. Like I said, if you think that volvo doesn't have any performance cars, then just go to a volvo dealership and ask if they will let you drive a V70R, it is an allwheel drive wagon that will do 0-60 in just under 5.2sec. If that isn't performance I don't know what is, That is a wagon that will keep up with most performance cars, then drive the S60R which can be chipped for only 595.00 and it will keep up with a BMW M3, I have driven a couple of those along with a totally tricked Audi S4 (Which will and has beaten a Z06, I was in the car, although it was slightly damp, slightly. My point is that volvo's perform like many european cars in a sense that hey are safe and race-inspired. If you doubt that volvo has performance, try my idea and drive an S60R, you will change your mind, I Promise.
VOLVO REPRESENT

[BFT]

Granted the newer Volvos are better cars now. For years they were safe pieces of boxy crap that old folks drove. Back in the day I drove many 240's that you had to almost push up a hill, the things could be eaten up by a ford escort all day long. The 740 turbo Diesel was the only thing that had any umph to it, but it sucked too. Used to eat those things with RENTAL Ford Thunderbirds, and Pontiac Grand Prix with the 3.4 engine in them, (also rentals).This is a PONTIAC THREAD, so can we get back to that or let this thing drop. You wanna post about Volvo's then post in the Volvo area.

[Mr. Luos]

Wow, long thread.

My two cents....

My Grand Am GT could do up to about 150. After that, I would probably soil my pants. WAY too much speed for a Grand Am. The aero aspect is probably what would keep it from any more. They aren't bad until there.
The stock tires on a Grand Am are decent for speed. Governor's are not always right at the limit of the tire. Sometimes they are at a LOW safe operating speed. I understand the governor on the Grand Am GT's to be around 125.

Mine either didn't work, or the speedometer is REALLY off, because I have had my 2001 up to 145 MPH according to the speedo. Not sure if I was really doing that or not.

[Ridenour]

Originally Posted by Mr. Luos

Wow, long thread.

Amen.

I started this thread eons ago, and forgot about it, until a few weeks ago it resurfaced, and now it's up to 7 pages. LOL simply amazing

[BFT]

Die! Die! Die!

[Forkliftguy]

If the title has the word "speed" or "fast" in it, chances are it will never die. Just to throw a wrench in the gears and keep this thread alive: Why in the world would anyone take a stock GA, or try anyways, to 150mph? For some reason I can picture a heap of crushed metal and flames at the end of that run. Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhh! One more thing, a stock GA does not come with tires speed rated for 150mph, so if anyone could get it up too that speed, you'd probably lose a tire, or 2, or 3...If not, the car would become extremely "loose" from the center patch bulging. Now I will sit back and observe the inputs from fellow readers. LOL

PS I agree with Mr Luos on the speedo being off the mark.

[Mr. Luos]

Originally Posted by Forkliftguy

One more thing, a stock GA does not come with tires speed rated for 150mph, so if anyone could get it up too that speed, you'd probably lose a tire, or 2, or 3...

Pontiac's website says this......

Tires, P225/50R16, BSW STL, Goodyear speed-rated

Not sure what that truely means though.

If I remember right, it came stock on Goodyear Eagle RS-A's. Those are speed rated at 149 MPH. VR rating.

Still wouldn't try out those speeds in a stock Grand Am GT. Not a fan of soiling myself. Now, in the Trans Am........

[Markgase2000]

I have to agree with mr luos but I have a different way of looking at it , I think Grand Ams are hairy after 110mph I hit speeds beyond that with 215/60/r15's using Fulda Assuro Rotational Tires and never had a blow out but the car is hairy and feels unpredicatable.

[pimprolla112]

ive had 35 dollar fate-o tires doing 110 there rated at like 90 mph so some tires can handle speeds over what there rated at, my firend had his prelude same tires up to 120 so the tires might be able to handle it depending on there speed rating.

[BFT]

You wanna test your cars with these tires that aren't rated for 150+ speeds? Let me take some insurance policies on you guys. As you guys kill yourselves off, you can make me rich ....

[eric99gt]

LOL there is so much bs going on in this thread it's unbelievable(sp). There's guys over on grandamgt.com that have supercharged ga's with the DHP pcm that would never reach 150 MPH. There also is no sports package that came with the GA's. There is the SE and GT models with varying levels of trim. I believe the SE's are speed limited to 107 MPH and the GT's are limited to 126 MPH. All GTs come with the 150 MPH speedo. Any other questions???

[Forkliftguy]

The SE is limited to 112.5mph, And the only difference I've seen between the SE and GT is the GT has artificial dual exhaust, disc brakes in the rear and the V6 has 170HP as opposed to the 165HP on the SE's V6. I don't really see the point in calling that "GT". That's marketing for ya.