As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

0 - 60 in 5.5 seconds!

MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
edited September 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
This is a question that I've always had. Why do all car's acceleration performance say "it does 0 - 60 in XX seconds". What is so special about the 60 MPH mark?

MagicToaster on

Posts

  • metaghostmetaghost An intriguing odor A delicate touchRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I'm not sure there's any great relevance, but 60 MPH is, as I understand it, the optimum speed at which to drive in relation to aerodynamics so as to maximize efficient fuel consumption.

    metaghost on
  • SpudgeSpudge Witty comments go next to this blue dot thingyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    It's a standard benchmark - came about back in the day before the 55 mph imposed speed limit. When cars are judged in km/h it's 0-100 (or 62 mph)

    Basically just something a bunch of journalists agreed on back in the day

    Spudge on
    Play With Me
    Xbox - IT Jerk
    PSN - MicroChrist

    I'm too fuckin' poor to play
    WordsWFriends - zeewoot
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0_to_60_mph

    Edit: and some insight into the stellar google fu required... "why 0 to 60" is your search term.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • an_altan_alt Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    You need some benchmark to have apples to apples comparisons. A dead stop to around the speed limit is a pretty decent one to use. 0-60 time gives you a decent feel for how fast a car is. Real car geeks will want to know about things like 0-30 and 30-50 times as well to see exactly where the performance is.

    The other major benchmark is 1/4 mile time which is even less indicative of on-street performance

    an_alt on
    Pony wrote:
    I think that the internet has been for years on the path to creating what is essentially an electronic Necronomicon: A collection of blasphemous unrealities so perverse that to even glimpse at its contents, if but for a moment, is to irrevocably forfeit a portion of your sanity.
    Xbox - PearlBlueS0ul, Steam
    If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
  • MagicToasterMagicToaster JapanRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Man, it seems Wikipedia has an article for everthing.

    MagicToaster on
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Man, it seems Wikipedia has an article for everthing.

    It sure does.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • OnTheLastCastleOnTheLastCastle let's keep it haimish for the peripatetic Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I get that you guys are using science, but you are missing the obvious.

    It is really cool.

    That's important too.

    OnTheLastCastle on
  • BlindZenDriverBlindZenDriver Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The metric system is why!

    That and the fact that cars is an European invention.


    PS. Damn wiki - I knew this one before I read it there :-(



    Oh, and as a car geek I also want to know to 60 to 0 time and the weight of the car.

    BlindZenDriver on
    Bones heal, glory is forever.
  • reddeathreddeath Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The metric system is why!

    That and the fact that cars is an European invention.


    PS. Damn wiki - I knew this one before I read it there :-(



    Oh, and as a car geek I also want to know to 60 to 0 time and the weight of the car.

    Isn't 60-0 normally rated in feet? ;)

    reddeath on
  • 1ddqd1ddqd Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    In addition to that, what really gets your gums going is when you break down the car's weight ratio (how heavy the front is vs the rear) and whether you're talking FWD, RWD, AWD, 4X4, rear locking diff...

    Oh, wait, 0-60. Yeah, just a standard, easy to understand (and market!) benchmark.

    Like "How many points does that video card represent in 3DMark?"

    1ddqd on
  • Mmmm... Cocks...Mmmm... Cocks... Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    metaghost wrote: »
    I'm not sure there's any great relevance, but 60 MPH is, as I understand it, the optimum speed at which to drive in relation to aerodynamics so as to maximize efficient fuel consumption.
    This varies by car and there is no optimum speed. The faster you go the more you fight the air around you and mother nature slows you down.

    Mmmm... Cocks... on
  • MetalbourneMetalbourne Inside a cluster b personalityRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    reddeath wrote: »
    The metric system is why!

    That and the fact that cars is an European invention.


    PS. Damn wiki - I knew this one before I read it there :-(



    Oh, and as a car geek I also want to know to 60 to 0 time and the weight of the car.

    Isn't 60-0 normally rated in feet? ;)

    Or dollars. Depending.

