great videos

 

Are you referring to the cd ?

 

I believe the C4 was more like 0.32, and the ZR-1's wider tires pushed it to about 0.33.

The overall drag might be comparable, though, I believe the C6 has more frontal area.

Doing the math, and making the assumption that a 375hp ZR-1 can reach 180mph, it would take 515hp to push that to 200mph. This is engine horsepower, not wheel horsepower. A Z06 with 505hp doesn't quite get the job done either, at least according to Chevy.

If GM had ever gone ahead with Lotus' MY1995 475+hp LT5, it would have been interesting to see how fast a factory C4 could go, and what, if anything, they would have done in terms of aero.

 

8000RPM: Gearing is OEM (3.45) with a typical 275/40-17 tire. Looking out the front in the video you can see the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 'boards' going by. I'm in 4th at the 1/4 and shift into 5th at 1/2 board...meaning I'm in 5th for half the run! And it is the 3 CCD model-works well for our use.

It was certainly fun let it run unrestricted.

 

No. I am referring to the hp required to move it through the air. If I remember correctly, the base C6 has a slightly better Cd than the base C4. I doubt that the Z06 does w/its flared fenders, scoops, etc, but not sure.

However the C4 has a smaller frontal area, so it CAN have a slightly higher Cd, and still require similar hp to go the same top speed.

EDIT:
84-96 Cd: .34-.29 Wiki
Current Z06: .34 (Motor Trend)

 

Cool vids!! I see many engine builds on this site, and yours is one of the few that I would like to replicate.

 

why are u causing trouble? personally i dont think a C4 with 440whp would do 198-199 mph like a C6 Z06.

 

My car went 143 mph last summer before siamesed runners and LT headers on a standing mile. A friend with a stock -97 C5 automatic did 145 mph. I really wish I would have had all the goodies installed before that...

 

What makes you think that? Data I'm aware of tells me that it could.

 

Car and Driver did 212mph in a C4 making 603 crank hp
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...o_us-road_test

Stock ZR-1's are good for 180ish with 375-405hp

A 440rwhp ZR-1 did 168mph at the Vegas standing mile event in 06 vs a pack of C6Z's with a best of 166mph.

 

wish we had that around here, what are your 1/4 mile times/MPH

 

What does your data say this top speed would be?

-470rwhp/450rwtq (approx dyno #'s for my 421).
-315/30/18 (rear tire)
-3.07's with either a 4+3 or a ZF6
-3430 lbs with driver

From looking at the gear calculator. A ZF6 tranny with 3.07 in 5th gear is 201 mph at 6100 rpm's. That would be a very tall order especially in 5th.

If you throw in the stock 3.45's with the ZF6 then you would have to change into 6th, and I cant see you reaching 200 in 6th with enough road especially.

Like to hear from your data.

I am confident that if I ever wanted to do 190 mph with the 421 it's possible, but the magic mark of 200mph is another story.

 

Cool article, but that car is way over most of our budgets. Its a 427 that revs to 7000 rpm's, and price as tested is $100,052. The car also used an alum block.

It's not realistic to own that car.


"Lingenfelter's price to duplicate this aluminum 427-cubic-inch voluptuary: $51,350."


Any other articles from cars I can relate with?

 

STL94LT1: Quite a complement! It is appreciated. I regret not going to an aftermarket cylinder head casting in a larger size if anything. These CNC Heads LT4 castings (my originals) are 219 cc and do not flow like should have/expected. But they do still work acceptably. Additionally, an aftermarket ECU is really needed-the GM847 is too large of a cam for street operation at the mandatory part throttle 14.7 AFR. It does sound wicked at idle along with the compression!

NXS: The last time I did a quarter mile drag race it ran 12.44 @ 116 mph. They did not provide any split times during the standing mile.

200 MPH: I think we could respond indefinitely on what it would take and guess at what car could do what. Unfortunately, that is all that it is...guess. We need to prep a car and run Bonneville or SandHills or the topend race in Nevada to answer the question!

I built put this engine together hoping for a 200 mph number from a street driven Corvette-fell quite short so kind of let it lay. I think it will take more than we think...drag increases exponentially and watching the car shift into 5th and then seemingly eek each mph shows the struggle even at ~170 mph. I recall Doug Rippie trying to sell a LT5 package that would attain 200 mph-I recall that they were not successful-either the power becomes unstreetable or they don't make enough seems to be the rule. Of course with turbos becoming far more popular and a rear mount available for the C4-that seems like a no brainer that it could do it. Regretfully, that also means less useable on an autocross course or possibly as responsive on a road course not too mention the increased reliability concerns.

 

I've posted all my data. You've seen it, if you read my posts. The most "unaero" C4 has a drag coefficient that equals the current Z06 and ZR1. BUT the C4 has a smaller frontal area so will take less hp to push through the air, at a given speed. How much less? Probably not enough to make a difference in the "real world" where at those speed approaching 200, so many other factors increase in importance; gearing, weather, etc.

My origional point was that the current Z06 was NOT more aerodynamic than a C4, and I believe I backed up that point w/data.

Since they are so close, then all else equal, RWHP being the same, of course the two cars should go about the same speed.

"The article" WAS relevant. You can't see the forest for the trees. That engine may be "all aluminum". It may cost $51k and it may rev 7k. None of that matters. What matters is 603hp=208-214mph in that car. I bet that if you think REAL hard, you can figure how to build a cast iron block, 6000 RPM engine that costs less than $50k and still makes 603 CHP. Am I right? Today we have things that weren't easily available when that article was written; GREAT heads for cheap, awesome roller cam choices, tons of intake options, all sorts of header/exhaust/cat options, affordable big cube short blocks, turbo and supercharger technology....on and on. The piece that we can ALL take away from that article was the 603 hp/208-214 mph relationship.

The current ZR1 (same body as the Z06) has 640 CHP and can touch 205 in ideal conditions. 640 horse ZR1=200-205 mph. 603 horse C4= 208+. So yeah, I think if a 440RWHP Z06 can tag 198 then a 440RWHP C4 can too. Or maybe slightly better.

Doesn't matter what material the engine is milled from, or how much it costs.

No go is right. It's all speculation. Only way to verify is to try it. But if a car w/the same hp, same Cd, and bigger frontal area goes xxx speed, it seems to reason that a smaller version of the otherwise similar aero specs should go just as well.

 

Posted this in the racing section some time ago.
Keep in mind that it just compares & lists Aerodynamic forces and not rolling loads.

 

WOW you guys should be on The Big Bang Theory

 

That is some cool info and charts. Data is different than my source, but it's probably about the same as dynos (they all vary some what).

The lift data doesn't jibe with what I have always understood. Hard to believe that a C3 would have less lift than a C4 or 6. Especially the 74-77ish ones w/no spoiler.

 

I guess you have to figure (ballpark) that the ZR1 goes 205mph with about 530rwhp. The C4, C5, and C6 have about the same drag coefficient so it would take roughly 500hp to go 200mph...
What do you guys think?

Remember, the faster you go, the more mother nature pushes against you... As mentioned in this video!

Cool Video!

 

Well summed up

My personal opinion based on the data that I've seen is that it would take roughly 450rwhp to do an honest 200mph in a C4, providing for proper gearing and enough road.
I've been past 180 in mine (480rwhp) and at that speed the digital speedo was still increasing by 2 numbers at a time.

I also suspect that the new ZR1 may be capable of more than 205mph