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Motor Trend reports 2.6 0 to 60!! In P90D. Launch control??

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I wonder what Niel would have to say about that number:

Neil deGrasse Tyson Gives Us A Detailed Breakdown Of NASCAR Physics


" On Earth, that acceleration is 32 feet per second, per second. Or in more common language: 22 miles per hour per second. Or in even more common language: Zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. This is true no matter the mass of the car or the nature of its suspension or construction. That's why all the most expensive production sports cars come in around 3 seconds for 0-60 mph. This is simply a cool fact of physics. "


Also:
https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/470738394650533888
 
I wonder what Niel would have to say about that number:

Neil deGrasse Tyson Gives Us A Detailed Breakdown Of NASCAR Physics


" On Earth, that acceleration is 32 feet per second, per second. Or in more common language: 22 miles per hour per second. Or in even more common language: Zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. This is true no matter the mass of the car or the nature of its suspension or construction. That's why all the most expensive production sports cars come in around 3 seconds for 0-60 mph. This is simply a cool fact of physics. "


Also:
https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/470738394650533888

A top fuel dragster is much faster (0.2 sec to 60 mph). Also even a rally cross car does 0-60 mph in 1.9 sec

Riding along in Ford's bonkers Fiesta ST Global RallyCross car [w/video]

the Mountune-worked Fiesta ST GRC does 0-to-60 mph in 1.9 seconds.

So the math to Neil DeGrasse is just wrong since it is possible to get friction above 1.0 in real life.
 
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Interesting. We assume that 0-60 is with the "traditional" (in the US) one-foot rollout. As long as the competing car's 0-60 times are with the same rollout, that seems reasonable.
And I note that Motor Trend uses Tesla's HP and torque numbers without qualification. The author does not appear to care about what the drivetrain can actually deliver, all that matters is the shockingly fast 2.6 secs 0-60 that anyone can achieve with stock tires simply by stomping on the go pedal.
I have no idea what is meant by the "new launch control" reference in the article. There is no such setting in the vehicle controls that I am aware of.
 
A top fuel dragster is much faster (0.2 sec to 60 mph). Also even a rally cross car does 0-60 mph in 1.9 sec

Riding along in Ford's bonkers Fiesta ST Global RallyCross car [w/video]



So the math to Neil DeGrasse is just wrong since it is possible to get friction above 1.0 in real life.

As long as you are using turning wheels to accelerate, you are limited by traction.

That means that the maximum force you can generate to accelerate is limited to the weight of the vehicle times the friction coefficient between the wheels and the ground even under ideal circumstances.

Since the typical tire and pavement give you around 1 for a coefficient, what he says is basically true under normal conditions.

However, if you can arrange for more grip, you can have more acceleration if you have enough power. That's why drag strips put down friction compounds and people buy racing slicks - little improvements in friction/grip.

Edit: I see that sometime between the page loading and my deciding to try to explain you added a section related to friction coefficients yourself.
Walter
 
So the math to Neil DeGrasse is just wrong since it is possible to get friction above 1.0 in real life.
His math is correct. If you take the time to read DeGrasse's entire post, you will see that he is careful to allow for a CF greater than 1. Quote:
"Most materials on most materials have a coefficient of friction of less that 1. But rubber on asphalt makes an awesome match for transportation, and routinely registers a coefficient of friction within 5% of 1.0. If you manage to increase the coefficient of friction above 1.0 you can accelerate horizontally even faster than gravity would accelerate you falling vertically. Hot, gummy, sticky tires on asphalt do just that, as drag racers well know. Spoilers at high speeds offer a similar advantage — but in this case increasing the weight of the car without increasing its mass. This helps the friction do its job even better."
 
2.6! Very impressive.
Pretty outrageous hate comments under the article though. They seem to be panicking now as they lost another argument against EVs, as the Model S just got a really competitive 1/4 mile time. Almost half the comments are hate comments and the other half are positive. In real life I meet 99% positive people, something doesn't add up. Have the dealers or someone started a troll factory that pumps out anti Tesla personae to post comments?
 
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Musk just tweeted the report from Motor Trend. 2.6 0 to 6010.9@ 122mph 1/4puzzling thing from the article though. It mentions use of the new launch control. is there a launch control?i have a p90d with Luda mode running v7.0 and do not see this. 2015 Tesla Model S P90D w/Ludicrous Upgrade First Test
I always thought it would be useful to have the ability to enable a "launch mode" where you could hold your foot to the floor, the car not moving, and one of the steering wheel buttons acts as a launch button that ramps up the inverter drive as quickly as the electronics permits. The whole business of having to aggressively stomp on the pedal seems a bit antiquated.
 
2.6! Very impressive.
Pretty outrageous hate comments under the article though. They seem to be panicking now as they lost another argument against EVs, as the Model S just got a really competitive 1/4 mile time. Almost half the comments are hate comments and the other half are positive. In real life I meet 99% positive people, something doesn't add up. Have the dealers or someone started a troll factory that pumps out anti Tesla personae to post comments?

Nah, it's just the usual internet anonymity. Real life doesn't quite give that same level of anonymity so people don't show their negative side as much.