    Metalbourne on
  • Iceman.USAFIceman.USAF Major East CoastRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    metaghost wrote: »
    I'm not sure there's any great relevance, but 60 MPH is, as I understand it, the optimum speed at which to drive in relation to aerodynamics so as to maximize efficient fuel consumption.
    This varies by car and there is no optimum speed. The faster you go the more you fight the air around you and mother nature slows you down.

    I think we agree here, but just to be sure...you're saying there IS an optimum speed for every vehicle, it just depends on the car right? Cause that's how it works.

    There's a reason the national speed limit was 55 back in the gas crisis days. Most vehicles were most efficient at 55.

    Iceman.USAF on
  • Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    In case you were wondering, this is a car that goes 0-60 in 5.5 seconds; and is electronic.

    medium_3388367598_cf996088f4_o.jpg

    Jebus314 on
    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
  • DemerdarDemerdar Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    metaghost wrote: »
    I'm not sure there's any great relevance, but 60 MPH is, as I understand it, the optimum speed at which to drive in relation to aerodynamics so as to maximize efficient fuel consumption.

    That actually would depend on how streamlined the car is. If this is the rule of thumb then I would expect that most cars hover around that number.

    Demerdar on
    y6GGs3o.gif
  • Mmmm... Cocks...Mmmm... Cocks... Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    metaghost wrote: »
    I'm not sure there's any great relevance, but 60 MPH is, as I understand it, the optimum speed at which to drive in relation to aerodynamics so as to maximize efficient fuel consumption.
    This varies by car and there is no optimum speed. The faster you go the more you fight the air around you and mother nature slows you down.

    I think we agree here, but just to be sure...you're saying there IS an optimum speed for every vehicle, it just depends on the car right? Cause that's how it works.

    There's a reason the national speed limit was 55 back in the gas crisis days. Most vehicles were most efficient at 55.
    What I mean is if you graphed it, there would just basically be a slope.
    You'd get better gas mileage going slower no matter what.
    It's just less worth it. Optimum speed depends on how much your time is worth.

    Mmmm... Cocks... on
  • Smug DucklingSmug Duckling Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    metaghost wrote: »
    I'm not sure there's any great relevance, but 60 MPH is, as I understand it, the optimum speed at which to drive in relation to aerodynamics so as to maximize efficient fuel consumption.
    This varies by car and there is no optimum speed. The faster you go the more you fight the air around you and mother nature slows you down.

    I think we agree here, but just to be sure...you're saying there IS an optimum speed for every vehicle, it just depends on the car right? Cause that's how it works.

    There's a reason the national speed limit was 55 back in the gas crisis days. Most vehicles were most efficient at 55.
    What I mean is if you graphed it, there would just basically be a slope.
    You'd get better gas mileage going slower no matter what.
    It's just less worth it. Optimum speed depends on how much your time is worth.

    No, because if you're going slower then you cover fewer miles, and mileage is distance per quantity of gas.

    Smug Duckling on
    smugduckling,pc,days.png
  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited September 2010
    Hokay guys. You're not going to debate that here.

    ceres on
    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Donovan Puppyfucker on
  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k

    Usagi on
  • Mmmm... Cocks...Mmmm... Cocks... Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Usagi wrote: »
    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k
    Quite ugly compared to the Atom.
    Which I'm sure is very comparable.

    Mmmm... Cocks... on
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Usagi wrote: »
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k

    Yes but a Caterham 500 is a fucking horrible car to drive anywhere but a racetrack. Also it can't do 300, nevermind 400 km/h...

    Donovan Puppyfucker on
  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Usagi wrote: »
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k

    Yes but a Caterham 500 is a fucking horrible car to drive anywhere but a racetrack. Also it can't do 300, nevermind 400 km/h...

    Very true! Which is why it's important to consider more than just the 0-60 time when looking at supercars :)

    Usagi on
  • BlindZenDriverBlindZenDriver Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    reddeath wrote: »
    Isn't 60-0 normally rated in feet? ;)

    It's rarely stated anywhere so I don't think there is anything that is normal. The figure could be G-force, time, distance all of those really tells the same story.

    BlindZenDriver on
    Bones heal, glory is forever.
  • SmokeStacksSmokeStacks Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Lately I've been looking at miles per gallon and curb to curb in feet much more than 0-60 in cars.

