FOCA Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Some interesting observations/ facts about top speed and the Fiesta ST top speed - "Car and driver" claims the top speed of the Fiesta ST is 137mph - it does not say if this is the manufacturers claIm or an actual measured top speed Record breaking attempts/ speed runs are done one way, then the opposite way within a certain time to be valid, this is because even a small tailwind or slight incline can make a big difference to results, ideally, the car needs to be tested on the flat, with no wind If the test is done on a dyno, there is no wind resistsnce, so on more sophisticated (chassis) dynos, this aerodynamic drag is taken into account, this is estimated (read guessed) so it is not accurate / can only be an estimate At higher speeds the aerodynamic drag is significant/ very large, doubling the speed means quadrupling the drag, so to increase the speed from 70 to 140, requires 4 times the power, (not 2 times) - so a more powerful car/ tuning mapping a car does not often increase the top speed as much as you might think - the 1000hp veyron had to be increased to 1200hp just to increase the top speed by a surprisingly small amount. The aerodynamic effeciency can be more important than power at very high speed - a very "slippery" 140mph bike can be faster than a 600hp "production" car Gearing is important - if you are already hitting the rev limiter/ redlining flat out in top - any amount of extra power will not increase the speed (you could double the power, it won't make any difference to top speed if that is the case) it might reach that top speed quicker/ in a shorter distance - to increase the top speed the gearing would have to be raised - Some 6-speed cars are faster in 5th than 6th, if they have an "overdrive" 6th gear If you take the 10% over-reading (already mentioned), coupled with (even a small) dowhill incline, and a little bit of a tail wind, higher speeds than the car can actually do on the flat with no wind can be shown on the speedo Wide tires and spoilers can slow the car down - taking the rear spoiler off increased the speed of the "fastest production saloon" an MG hatch (similar to the Fiesta) originally with a roof spoiler - wider tyres increase aerodynamic and mechanical drag, heavier wheels increase rotating mass - (tyre width/ size should match power output, a wider wheel/tyre can help grip off the line but slow the car down at higher speed - they must be chosen carefully) a ligher overall weight can increase acceleration and the top speed attained So fitting wider tyres, bigger (heavier) brakes can slow the car down in higher gear acceleration and top speed 9 times out of 10, on the road and even on the track, the top speed of a car/ bike does not matter, acceleration/ (like 0-60mph or 30 to 70) lap times or 1/4 mile times or how quickly the car gets up to high speed is a lot more important in the real world All references to high speed obviosly mean safely off road - i am not encouraging speeding 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nath.mk7.st Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Interesting I'm in total agreement it's how it gets there rather than how fast it goes. Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDRX Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 You can add as much power as you want to the car, it won't increase the top speed ad the revs are relevant to the road speed, it hits the limiter at 140ish which in real terms is probably 135, to go any higher regardless of having 200 bhp or 610 bhp you'll still hit the same top speed one will just get there a lot quicker, increasing the Rev limit is easy just need to worry at what point is the car going to plateau out and or shred the gears and then you go spinning off and die. The American models also have a different gear ratio apparently and they can do a touch more, although probably 10% out as most American cars are so realistically take at least 10mph off that one in the video. Sent from my SM-N9005 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRog Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I am in Strasbourg (France) at the moment and have just been over the border to Baden-Baden (Germany) today to see some old army buddies and I had a nice drive on the A5, I managed to get the St3 upto just over 130mph on the clock, it has the MP215 kit on it, the car was still pulling like a train but unfortunatly there was too much traffic about and the fear of someone pulling out was always on my mind. Also been running the car on Ron102. If I get chance tomorrow I will try a repeat. This is the stuff you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nath.mk7.st Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Sounds good yer give it a bash tomorrow have it revving it's balls off in 6th see what it reads :) lol Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philf1 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 And a video if you've a passenger Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC mobile app 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 87 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 And use a satnav or GPS app to get a more accurate reading. You can add as much power as you want to the car, it won't increase the top speed ad the revs are relevant to the road speed, it hits the limiter at 140ish which in real terms is probably 135 I don't know if you're talking about the ST or just making a point about rev limiters, but I just worked out that the ST would be doing over 170mph before it hits the limiter in 6th (it's doing about 2500 rpm at 70 so you can work it out from there). God knows how much power you'd need to get it up to those kind of speeds though haha, or just a very long