From: summ50@cse.unl.edu ()
Subject: Re: downforce and cornering g's (was which car handles the best?
Organization: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 17:28:16 GMT

dpaper@nyx.cs.du.edu (David Paper) writes:

>In article <Sep28.090631.19006@engr.washington.edu> eliot@lanmola.engr.wa
>hington.edu (eliot) writes:
>>In article <1992Sep27.193822.23582@koko.csustan.edu> james@koko.csustan.
>du (Jonas Grumpy) writes:
>>
>>>> when the japanese
>>>>jump aboard with the NSX III or the 300 ZX VII or the RX7 V, don't be
>>>>too surprised to see 2g's.  remember, you heard it here first.  :-)
>>
>>>You mean in a few years the Japanese are going to be jumping on the ban

>>>wagon the Ferrari F40 started 5! years ago(Yup thats right folks, the F
>0
>>>is FIVE years old). Wow!1 Leave it to the japanese to take something to
>>>the extreme level of sillyness. We will be lucky if we can still drive
>>>internal combustion engines by the time the japanese get to the NSX 3. 
>>
>>[etc]
>>
>>I see that I have pushed one of your hot buttons.  Allow me to clarify
>>my position a little more..  First of all, I still have great
>>affection and appreciation for Italian cars, having owned one myself
>>in the distant past (what do you drive, btw?) and having a cousin who
>>is the ultimate italian car freak.  My point about the Japanese
>>jumping on the bandwagon and going all out on the downforce thing is
>>based not on having any great love for that country's products.
>>rather, it is based on history.  time and time again we have seen
>>american and european manufacturers come up with revolutionary ideas,
>>[alfa having variable valve timing way before honda did, for example]
>>but developing it only to 85% of its potential, leaving the japanese
>>to come in to do the last 15% and then making mucho bucks out of it.
>>european ceo's admit this, and i don't think you will find much
>>disagreement with this if you go talk to anyone in the car industry.
>>
>>once again with positive downforce we see that it is a european maker
>>that is introducing the concept.  it remains to be seen what will
>>happen eventually, but my prediction would be history repeating
>>itself.
>>
>>about positive downforce itself, how many cars do you know of now that
>>is currently artificially limited to 155 mph?  i can think of several
>>bmws, benzes, the nsx (?) and a couple of other hot rod japanese cars.
>>sooner or later they are going to realize that rather than to chop off
>>power and not use the engine to its full potential, it is probably
>>better to turn that excess horsepower/top speed into downforce.  it
>>would be the logical thing to do.  it would also be the practical
>>thing to do.  quite honestly, how many opportunities are there to
>>drive at 160 or 190 mph, even in germany?  i submit to you that a 180
>>or 190 mph top speed is becoming quite irrelevant.  on the other hand,
>>doing 2g's at 55 mph sounds like a much more inviting proposition.
>>i applaud the ford engineers for making a bold and brave move.
>>
>>it would be hilarious if 10 years down the road the lawmakers decide
>>to impose cornering g limits on curves and introduce a lateral g radar
>>guns  :-) 
>>
>>
>>eliot


>Ummm I hate to clarify something..

>but if you have taken a basic level physics course, you would know that a
>car can never obtain more than 1g, in actuality, .9 is VERY good, as i
>think the dodge viper gets umm .93 or something..

>1 g would pick the car up.. and 2g' just doesn't exist, not in lateral
>motion anyways..

>sorry guys..

>-dave


	WHAT??!!!!?????    1 g would pick the car up???  In LATERAL
	acceleration????  Ever heard of FRICTION????  You do realize
	that the forces generated are LATERAL, not in the opposite
	direction of gravity!  The car still has gravity pulling downward
	on it, so it's not going to be picked up!

	Do you think that the forces generated by a car while cornering
	are opposed to gravity????

	I think you'd better re-take that basic physics class.

	-Eric-
	Mechanical Engineer
	(Passer of several Physics and Dynamics courses)
	
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|    Eric Elliott            summ50@cse.unl.edu         GEnie: E.ELLIOTT7   |
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