    Sigh.

    Reading car magazine/websites about a certain car can provide you with a remarkable amount of information like that though. Stuff that seems trivial to someone who is non-interested but is pretty awesome if you dig cars.

    SmokeStacks on
  • Bendery It Like BeckhamBendery It Like Beckham Hopeless Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Usagi wrote: »
    Usagi wrote: »
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k

    Yes but a Caterham 500 is a fucking horrible car to drive anywhere but a racetrack. Also it can't do 300, nevermind 400 km/h...

    Very true! Which is why it's important to consider more than just the 0-60 time when looking at supercars :)

    especially because a Mclaren f1 beats a veyron in a 1/4 mile. With proper gearing it would be possible to beat a stock geared veyron in an entire mile.

    Bendery It Like Beckham on
  • Jealous DevaJealous Deva Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Honestly 0-60 is so easy to 'game' nowdays with things like launch control and electronics that it's pretty much meaningless on high end cars.

    For example, a first year GT-R had an automated launch control system which was taken out later due to reliability issues. The later years get 0-60 times literally half a second slower. Will there be any difference at all in any realistic driving or non-drag race track performance between a GT-R with and without launch control? No.

    Jealous Deva on
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Usagi wrote: »
    Usagi wrote: »
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k

    Yes but a Caterham 500 is a fucking horrible car to drive anywhere but a racetrack. Also it can't do 300, nevermind 400 km/h...

    Very true! Which is why it's important to consider more than just the 0-60 time when looking at supercars :)

    especially because a Mclaren f1 beats a veyron in a 1/4 mile.

    Dunno about that, maybe with modified gearing? The McLaren F1 is a lot lighter than the Bugatti, but the Bugatti has about 400 horsepower more and all-wheel drive.
    With proper gearing it would be possible to beat a stock geared veyron in an entire mile.

    I doubt that very strongly. Very strongly indeed...

    Donovan Puppyfucker on
  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Usagi wrote: »
    Usagi wrote: »
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k

    Yes but a Caterham 500 is a fucking horrible car to drive anywhere but a racetrack. Also it can't do 300, nevermind 400 km/h...

    Very true! Which is why it's important to consider more than just the 0-60 time when looking at supercars :)

    especially because a Mclaren f1 beats a veyron in a 1/4 mile.

    Dunno about that, maybe with modified gearing? The McLaren F1 is a lot lighter than the Bugatti, but the Bugatti has about 400 horsepower more and all-wheel drive.
    With proper gearing it would be possible to beat a stock geared veyron in an entire mile.

    I doubt that very strongly. Very strongly indeed...

    Top Gear had a clip where they raced a McLaren F1 against a Bugatti Veyron in a mile.
    For the first half of the race the McLaren walked away from the Veyron like it was just any other car. After that though, the Veyron caught up and passed it. It was fairly close though.

    L Ron Howard on
  • doramider7doramider7 Registered User new member
    edited September 2010
    reddeath wrote: »
    The metric system is why!

    That and the fact that cars is an European invention.


    PS. Damn wiki - I knew this one before I read it there :-(



    Oh, and as a car geek I also want to know to 60 to 0 time and the weight of the car.

    Isn't 60-0 normally rated in feet? ;)

    In addition to that, what really gets your gums going is when you break down the car's weight ratio (how heavy the front is vs the rear) and whether you're talking FWD, RWD, AWD, 4X4, rear locking diff...

    Oh, wait, 0-60. Yeah, just a standard, easy to understand (and market!) benchmark.

    Like "How many points does that video card represent in 3DMark?"

    doramider7 on
  • LaPuzzaLaPuzza Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    reddeath wrote: »
    Isn't 60-0 normally rated in feet? ;)

    It's rarely stated anywhere so I don't think there is anything that is normal. The figure could be G-force, time, distance all of those really tells the same story.

    I hate that the mags test braking differently - Car and Driver is from 70-0, Motortrend from 60-0.

    My favorite is always the time-and-distance from 0-100-0

    LaPuzza on
  • Bendery It Like BeckhamBendery It Like Beckham Hopeless Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Usagi wrote: »
    Usagi wrote: »
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k

    Yes but a Caterham 500 is a fucking horrible car to drive anywhere but a racetrack. Also it can't do 300, nevermind 400 km/h...

