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Bradleybang
Member
I'll guess 1:24 but only if Tesla set it up with traction off and battery full.
It will be wierd to watch as Tesla/Lotus engineered not to slip / drift and that track requires it.
I think roadster will do well acceleration wise on this track, its just will braking and drifting be so different that Stig can't time it.
Oh and Clarkson will pan it.
It will be wierd to watch as Tesla/Lotus engineered not to slip / drift and that track requires it.
I think roadster will do well acceleration wise on this track, its just will braking and drifting be so different that Stig can't time it.
Oh and Clarkson will pan it.
Google maps of Top Gear track This one shows ft and m
Google Earth fly through: http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=838400
cl-03-19-07-126177525
Google Earth fly through: http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=838400
cl-03-19-07-126177525
I did the math, and the speeds listed are the average speed for the lap.
My guess is also that the Roadster will be in the high 1:20s if not 30s. I think that the weight is going to kill it in the corners.
I don't think that the top speed will be an issue. I could be wrong, but I just don't think that the straights are long enough for it to become an issue.
A quick look at Google Earth shows that from the start to Crooner Curve and then from Chicago to Hammerhead are both over a third of a mile, so they should be getting close to top speed by then. Also from the Follow Through down to Bacharach they should easily hit top speed.
Google Maps
Google Maps
graham
Active Member
I agree. I think the top speed of the Ariel Atom something like 135... not all that much higher than the 125 for the Roadster - and it still made an amazing time.
So perhaps you are correct, and cornering will be the limiting factor. The Roadster should accelerate faster than an Elise, but corner (and probably brake) worse. So there is a chance the Roadster will not even match the Elise in the overall track time.
graham
Active Member
If the Fastest Lap speeds listed are average times the it looks like the Tesla max speed will indeed be a huge issue.
This page says,
So the Tesla Roadster gets a general advantage with a quick acceleration 0-60 off the line, out of Chicago, and the Hammerhead but is limited to 125 miles per hour in the 4 straightaways. A Lotus-designed car on a Lotus-designed track bodes well for Tesla but if the Lotus Exige S' average time is 119 mph then it goes to reason that 1/2 the time is was speeding much faster than that speed. The Exige 0-60 time is close to Tesla at 4.1 sec but the top speed is a much greater 150mph. The Exige did 1:25.1
It's that top end limitation that will kill the Roadster's numbers. Sadly I'm going to estimate at Roadster time of 1:29.2.
By the way, These guys all drool at the sound of 8,12,or16 sets of explosions from the gasoline burning engines. I think there will be severe knocks for the "whine" of an electric motor.
This page says,
So the Tesla Roadster gets a general advantage with a quick acceleration 0-60 off the line, out of Chicago, and the Hammerhead but is limited to 125 miles per hour in the 4 straightaways. A Lotus-designed car on a Lotus-designed track bodes well for Tesla but if the Lotus Exige S' average time is 119 mph then it goes to reason that 1/2 the time is was speeding much faster than that speed. The Exige 0-60 time is close to Tesla at 4.1 sec but the top speed is a much greater 150mph. The Exige did 1:25.1
It's that top end limitation that will kill the Roadster's numbers. Sadly I'm going to estimate at Roadster time of 1:29.2.
By the way, These guys all drool at the sound of 8,12,or16 sets of explosions from the gasoline burning engines. I think there will be severe knocks for the "whine" of an electric motor.
The Lotus Exige's average speed is 119kph, not mph, so that's ~71mph average.
It may be that the Roadster will hit its top speed at some point on the track, but I think that the time loss from that will be small compared to the losses from braking and cornering due to the extra weight of the battery. But I would suggest that it's not important that the Roadster be at the top of the board; It's legitimizing the car to the world as a properly fast car if it's anywhere on the board.
For me, as long as it's faster than the RX-8 and the 350z that they tested (1:31.8s), it will have been a great success.
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I'd take a bet that it would beat Exige. Not by much, but it will be there around 1:24.
Tesla's quartermile is supposed to be 12.4s (what speed?), Exige S's is 12.8s at 105mph. Tesla's top speed is 20% lower, but it takes free road to get to those speeds and it very quickly runs out.
Stig might even demand a bigger rear spoiler :biggrin:
My biggest concern is they (Clarkson) will overheat it and then complain about reduced performance.
Tesla's quartermile is supposed to be 12.4s (what speed?), Exige S's is 12.8s at 105mph. Tesla's top speed is 20% lower, but it takes free road to get to those speeds and it very quickly runs out.
Stig might even demand a bigger rear spoiler :biggrin:
My biggest concern is they (Clarkson) will overheat it and then complain about reduced performance.
According to the blog post here, Iain Morrison did the 1/4 in 12.75s at 104.74mph. This was not in a production car.
graham
Active Member
graham
Active Member
So it has roughly the same performance as the Exige through the quarter mile, but with the extra weight I would not expect it to handle quite as well. And the lower top end will hurt too. I hope it does well, but I do not want to get my hopes up that it will best the Exige.
Should best the G-Wiz at least...
Dexlargo you are right. It's KPH not MPH. Dumb mistake on my part. That changes everything.
I disagree with this. The price of double the Lotus line makes it a big deal for TG folks who don't care about a car being green. It's in Supercar price territory so it has to at least be in the top 30 (>1:23.9)for due props.
I retract my estimate and -awaiting further consideration.
I disagree with this. The price of double the Lotus line makes it a big deal for TG folks who don't care about a car being green. It's in Supercar price territory so it has to at least be in the top 30 (>1:23.9)for due props.
I retract my estimate and -awaiting further consideration.
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
As long as it's not something too embarassing (at least above 350Z) it'll be okay for me.
I'll be really happy if it makes it up near the 1:25 range or even higher because that'll totally justify the price.
I'll be really happy if it makes it up near the 1:25 range or even higher because that'll totally justify the price.
Top Gear Track lap records - FastestLaps.com
Power to weight is 248(hp)/1238(kg)
To get in the top half of the board with that amount of power in a conventional engine, you'd need to lose more than half the mass.
It will need some practice by the Stig. A sports car with regen is new territory.
Power to weight is 248(hp)/1238(kg)
To get in the top half of the board with that amount of power in a conventional engine, you'd need to lose more than half the mass.
It will need some practice by the Stig. A sports car with regen is new territory.
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True, but regen won't be a factor on a race track. It kicks in only at lower speeds ie. somewhere under 40mph.
Power to weight ratio is somewhat doubius metrics because it looks at max engine power. ICE gets to max power at max rev, almost all driving is done at lower rews i.e lower power. Torque is what realy counts. TR has lots of it (max) right up to 6000 RPM or around 65 mph where it starts to drop.
I still hope for time under 1:25
WarpedOne is right, look at the Radical SR3 and Ariel Atom in 12th and 13th of that table for example, the Ariel should have beat the Radical comfortably if power/weight had a big influence.
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