Comments by "Golden Croc" (@GoldenCroc) on "Can our 21-year-old Ford still hit its original top speed?!" video.
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@jamesbrook16 First, I want to thank you for giving me opportunity to explain this, as a former physics teacher it is very rewarding getting to do this again.
Secondly, dont feel bad about thinking its the time thats the limiting factor, its a very common mistake.
Now, with that said: since we have a fixed distance of runway, we are limited by that, not time. Which means that average speed is very important. If you do a 0-60 in 9 seconds, your average speed for those 9 seconds might only be about 40 mph, meaning you travelled 161 meters. This is how much you gain with a 60mph flying start compared to a standing one.
Now on the top end we already have 141mph, and want to get to 142. Lets say the average speed is just 141 to lowball it. This give us just 2.55 seconds of additional acceleration until the extra 161 meters are used up. Not much, right?
And yes, close to the true top speed, it can easily take 5-10 seconds between each mph gain in most cars. This car wasnt at its top speed, so it will accelerate quite a bit faster, but not more than one mph per 1-2 seconds for sure, which is why I said, 1 mph; 2 at the very most gain with a flying start.
Now you see why at least 3 miles or so is necessary with this car, the distance ticks by fast when trying to squeeze the last bit out.
Cheers.
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