How do car manufacturers determine 0-62 times?

Domo

Domo

Domo

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We're sitting here having a discussion about cars and their 0-62 times. Under what conditions are they set? Obviously manufacturers want to get the fastest times but how is this done?
I'm guessing they can't be on rollers because there'd be zero wind resistance right?

Edit - just to be clear, I'm referring to the official figures which are published along with the car's other technical info.
 
They are not done on an RR but every manufacturer has differnet ways of doing it. Some do it with a boot of luggage and a full tank, others a passenger and a full tank, some do it with no passenger and half a tank, some accelerate normally, others rag the **** out of the car.

Makes comparing very hard - which is why for example when Autocar road test a car they take it to Millbrook, strap on racelogic timing gear and get themselves a reasonably accurate time.
 
Interesting. I had images of a 'Stig' type character working for all the major manfacturers :)

I'd have thought more people would prefer to see a lower 0-62 and a high top-end, so I'm a little puzzled as to why they'd use cars with luggage etc.
 
They'd use luggage etc for real world time, as most people won't be driving round with half a pint of petrol and next to no fluids in the car. I'm sure I remember a corvette or something had a 0-60 time recorded that no one could get even close to. It turned out it was done by having a completely different gearbox installed which allowed clutchless shifts. Bit naughty.
 
Domo said:
Interesting. I had images of a 'Stig' type character working for all the major manfacturers :)

I'd have thought more people would prefer to see a lower 0-62 and a high top-end, so I'm a little puzzled as to why they'd use cars with luggage etc.
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Interesting question....

Peugeot and Citroen used to make the 106 GTi and the Saxo VTS. Both identical bar the bodywork and the odd suspension components. Same engine, same gearbox, same chassis. Both "Boy Racer" cars, both quite quick.

Citroen timed their empty (bar a driver) VTS at 7 and a bit seconds to 60mph. Peugeot, using a tank full of fuel, a passenger and boot full of luggage timed the GTi to 60mph in 8.4 seconds. That got the 106 GTi an insurance group rating of 13, whilst the "faster" VTS had an insurance group rating of 14. Hence insurance would be cheaper on the GTi more young people would buy it. Citroen were forced to introduce big marketing strategies to try and sell VTSs to young drivers, like offering free insurance, and possibly reduced their profit margins on each car sold.
 
Domo said:
I'd have thought more people would prefer to see a lower 0-62 and a high top-end, so I'm a little puzzled as to why they'd use cars with luggage etc.
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The only valid reasons for not trying to get the fastest times possible would be either to make it realistic (passenger and full tank etc) or maybe to try and get the car classed as a slightly lower insurance group? Can't see it making that much difference mind.

Peugeot do the old boot full of luggage, full tank and a passenger trick. The book figure for the GTi6 is 8.5 but every magazine etc managed to get 7.2 out of it. Quite a difference.

Edit - Just like bigchez and timbob have said :p
 
I can understand the full tank of fuel thing but the luggage thing is annoying. I dont think my car has EVER had a boot full of luggage so quite why BMW proudly display its 0-60 time in my drivers handbook complete with '2 adults including driver, a full tank of fuel and appropriate luggage' is beyond me and probably why Autocar recorded a time half a second quicker when they dispensed with the pointless ballast.
 
Apparently my book 0-60 of around 7.2 was also measured with a passenger and 100kg of luggage.

Generally this is because when driving around in an alfa you need to carry a mechanic and 100kg of spare parts and tools. Especially if you are going to stress things with 0-60 runs.
 
Its quite simple - the car is subjected to extreme abuse (dropping the clutch @ high revs, slam changes etc) to get the very best 0-62 time.

Most owners won't ever get close to the time quoted if they have a modicum of mechanical sympathy!
 
Bit of an aside - why do they use 0-60/62mph in their acceleration tests? Is that (perhaps historically) the average cruising speed on an A-road?
 
bigchez said:
They'd use luggage etc for real world time, as most people won't be driving round with half a pint of petrol and next to no fluids in the car. I'm sure I remember a corvette or something had a 0-60 time recorded that no one could get even close to. It turned out it was done by having a completely different gearbox installed which allowed clutchless shifts. Bit naughty.
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Wouldn't the first or last time that a manufacturer has "power shifted" through the box to get good times... and then writes in the manual that power shifting should be avoided.
 
bigchez said:
They'd use luggage etc for real world time, as most people won't be driving round with half a pint of petrol and next to no fluids in the car.
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My dad does, always fills up for only 10 euro's of LPG, that's usually half a tank, and he only fills up once his lpg has completly ran out ( as in, we lost speed even while adding throttle) and after he's been driving further on petrol ( doesn't have much petrol either, 3 litres max as last time he ran out of both lol and only just managed to get to a petrol station lol, filled it up with 10 € of lpg again as usual and 5 euro's of petrol lol).


I agree though cars should be tested with extra luggage, pretty much everyone has a spare wheel, tools etcetc in their boot. Together with a fatter and/or bigger than usual driver and a full tank of fuel I'm sure this adds 50 to 100 kg's extra than just a slim driver with nothing but 5 litres of petrol in his tank.
 
MrFunex said:
Bit of an aside - why do they use 0-60/62mph in their acceleration tests? Is that (perhaps historically) the average cruising speed on an A-road?
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62mph = 100kph, so that's where that comes from, instead of the normal "imperial" 60mph. And yeah, I think after reading the wikipedia article on 0-60 times that the figure was arrived at as it's the national speed limit/normal cruising speed.
 
Surely the 306 GTi for instance would have been insurance Group 17 if Pug had done the 0-60 test in normal, driver only conditions?

This then means for a youngish driver, it is no longer an attractive proposition.

;)
 
NathanE said:
Wouldn't the first or last time that a manufacturer has "power shifted" through the box to get good times... and then writes in the manual that power shifting should be avoided.
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This wasn't just powershifting with the normal box, they had replaced it with a truck one or something so they just had to launch and keep giving it man-foot while slamming through the cogs.
 
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