    Very true! Which is why it's important to consider more than just the 0-60 time when looking at supercars :)

    especially because a Mclaren f1 beats a veyron in a 1/4 mile.

    Dunno about that, maybe with modified gearing? The McLaren F1 is a lot lighter than the Bugatti, but the Bugatti has about 400 horsepower more and all-wheel drive.
    With proper gearing it would be possible to beat a stock geared veyron in an entire mile.

    I doubt that very strongly. Very strongly indeed...

    Top Gear had a clip where they raced a McLaren F1 against a Bugatti Veyron in a mile.
    For the first half of the race the McLaren walked away from the Veyron like it was just any other car. After that though, the Veyron caught up and passed it. It was fairly close though.

    The reason it lost was because it ran out it's power band. Its not meant to go as fast as the Veyron, that doesn't mean it cant.

    So if you put in another gear that extended the power band it is quite possible that i would indeed beat the veyron in a mile. (and use less gas)

    Bendery It Like Beckham on
  • LeCausticLeCaustic Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I don't necessarily look at 0-60 that much anymore because 1/4 is more important. Sure, you can have 0-60 in 5.5 sec...but what's your 1/4 mile run? Also, 60 ft time.

    My car easily breaks 5 second 0-60, but it only runs a 13.1 in the 1/4. Take a Vette, 0-60 in the same range, but those fuckers easily beat me in the 1/4.

    LeCaustic on
    Your sig is too tall. -Thanatos
    kaustikos.png
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Usagi wrote: »
    Usagi wrote: »
    0-60 is 0-60 because what matters to some car guys is how quickly you can embarrass that punk at the lights. Gun it up to the speed limit, and as long as you don't spin the tyres or exceed the speed limit, what are the police gonna ticket you for? 60 years ago, nothing, that's what.

    Nowadays?

    Reckless driving, public endangerment, unnecessarily violent acceleration (yep, a mate got ticketed for that, serves him right though, who races on the street?) etc. etc.

    With the really big hitters though, what matters is 0-1000 metres - when you're a millionaire and comparing two cars that both do 0-100 in under four seconds (a Veyron does it in 2.5!!), 60 miles an hour ain't shit.

    Pfft, a Caterham R500 does it for about the same and for only $30k

    Yes but a Caterham 500 is a fucking horrible car to drive anywhere but a racetrack. Also it can't do 300, nevermind 400 km/h...

    Very true! Which is why it's important to consider more than just the 0-60 time when looking at supercars :)

    especially because a Mclaren f1 beats a veyron in a 1/4 mile.

    Dunno about that, maybe with modified gearing? The McLaren F1 is a lot lighter than the Bugatti, but the Bugatti has about 400 horsepower more and all-wheel drive.
    With proper gearing it would be possible to beat a stock geared veyron in an entire mile.

    I doubt that very strongly. Very strongly indeed...

    Top Gear had a clip where they raced a McLaren F1 against a Bugatti Veyron in a mile.
    For the first half of the race the McLaren walked away from the Veyron like it was just any other car. After that though, the Veyron caught up and passed it. It was fairly close though.

    The reason it lost was because it ran out it's power band. Its not meant to go as fast as the Veyron, that doesn't mean it cant.

    So if you put in another gear that extended the power band it is quite possible that i would indeed beat the veyron in a mile. (and use less gas)

    Might I remind you that the regular Veyron does 0-300 in 15 seconds...

    Once you get above a certain speed in any car, modifying the gearing will not allow you to achieve a higher top speed.

    That speed is totally dependant on the cars aerodynamics.

    If you want to go faster than the cars terminal speed, either drop it out of an aeroplane, or add more horsepower.

    To raise the Veyron Supersports top speed higher than the standard Veyron by a measly 22.5 km/h required approximately two hundred extra horsepower in addition to re-fettling of the cars aero package.

    To increase the cars top speed by approximately 5% required a 20% increase in power, notwithstanding the aero tweaks to reduce drag...

    Donovan Puppyfucker on
Sign In or Register to comment.