grogan545

Hi Zman,everything is fine with me and I still have my 545.With the weather in the northeast in the winter I feel I need a SUV.Although I can afford a X5,its too nice a car to slog through ice,snow and mud.Therefore I always have a less luxurios SUV for the bad weather.Since 1993 this was always a jeep grand cherokee V8,the latest being a 2005 hemi.All of my vehicles must perform,which the hemi did(6.05 0-60,14.45 @94mph in1/4),but the mileage was atrocious(14 mpg overall,max 17 on the highway).I read a report in MT on the new RAV4 and was impressed(0-60 6.3,14.9 1/4) with mileage from 21 to 28.After a test drive I bought the RAV.I have not been disappointed.So far I am averaging about 23.5 mpg,but the best part is performance.I have only made 2 runs at my old test site(slight grade) and got the following #s.
..............N................S
0-60 5.85...........6.25
1/8...T...9.23...........9.45
1/8...S...76.8...........73.4
Not bad for an economy SUV,Will translate to mid 14's in the 1/4.

I should have known you would have thought of the tire issue.It was too simple an explanation for someone of your expertise.You are probably correct in assuming that your controls are not fully disengaged.Also I did make 1 more run with my 545 this past monday.I didn't log all the data,but here are the particulars:
60'........1.95
330'......5.69
1/8..T....8.69
1/8..S...82.8
1/4..T...13.35
1/4..S...106.0
Temp.....68F
Dew.......57F
Bar.........29.98
Hum.......63%
Alt.........400'
This was with a no wheelspin start.I think these are pretty good numbers with these weather conditions.Could you please apply correction factor.

grogan545

Hi Zman.Just wondered if you read my post #51 in this thread yet?

znod

No, somehow I missed it. The RAV is pretty darn fast. I think you made a good trade. I didn't know that you also have an SUV, but what you say makes perfect sense. The 545i time looks really good. I do the adjustment right now and post a reply to your other post.

znod

Hi again g:

You have set a mega world record. As I recall, this pass is the first one where your density altitude has been above your actual altitude and, thus, your results improve when adjusted. Way to go!!! My adjusted best pales by comparison--13.37 @ 106.4. Do you know your 0-60 and 0-100? I'll be back later, and I'll post your results to the "Straight-Line" thread soon.

Here you go:

Density Altitude:

Your results:
Air Temp 68 (?F)
Altimeter Setting 29.98 (in)
Dew Point 57 (?F)
Altitude 400 (Feet)
Density Altitude 1222.6 (feet)

Weather and Altitude Adjusted to Sea Level:

Your results:
Density Altitude 1222.6 (feet)
Uncorrected ET 13.35 (sec)
Uncorrected MPH 106 (mph)
Corrected ET 13.178
Corrected MPH 107.401

Weather and Altitude Adjusted to 500':

Your results:
E.T. 13.178 (sec)
Trap Speed 107.401 (mph)
Measured DA 0 (feet)
Corrected to 500(feet) DA
Corrected ET 13.248 (sec)
Corrected Trap Speed 106.827 (mph)

grogan545

Hi Zman,Thanks for all the info.My GT2 is at work but my best recollection for the 0-60 was 4.88,not sure about 0-100,below 11.50,I''ll get real #s monday.I don't know why but my car doesn't seem to be affected by weather until the conditions hit a certain tip point.Somewhere about 80F with 70's dew point.My data from last year before we were considering weather looks good until the temp gets over 70's.I don't have good weather info from then but I know from the dates the approximate weather conditions.I think the biggest improvement in my times in the last 6 months is due to the zero wheelspin starts.Previously I always tried to get some wheelspin because I thought it was the faster method.But I have since found that this is not true.I think I mentioned when I first started testing I had a 0-60 of 4.85,but I discounted it because I didn't duplicate it until I started using the zero wheelspin method.I believe I had zero wheelspin on that discounted test but I ignored it as being a fluke.One theory on the affect of weather could be that our cars compensate for weather to a point but cannot compensate for a broad range of conditions.What do you think Zman?

I intended to go to the drag strip on june 2 but is was raining and hot.I still want to go at least one more time,but the weather conditions must be right.Looking for about 60 degrees,low dew point ,barometer about 30.Probably not until early fall.

znod

I think that it is likely that our cars compensate well, perhaps completely or more, until a tipping point is reached. As I recall, I drew this conclusion somewhere once before. And, I think it is implied, or subsumed by, the final part of section 3d of post #124 of this thread. My calculations seem to imply that my car perofrms disproportionately better the more unfavorable the weather conditions--over the range of weather conditions I have encountered. But, I doubt that this conclusion would hold for extremely unfavorable weather conditions. I keep intending to do so 100 degree passes but have not done so yet.

Also, you know that I have been a fan of zero wheel-spin starts for a long time--or maybe just the smallest possible amount of wheel spin. It seems to me that I get bad results every time my wheel spin is noticeable to all but the smallest degree. And, I do recall the pass you igrnored as bogus once before. I am glad that it was not.