twice is coincidence, three times is conspiracy?
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 12:27 am
So..... here's me having a highly distinguished (not!!!) driving career
over four or five cars that i've had reasonable use of, i've noticed that the middling and/or bog standard engine packaged versions of
1. Fiat Punto
2. Renault Clio
3. Mk3 Polo (and likely many mk2s, mk4s)
4. Vaux Astra
appear to have the gear shift points (or more truthfully, rev limiter) at *almost* exactly the same speeds as each other in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and probably 4th too, if the maths holds water.
just a coinky dink? or something more... odd? like all these manfs get their gearbox bits from the same manufacturer, just alter the final drive to suit the rev limiter and tyres, and then send them on their way having satisfied some strange and secretive EU directive?
sound familiar to anyone driving a mundane-level supermini or small "family" car?
30 - 53 - 82 - 114 ?? (add/minus a mph each way to allow for speedo variation, etc)
Struck me between the eyes when i figured out the redlines for the new car and was heavily surprised to find that it would redline in 1st & 2nd within a gnats pube of the polo.. 3rd was quite close.. and 4th was almost spot on as well. Then thought back to how i mused on the polo's AND the clios (on separate occasions) being similar to the Puntos despite different power outputs etc.
This of course also means that the gaps between the gears are similar - 1.8, 1.55, 1.35, 1.2 - and therefore it could all be satisfied by one ratio setup, or one with slight alterations for special reasons. Such as going for a 23% instead of 20% reduction into top on the vox vs an 8P (undeniable "cruising-only" overdrive).
Wonder if all the close-shift (and extra-close, ie 1L 5sp) boxes are similar across makes, as well?
Obviously this wont hold any water in high powered machines!
PS no apologies for shameful nerdiness here. If you've got it, flaunt it, and i got it so bad that i was scrawling the original maths for this on a bit of scrap paper on my lunch at work.
over four or five cars that i've had reasonable use of, i've noticed that the middling and/or bog standard engine packaged versions of
1. Fiat Punto
2. Renault Clio
3. Mk3 Polo (and likely many mk2s, mk4s)
4. Vaux Astra
appear to have the gear shift points (or more truthfully, rev limiter) at *almost* exactly the same speeds as each other in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and probably 4th too, if the maths holds water.
just a coinky dink? or something more... odd? like all these manfs get their gearbox bits from the same manufacturer, just alter the final drive to suit the rev limiter and tyres, and then send them on their way having satisfied some strange and secretive EU directive?
sound familiar to anyone driving a mundane-level supermini or small "family" car?
30 - 53 - 82 - 114 ?? (add/minus a mph each way to allow for speedo variation, etc)
Struck me between the eyes when i figured out the redlines for the new car and was heavily surprised to find that it would redline in 1st & 2nd within a gnats pube of the polo.. 3rd was quite close.. and 4th was almost spot on as well. Then thought back to how i mused on the polo's AND the clios (on separate occasions) being similar to the Puntos despite different power outputs etc.
This of course also means that the gaps between the gears are similar - 1.8, 1.55, 1.35, 1.2 - and therefore it could all be satisfied by one ratio setup, or one with slight alterations for special reasons. Such as going for a 23% instead of 20% reduction into top on the vox vs an 8P (undeniable "cruising-only" overdrive).
Wonder if all the close-shift (and extra-close, ie 1L 5sp) boxes are similar across makes, as well?
Obviously this wont hold any water in high powered machines!
PS no apologies for shameful nerdiness here. If you've got it, flaunt it, and i got it so bad that i was scrawling the original maths for this on a bit of scrap paper on my lunch at work.