Does standing start acceleration even matter?

[CanAmAndMore]

My semi trucks have a set speed limiter at 110 kms/hr, which is actually set higher than what many trucking companies set theirs to.
For the non metric, 110 kms/hr is 68 mph.
That is only for my drivers to use briefly if they must though. If I find a driver abusing that by often doing 110, they'll soon be getting a chat with me about it. A second chat about it will come along with being fired.
My next round of new trucks, I'm considering setting them up to a maximum of 100 kms/hr, or about 62 mph. They should never be driving more than 100 anyway.

 

[CanAmAndMore]

Please send some of those Patrollmen here it Silicon Valley. Drivers are worse than ever; far worse.
The other day a driver was honking because a driver ahead would not make the right trun on a red light. There were a couple of bicyclists in front. So a young man in a big garback truck, about 4 lanes over, opened his door, stood up and yelled foreign language cuss words at the honker.
It was wonderful.

Wow!
Just wow!
When someone tailgates me, or honks, I slow down. I was recently doing 95 kms/hr in a 90 zone. Some clown in a chevy pickup decided to drive way too close to my rear bumper, so I slowed down to 80.
Those posted speeds are a maximum, not a minimum.

Well this story has a happy ending. Chevy pickup boy eventually passed me, and away he went, so I sped back up to 95. Less than 5 minutes later I passed chevy boy pulled over by the police.
Cops here usually give us 5 kms/hr over, some cops maybe 10 over, more than that and its ticket time.
10 kms/hr is 6 mph.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

My semi trucks have a set speed limiter at 110 kms/hr, which is actually set higher than what many trucking companies set theirs to.
For the non metric, 110 kms/hr is 68 mph.
That is only for my drivers to use briefly if they must though. If I find a driver abusing that by often doing 110, they'll soon be getting a chat with me about it. A second chat about it will come along with being fired.
My next round of new trucks, I'm considering setting them up to a maximum of 100 kms/hr, or about 62 mph. They should never be driving more than 100 anyway.

What is the business?

 

[OVERKILL]

Yet here doing 75 MPH will soon get you pulled over by the police and a ticket.
Lots of radar traps, and cops cruising the highways in this region. Anything over 65 MPH is not going to end well for people. If people want to race, they need to find a quiet backroad out in the middle of nowhere.

And yet in many parts of Canada the speed limit is now 110km/h (68mph) and you can cruise at 20-over (130km/h, ) without any real fear of being ticketed.

 

[JeffKeryk]

And yet in many parts of Canada the speed limit is now 110km/h (68mph) and you can cruise at 20-over (130km/h, ) without any real fear of being ticketed.

Do they use the slow lane where others are trying to enter the freeway? That's my issue.

 

[OVERKILL]

Do they use the slow lane where others are trying to enter the freeway? That's my issue.

Some folks do, but often it's transport trucks in those lanes, who are speed limited, so yeah, they are going slower.

 

[CanAmAndMore]

Highways around here are generally 80, 90, or 100 kms/hr maximum speed limit. We don't have anything over 100 here. My trucks are geared to ideally run at a maximum of 100 in 18th gear, not more, but preferably 90.
Fuel burn, tire wear, and such increase sharply at anything over 90, and really bad at over 100. Sometimes my trucks head down south to the Vancouver area, and have to drive Hwy 1 in the fraser valley. That is 110 down there unfortunately, be we stay right and do 100, its no big deal because its all multiple lanes each way, so we are easy to pass. Here its mostly 1 lane each direction, with some 2 lane passing sections. The majority of traffic drives the speed limit or 5 over, but a few clowns feel some need to fly along way too fast. Those are the dangerous ones, and I love seeing them pulled over getting a ticket.
Drivers make much better time by slowing down, and safely making it to their destination. Accidents destroy lives, if everyone would slow down, have more patience, never drive drunk or stoned, put the cellphone in the glovebox till parked, and pay more attention, things would be great.

 

[CanAmAndMore]

Some folks do, but often it's transport trucks in those lanes, who are speed limited, so yeah, they are going slower.

