UK-US 0-60 differences :S

ubersonic

ubersonic

ubersonic

Soldato
Joined
26 May 2009
Posts
22,174
Does anyone know if there some kind of difference in the way cars 0-60 times are tested in the UK and the US? I was reading a brochure for the old model Lexus GS 450h the other day and it listed the 0-62 MPH (so 0-100KPH) time as 5.9 seconds which is much higher than I had seen quoted on the internet so I looked at the US brochure for the same year which gave a 0-100KPH time of 5.4 seconds (and 0-60 of 5.2), this is a bit odd as they are the exact same car just with LHD/RHD variance.

The obvious difference is that the time in the US brochure had a footnote saying "Performance capacity figures are for comparison only and were obtained with prototype vehicles by professional drivers using special safety
equipment and procedures. Do not attempt." so would I be correct to assume the US time could pretty much have been achieved in a stripped down car in manual mode with pre-launch whereas the UK time was just done by a guy who floored the throttle on cue?

I know a 0.5 second difference isn't really noticeable however I would be interested if it was simply down to driving style/test method or if something was done to the car or whatever /shrug.
 
One might have been a simulation and the other a real test with some weight in the car, I don't think there's any set standard for measuring 0-60 times?
 
ubersonic said:
The obvious difference is that the time in the US brochure had a footnote saying "Performance capacity figures are for comparison only and were obtained with prototype vehicles by professional drivers using special safety
equipment and procedures. Do not attempt." so would I be correct to assume the US time could pretty much have been achieved in a stripped down car in manual mode with pre-launch
Click to expand...

I'd highly doubt it as that is a complete lie about the car.
 
0.5 seconds is a big difference at those kinds of numbers, not such a big deal between 15.9 and 15.4 to sixty granted!

IIRC, US tests are from a rolling start rather than dead standstill.
 
TomO said:
0.5 seconds is a big difference at those kinds of numbers, not such a big deal between 15.9 and 15.4 to sixty granted!

IIRC, US tests are from a rolling start rather than dead standstill.
Click to expand...

I am not saying you are wrong, BUT this sounds wrong.
How can a 0-60 be from a rolling start, that would be 5 - 60 surely ?
 
I think it all comes down to rollout, some may use none, an inch or even a foot, it can make a big difference to the times.
 
Quoted from an Arabia magazine, but still fairly relevant:
"Almost all the U.S. magazines use the drag-style “1-foot-rollout” method of timing. Which means the car has already moved one foot before timing starts, and it’s used in measuring longer quarter-mile times, but they use it for 0-60 mph runs as well. That cuts times by 0.2 seconds on average on the 0-60 mph run. The only one to not use this method is Edmunds.com, and we also don’t use it, as it makes no sense to use it."

http://www.drivearabia.com/news/201...ph-acceleration-times-than-foreign-magazines/
 
Last edited:
mccarf said:
Quoted from an Arabia magazine, but still fairly relevant:
"Almost all the U.S. magazines use the drag-style “1-foot-rollout” method of timing. Which means the car has already moved one foot before timing starts, and it’s used in measuring longer quarter-mile times, but they use it for 0-60 mph runs as well. That cuts times by 0.2 seconds on average on the 0-60 mph run. The only one to not use this method is Edmunds.com, and we also don’t use it, as it makes no sense to use it."

http://www.drivearabia.com/news/201...ph-acceleration-times-than-foreign-magazines/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip dude, found a Edmunds review on Youtube that gives it 5.5 seconds 0-60, that's a lot closer to the UK 5.9 second 0-62.

I had no idea the was such discrepancy in the way different countries measure something you would think was universal lol.
 
On many cars, the 0-62 and 0-60 times can really be quite different due to the shift points of the gearbox, on the Lexus though, I assume it has the power split so perhaps the car just starts running out of steam from the hybrid system around the 61/62 mph.

You might also find that the tyres used are different EU vs. US, or the test weight was different.

Generally on auto cars the full throttle tests will be done using a stall start to get the maximum launch potential + any launch control.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom