02-16-2006, 03:04 AM
we're getting way off the topic here, and i don't want to argu, but i guess i'm not being clear enough or something - i'd be happy to try to explain this on the phone, if it's still unclear what i am trying to say
when i referred to road racing, it's really the type of driving - none of this matters if you aren't at the edge - 80% driving, like most "spirited" weekend runs, won't see the limits - in those cases, it really doesn't matter how much power is in the car, because it will never be used - a few sessions on the track will open a lot of eyes - you really don't know what fast driving is until then - i highly recommend it to everyone
i am talking about driving fast, not running a 1/4 mile - driving fast means continuous high speed driving through a series of varying turns - muscle cars are a perfect example of having difficulty driving fast - tons of power, but no ability to apply it - a bone stock 67 mgb in a canyon will whomp a big block 67 vette every time - the vette has 4 times the power and only twice the mass - a lotus super 7 with 125hp will cream a big block cobra on a road course - power does not necessarily mean fast - sure the big cars get up to speed quickly, but that has nothing to do with driving fast
adding power is only helpful if you can get it to the ground and apply it, hold it there, and then slow it down when you need to - no matter how much power you add, you are still limited in speed by those factors, and often are actually slowed down by too much power
race instructors see this all the time with newer drivers who want to modify their cars to increase power under the misguided idea that they can drive faster, only to find out their lap times actually went up when they did - no matter how fast extra power might push a car, if you can't carry and control it through a turn, you're not going to go any faster
every car has a limit it hits in how fast it can go in its particular setup - adding power won't always help
when talking about "setup" it is generally referring to everything but the engine - the engines are supposed to be equal - you are entitled to have a competitor's engine torn down in most classes, so most people don't fool with that risk - setup is something done to the chassis (wherever you can bend the rules) and mostly suspension and brakes
my point is that the 968 in stock setup can't handle more than about 300hp, which makes overboring seem to be a reasonable step toward the most the car can handle
when i referred to road racing, it's really the type of driving - none of this matters if you aren't at the edge - 80% driving, like most "spirited" weekend runs, won't see the limits - in those cases, it really doesn't matter how much power is in the car, because it will never be used - a few sessions on the track will open a lot of eyes - you really don't know what fast driving is until then - i highly recommend it to everyone
i am talking about driving fast, not running a 1/4 mile - driving fast means continuous high speed driving through a series of varying turns - muscle cars are a perfect example of having difficulty driving fast - tons of power, but no ability to apply it - a bone stock 67 mgb in a canyon will whomp a big block 67 vette every time - the vette has 4 times the power and only twice the mass - a lotus super 7 with 125hp will cream a big block cobra on a road course - power does not necessarily mean fast - sure the big cars get up to speed quickly, but that has nothing to do with driving fast
adding power is only helpful if you can get it to the ground and apply it, hold it there, and then slow it down when you need to - no matter how much power you add, you are still limited in speed by those factors, and often are actually slowed down by too much power
race instructors see this all the time with newer drivers who want to modify their cars to increase power under the misguided idea that they can drive faster, only to find out their lap times actually went up when they did - no matter how fast extra power might push a car, if you can't carry and control it through a turn, you're not going to go any faster
every car has a limit it hits in how fast it can go in its particular setup - adding power won't always help
when talking about "setup" it is generally referring to everything but the engine - the engines are supposed to be equal - you are entitled to have a competitor's engine torn down in most classes, so most people don't fool with that risk - setup is something done to the chassis (wherever you can bend the rules) and mostly suspension and brakes
my point is that the 968 in stock setup can't handle more than about 300hp, which makes overboring seem to be a reasonable step toward the most the car can handle
94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com
"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
