It was written:
> They dont make gearboxes close ratio anymore...
> A final gear ratio around 2.90:1 would
> make it possible to reach 60 mph in second at 6000 rpm...
It isn't about performance or driveability any more, it's about
marketing.
One of the 'holy grail' numbers that consumers base their decisions
on is '0-60 times'. But unfortunately, when you truly think about it 0-60
times are pretty bogus in most cases. Consider: Off-the-line stoplight
launches are about what, 0-20 or 0-30? Autocross isn't about
acceleration nearly as much as about staying in the RPM 'sweet spot'.
Autobahn contests are about top end, as long as you achieve it in a
reasonable time.
But car performance must be distilled into some simple one-step
comparison for the clueless consumer. Thus manufacturers now
design the gearboxes so they only need ONE shift to get 0-60.
Heaven forbid you need to shift twice, costing a few tenths of a
second! And never mind if the ratios absolutely suck for real-world
use, just make sure that precious 0-60 range fits within the first two
gears.
-- John
"Some many opinions, so little time"
John F Sandhoff sandhoff@csus.edu Sacramento, CA
/// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|