Fun with an Evo (Turbo)
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 460
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From: N. Potomac MD
Fun with an Evo (Turbo)
In Maryland there is a road I70 changing to I68 that goes into the Western Maryland Mountains with roads that have as much as a 5% grade. This is where I have always enjoyed my Vetts because frankly it requires true horsepower to accelerate and pass going uphill on these roads. Yesterday I came upon an Evo (one of those turbo 4 rice burners) and couldn't resist. On one of the steeper grades I came up to him at about 80 and he and I accelerated. I was only in 4th, didn't bother to go down any further and it was a gradual acceleration, not max. Took it up to about 105 and he simply couldn't keep up before the road started back down again. Did this twice more with same results. Now that is true horsepower. I wonder how much.
Can only of you brains out there do the math. How much horsepower is required to accelerate from 80 to 105 going up a 5% grade and doing it over a 1 mile distance?
Also I would be curious if those turbo cars only put out max HP for short periods (1/4 mile only) before they have to be allowed to cool down. That would be fine for most ordinary events like autocross but worthless in them there mountains.
I love my car.
One more question. What do you guys use to clean the rims. I got Blue Polly and it worked fine but it smells very strong. Over time will it damage the clear coat?
Be good all.
Can only of you brains out there do the math. How much horsepower is required to accelerate from 80 to 105 going up a 5% grade and doing it over a 1 mile distance?
Also I would be curious if those turbo cars only put out max HP for short periods (1/4 mile only) before they have to be allowed to cool down. That would be fine for most ordinary events like autocross but worthless in them there mountains.
I love my car.
One more question. What do you guys use to clean the rims. I got Blue Polly and it worked fine but it smells very strong. Over time will it damage the clear coat?
Be good all.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,333
Likes: 1
From: VA
St. Jude Donor '03-'11
Did a little googling to find a conversion factor:
At 100% efficiency, a 1 HP would lift a weight of 550 lbs one foot in one second,that's 1.32 inch per sec for a 5000 lb load.
80mph, 5% grade
4 miles/hr vertical speed?
= 4 * 1.467 = 5.868 ft/sec...
3400/550 * 5.868 = 36hp
so, it takes 36 horses just to overcome the elevation change at the beginning of the run, with that number increasing as you speed up.
So your 350 hp car will accelarate like a 314 hp car.
As for the EVO, they're kinda peaky. If they're not in the right gear, or under boost, they're toast.
At 100% efficiency, a 1 HP would lift a weight of 550 lbs one foot in one second,that's 1.32 inch per sec for a 5000 lb load.
80mph, 5% grade
4 miles/hr vertical speed?
= 4 * 1.467 = 5.868 ft/sec...
3400/550 * 5.868 = 36hp
so, it takes 36 horses just to overcome the elevation change at the beginning of the run, with that number increasing as you speed up.
So your 350 hp car will accelarate like a 314 hp car.
As for the EVO, they're kinda peaky. If they're not in the right gear, or under boost, they're toast.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 21,390
Likes: 1,011
From: Various places in Southern California.
One benefit of most turbo engines is that they are less affected by altitude. This can make mountain driving much more fun in a turbo. Still, I'm not a fan of turbos, though the Evo VIII and STi are awfuly cool cars in my book.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 58,783
Likes: 1
From: D*ck ina Box
CI III & IV Vote Ho
CI II, III, IV & V Vet
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04
1, this is the Tech section and this is not a technical post...2, we don't do street racing stories here 
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