hill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDRX Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Doesn't work like that unfortunately, it does bounce of the limiter at 140. Proven at brunters a few weeks ago. You have to subtract the lowest revs too when working it out which is around 1600 rpm at 40odd Sent from my SM-N9005 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 87 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Maybe I was wrong then, is that the rev limiter you're talking about or something that's limiting the speed as in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8mVgUxTzb8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDRX Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Given the fact he's lit up like a Xmas tree some modification has been done to the car, such as the gearbox light is on and overevving, overrun maps are easy to create not that it'll be good for the box, also that's a yank model. Sent from my SM-N9005 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 87 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 What I meant was, when you say it bounces off the limiter at 140, do you mean it reaches 6,500 rpm at that speed in 6th? (or whatever the rev limit is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesm182 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 When I had my Focus ST and took it to Germany, I had a bit of fun with it but I bottled it at 140mph on the autobahn..... was quick enough for me Standard they are meant to be good for 150mph I think but mine was mapped too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDRX Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Lol sorry not doing to well are we, it hit limiter at around 66-6700 good thing too as was out of runway. Lol at the dude who says he done it on a track as well, took a good 4 miles in a straight line to get it up to that speed. Impossible on a track. Sent from my SM-N9005 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nath.mk7.st Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 When I had my Focus ST and took it to Germany, I had a bit of fun with it but I bottled it at 140mph on the autobahn..... was quick enough for me Standard they are meant to be good for 150mph I think but mine was mapped too Seat covers are essential when doing things like that :P Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nath.mk7.st Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 For next time I'm on the private road. Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Sven Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 I have the Revo stage 1 and my ST runs 255km/h (158.45 mph). I am from Germany and i tested it 3 times. Without revo it was something about 240km/h (149.13mph). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nath.mk7.st Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 Was that what was read on the speedo or on a gps? Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDRX Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Revo increases the limiter doesn't it? Sent from my SM-N9005 using Ford OC mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Sven Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 It was read on my tomtom gps and yes revo increases the limiter. Also it just isn't a problem anymore to go to this speed :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 I have the Revo stage 1 and my ST runs 255km/h (158.45 mph). I am from Germany and i tested it 3 times. Without revo it was something about 240km/h (149.13mph). Was that in 5th or 6th? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 What I meant was, when you say it bounces off the limiter at 140, do you mean it reaches 6,500 rpm at that speed in 6th? (or whatever the rev limit is) I think 6th is an overdrive - if that is so it means its faster in 5th, 6th is too high a gear to pull, and it hits the rev limiter in 5th, so to go faster the rev limit has to be increased as well as the power - just increasing the power without raising the rev limit means the car will not go any faster as it will just "bounce off" the rev limiter (though tt may reach this speed quicker/ in a shorter distance) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Sven Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 @FOCA it was in 6th gear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRog Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Ok boys, had another run on Autobahn last night when it was a bit less busy, got the little fella up to 155 ish on the clock, this is running it on Ron102 in 6th gear, this is not gps speed, also no video cos I had both hands on wheel. (no bottle I'm over 50 now) In Amsterdam at the moment on an old sqaddies stag doo, so driving fun is over, it's on to man fun now, beer & ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nath.mk7.st Posted July 19, 2014 Author Share Posted July 19, 2014 Ok boys, had another run on Autobahn last night when it was a bit less busy, got the little fella up to 155 ish on the clock, this is running it on Ron102 in 6th gear, this is not gps speed, also no video cos I had both hands on wheel. (no bottle I'm over 50 now) In Amsterdam at the moment on an old sqaddies stag doo, so driving fun is over, it's on to man fun now, beer & ..... Cheers :) I knew it would get to 150 :) (as been just short of that with more to go) have a good time in Amsterdam I loved it when I was there :) Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Ford UK Shop
Sponsored Ad
Name: eBay
Ford Model: FordUK Shop
Ford Year: 2024
Latest Deals
Ford UK Shop for genuine Ford parts & accessoriesDisclaimer: As the club is an eBay Partner, The club may be compensated if you make a purchase via the club
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.