Car vs Bike

[spank-it]

Can across this today some interesting point and some ludicrous ones. Personally I believe a car could beat the lap time set by a bike. But I think the average biker on a race bike would beat the average car driver in a racing car.

After all if Tony Pond can do 100mph with nothing but a stage 1 tune and slicks than a equally well trained idiot behind the wheel of the right racing/time attack car could find that extra 30 mph

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... 0beat%20it?

[VR6]

I think there are some absolutely daft points on that thread - or the couple of pages I've read anyway.

A modern day car would have to shave about 5 minutes off Tony Pond's lap and surely that's possible in a modern piece of kit. The Rover Vitesse was hardly a speed beast or marvel of automotive engineering. Around 134bhp per ton and top speed of 140ish if I'm looking at the right stats.

[Straightsix]

I think there are some absolutely daft points on that thread - or the couple of pages I've read anyway.

A modern day car would have to shave about 5 minutes off Tony Pond's lap and surely that's possible in a modern piece of kit. The Rover Vitesse was hardly a speed beast or marvel of automotive engineering. Around 134bhp per ton and top speed of 140ish if I'm looking at the right stats.

If you watch the video the car is sat at flat tap at about 140/150mph for most of the lap it would take some beating but a think a modern porsche would smoke it easily i.e GT3 RS or GT2 RS

[Pugguy]

The has aready been discussed here viewtopic.php?f=27&t=7199 .

An interesting one, but I dont think a car could top the 130 lap... Perhaps an F1 car 'could' if our roads were suitable.

[VR6]

Bear in mind that if the Vitesse is showing 150mph, it's bound to be more like 140mph or so due to the speedo (assuming the 143mph top speed is correct).

I think it's generally accepted that a car will beat a bike around most circuits - look at the 'Ring for example. So what's the major difference between the 'Ring and the TT circuit? The climb up the mountain and we have more flat-out sections I'd say. I don't see why either would disadvantage a car with a good top speed.

The Vitesse isn't exactly known for rapid acceleration so it HAS to be down to top speed and maintaining that for as long as possible. If a car can get through a lot of the major flat-out sections averaging above 165mph or so, I don't see why it can't get very close to a 130 lap.

I'd hate to think how much quicker a modern car would beat the Vitesse through Ramsey to the top of the mountain mile - I reckon it could probably shave a minute off right there.

[Pugguy]

The rover was not standard.. it was very much race prepared.

The TT course & the ring have very little in common. Does the ring have a hump-back bridge? Does the ring have a sharp hairpin corner? Most importantly the ring has a smooth road surface, the tt course is very bumpy & uneven.

The tt course also has long twisty sections which a small bike can go straight down the middle.

A great debate, its just a shame we will never get to find out for fact..

[spank-it]

The rover was not standard.. it was very much race prepared.

My father did the engine tune on that rover back in day and it had slightly different map and a raised rev limit which returned them a little over 200bhp. The suspension had chopped springs and Dunlop slicks. So not quite race prepared.

Another mighty impressive fact is Tony only had one practice lap of the course on closed roads. The man was a legend.

I cant see the IOM TT establishment being overly impressed by a car beating a bike

The thing about a 911 GT3 cup car or even a GT3 RS they are geared to do 200mph and they pull like a train through out the rev range no matter what gear. Anything that is bigger I think could find it was losing out on agility for example a enzo or what ever.

[tommy505]

Easy enough to settle roughly - just time a quick car over the mountain section and add little bit for the coned areas! Then gross up the ave speed for the whole course. If enough of the lap is spent at Vmax this approach won't be far wrong.

[VR6]

The rover was not standard.. it was very much race prepared.

My father did the engine tune on that rover back in day and it had slightly different map and a raised rev limit which returned them a little over 200bhp. The suspension had chopped springs and Dunlop slicks. So not quite race prepared.

Exactly - I wouldn't class that as race spec. I think it made one attempt and fell a bit short of the 100mph average so they decided to up the stakes and modify it a little. If that's 'race spec' half of the Corsas and Hondas over here would be classed as time attack cars in comparison!!

[Pugguy]

My remark about race prepared was not based on a quick remap & slicks,.. from what I have heard by people who were inolved at the time much more was done to the car & kept under wraps.


Intersting, It would be good if the tt superbikes game could add a car with as realistic physics as gt5 etc- that may give a good indication of car tt lap times...