Quote:
Originally Posted by shaffe
This is from the C&D article that came out months ago when we found out about the 180MPH top speed
"The base GT500 gets by with no downforce-aiding elements but the prize of being the quickest GT500 in a straight line, says Ford"
And good to know on the GM claim. Makes no sense to me, but still good to know.
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When a manufacturer decides to post numbers, they have some choices. Do they publish hero times, prepped/unprepped, average times, etc. Some choose to go with a hero time, like Dodge did with the Demon. I am pretty sure the Demon is capapble of doing under 10 seconds, but it has to be ideal conditions with a very expeirienced driver. Under 10 seconds is a big WOW factor, but it leaves actual buyers with a little salt, since they won't be able to reproduce that time try after try.
Or, it can be done like Chevy does, and publish a more average time that a normal user can expect to see, and a similar number to what the magazines will publish. This gives less WOW factor, but seems more legit in the real world, as all the magazines pretty much confirm what Chevy claims, and real buyer get that number and better all over the country.
OR, you can do like Ford, and not (typically) publish numbers, and get someone like Evan to put up a hero time. No one can say Ford made a bogus claim of a number that no one can reporoduce, but they will get credit for that number anyway (it's a way that Ford can have it's cake and eat it too). It's a pretty smart strategy for a manufacturer as better numbers will generate more buzz, and no one can say Ford published some BS.
But, I prefer the Chevy way. Let me know a reproduceable number, and I will know that it's possible to beat that in good conditions, but buyers can achieve that number and even better. It's more real world. Plus, all these cars have 0-60 and 1/4 mile timers built into the infotainment systems. You know the first thing guys are going to do is test the car out and see if they can get the numbers they think they can get. And with Ford and Dodge, the buyers are going to be dissapointed testing these fancy timers out on an empty back road somewhere.
But, either way, all numbers need their context, and without, you might as well just make some crap up. SO, I really don't care whether a company uses a hero time on a prepped surface or not, I just need to know the exact circumstances that the test was produced. That way, I have the proper context.