Hey people,

I need to have a certain subject-area clarified for me.

Now - when it comes to 'normal' cars, with classic 'bell-curve' torque curves, it would be normal and usual to associate the need for greater acceleration (e.g. cruising on a highway at a good speed, and then needing to overtake another car) with having to shift down a gear or two. That's for normal, everyday cars - where the torque characteristics of their engines demand this.

However - and this is the crux of my query - it's my understanding that any car worth its salt in terms of engine torque (which is why I'm asking this question on a Skyline forum) would in the above scenario NOT need to downshift at all - but simply put your foot down. In my understanding - the 'definition' of serious torque, on any supercar - is that you DON'T need to downshift, even for overtaking. Now I know there are a good number of variables here - but to narrow the argument down, I'm specifying that you're already cruising on a highway, at say 80/90 miles per hour (= 128/144 kmh), but the main thing is that you're cruising at or around the middle of your (flat'ish) power band.

So - if you had two cars on this hypothetical highway, roughly in the middle of their power bands - the car that would need to downshift, would lose the race from current speed to the next speed - whereas the car that has enough torque, would simply put their foot down, not messing around with namby-pamby gear changes - and win this 'race'. And I'm saying that any serious supercar would in this situation not concern itself with a downshift, when racing from cruising speed up to some greater speed (say to 130/140 mph).

So - in a nutshell - unless you're doing some silly slow speed for your gear - muscle cars do not need to downshift!

Can I please either be corrected on this - or have confirmed that this is the case!


Thanks in advance all, for your replies,


Arif

 

I have experienced this on my motorcycle. The vehicle that downshifts is going to accelerate faster and get a jump on the vehicle that stays in the same gear. Even with the lost momentum caused by shifting, your engine has overcome the drag you would have by simply "putting your foot in it" in a higher gear. Two vehicles with identical specs would end up with 1 car leading by a constant distance. This is, of course, specific to highway speeds and two identical cars. Even with a lot of power you could be further ahead than you are by downshifting a gear. (Since you say you are in the middle of your powerband) Unfortunately you cannot have a 1 way answer on this, as it completely depends on gearing.

 

Another thought. As I reread your post it sounds as if you are talking about a lobsided match. In which I can also speak on. I have more idiots in trans-ams and corvettes trying to race me on my bike than I care to shame, but if they are persistent...I can roll on the throttle in whatever gear I please and leave them like theyr'e standing still.

 

but a bike is far different due to the hp to weight ratio.

 

Everything is based on power to weight. no matter what you drive.