On multiple lane highways in some areas, trucks are supposed to keep to the right, and also the speed limit for trucks maybe lower than for cars. Also depending upon what we are hauling, our permits may only be for a lower speed than the maximum posted on a road is. This is very common when hauling oversized or overweight loads. With the mine contract I have, it is right in the contract that my trucks never exceed 60 kms/hr on the mine road, despite the sign that says 80 for other traffic.
I'm not sure about everywhere, but the speed limit signs here even have the word "MAXIMUM " right on them.

 

[edyvw]

It is marketing.
I mean Sienna I owned was really good 0-60. But 40-80? Uphill? That was chasing right rpms, manual shifting, etc. etc.
It was definitely faster 0-60 than my Atlas, but Atlas would leave it in dust 40-80 let alone uphill. And that is what matters.
People buy hp, but don’t realize they drive torque.

 

[CanAmAndMore]

It is marketing.
I mean Sienna I owned was really good 0-60. But 40-80? Uphill? That was chasing right rpms, manual shifting, etc. etc.
It was definitely faster 0-60 than my Atlas, but Atlas would leave it in dust 40-80 let alone uphill. And that is what matters.
People buy hp, but don’t realize they drive torque.

Torque is the amount of work it can do...horsepower is how quickly it can do that work.
When an engine has a good balance of torque and horsepower, it feels amazing.

 

[edyvw]

Torque is the amount of work it can do...horsepower is how quickly it can do that work.
When an engine has a good balance of torque and horsepower, it feels amazing.

It is more than that. Gearing, weight, torque band (for example, 2GR-FE in SIenna had a very, very narrow torque band), hp at what rpms? etc.

 

[CanAmAndMore]

It is more than that. Gearing, weight, torque band (for example, 2GR-FE in SIenna had a very, very narrow torque band), hp at what rpms? etc.

You are correct, many things affect it.
But is simplistic terms, torque is work done, and hp is the speed the work gets done.
My semi trucks have 500 to 600 hp, and 1800 to 2100 foot lbs of torque. Built to pull hard, more than accelerate quickly.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Chicks dig it. Unless it's an EV that doesn't make noise.

 

[edyvw]

You are correct, many things affect it.
But is simplistic terms, torque is work done, and hp is the speed the work gets done.
My semi trucks have 500 to 600 hp, and 1800 to 2100 foot lbs of torque. Built to pull hard, more than accelerate quickly.

Agree.

 

[FZ1]

Other than bragging rights as well as the shear juvenile thrill of nailing the loud pedal and maybe smoking the tires (we've all done it) , does anything beyond adequate acceleration have any actual benefit? Whether we're talking 0-60, 0-100 or the standing quarter those cars offering more than adequate acceleration are offering something none of us really needs, although we may want it and be willing to pay for it.
It also seems to me that what really matters is midrange acceleration, like from 40 mph to 70 mph, for use in entering a fast moving divided highway, although cars that are quick standing start will also do well in this respect.
In a day when the typical family sedan will get to sixty from a standing start in under eight seconds and even a fuel economy oriented car like my Hybrid Accord will do the deed in 6.7, who can argue that anything more is needed?
Wanted? Sure, which is what keeps higher performance cars and trucks available.
Is this performance used much?
Not by those who want to remain licensed drivers unless they track their cars or take them to the strip.
Curious to hear what all of you think.
I've got my Nomex on, LOL!

Pay your money and take your choice.

 

[wheelman1991]

There are quite a few of these on RT 2, yes they are a pain but all you can do is wait.

My wife and I drove down to the greater Boston/Salem area for a week. Driving the Dakota on the highway in that area was full of WOT on the highway. The 89 f150 I used to have had a tired junkyard 302 (originally had a 351w) mated to a c6 with a lazy 3.08 rear ratio when I first bought it, I replaced that with a built roller 351w. That clapped out 302 somehow was faster than my 3.7, 3.92 ratio Dakota, with both weighing in at 4600 pounds.....