Quote:
Originally Posted by svxistentialist
That's interesting. 
Your US cars are really, really highly geared in 4 range. That means the engine is working harder to add the extra digits to the top speed.
I'll guarantee that anybody who has a 5 speed [or even an auto!] that has the reduced final drive, say 3.90, 4.11 or 4.44, they will all be able to register a higher top speed in the same '92 car with a stock engine.
The cars in the States are "limited" by the high gearing and nothing else.
Joe |
it's horsepower not hi gearing that limits top speed in any car
the engine isn't working harder, it's out of it peak powerband.
if the shift from 3rd to 4th drops the rpms by enuff the engine isn't making enuff hp to keep pushing.
"if a car is running at its top speed, then to double that speed would require eight times the horsepower. More practically, to go just 25 percent faster-say, from 125 mph to a bit over 155 mph-requires double the horsepower."
if you know the cd/frontal area of the vehicle and the hp available there's math out there to find the theoretical top speed.