Stopping distance

[08087]

My Delorean says gross vehicle weight is 3180 lbs.

Add a couple of gallons of gas!

All the above are correct, I was just looking for best case stopping numbers for an idea of what to expect if on the highway and someone stops short in front of me. Now I know to leave a few extra car lengths.

I'd love for some car mag. to give a review with best case stopping distance on cars and after 10 hard stops, it would be a good comparison (I think).

Thanks again!

[Bitsyncmaster]

Add a couple of gallons of gas!

All the above are correct, I was just looking for best case stopping numbers for an idea of what to expect if on the highway and someone stops short in front of me. Now I know to leave a few extra car lengths.

I'd love for some car mag. to give a review with best case stopping distance on cars and after 10 hard stops, it would be a good comparison (I think).

Thanks again!

A gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)[1] is the maximum allowable total weight of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded - i.e including the weight of the vehicle itself plus fuel, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight.

[08087]

A gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)[1] is the maximum allowable total weight of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded - i.e including the weight of the vehicle itself plus fuel, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight.

OOps, then in that case put some more coin in the drivers pocket and go over weight!

Thanks for pointing that out!

[Rich]

Same article (low to high, braking distance ratings unchanged):

1. Porsche 928: 2,712 ibs
5. Maserati Merak: 3,200 lbs
3. Chevrolet Corvette: 3,307 lbs
2. DeLorean: 3,351 lbs
4. Ferrari Mondial: 3,500 lbs

(Remember that new from the factory, a DeLorean cost *MORE* than a Porsche)

Begging pardon, but at the time the Porsche 928 retailed at $40-42K and the DeLorean was well under $30K. The 928 did not weigh 2,712 lb, the DeLorean did. The specification boxes for those two cars were incorrect/swapped in that article. Brake performance, in separate table, presumably was accurate.

[content22207]

I just looked up MSRP of 1981 Porsche 911's (arguably closer competitors to a DeLorean than the 928 ): $27K-$28K. I stand corrected: DeLorean's MSRP was a few thousand dollars less, but quality of the product was overwhelmingly lower, which is why Porsche's continued to sell, despite the economy, blizzard, etc, while DeLoreans languished on the docks.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Jonathan]

...All stopping tests were conducted straight line. Do not attempt to panic stop any other way in a Delorean...

I'm a little concerned about this idea here David. I work in a nuclear plant and we test all kinds of stuff in all kinds of conditions to make damn sure you know how it will react BEFORE you have to do it in anger. You can't consider yourself operating safely unless you KNOW how the plant's systems will behave under an emergency. Best way to find out... test it.

So... while I am not going to just go willy-nilly panic testing my D while doing 60 mph around a sharp corner... what is likely to happen if you have to do this in an emergency? Not saying we need to rush out and test it if unsafe, but if we know there are going to be horrendous results, what do you now consider doing if there is some random immovable object surprisingly in the middle of your lane while you are flying around the corner doing 60 mph?

...I'll also add that no more than about 3 weeks ago I was forced to test my car's panic braking when a large animal ran out in the middle of the highway. I was happy to find out my car stopped rather well, and in a controlled manner. But yes, it happened to be on a straight stretch of road.

[Bitsyncmaster]

My point with the weight is that it directly relates to stopping distance. Of course the tires are another big factor.

[TheDutchTexan]

My heavy stang will go wide if breaking hard (or even turning too hard) in a turn. All the weight transfers to the front, overwhelming the front tires. A DeLorean is heavier in the back, less of that weight will be on the front while braking or turning hard. I would almost assume a DeLorean would loose it in the back. I've never driven a DeLorean, only been a passenger almost 10 years ago in Mart Renders car (a Dutch DeLorean owner).

If (when) I get one I will find an abandoned (read empty) parking lot and see what happens during different circumstances. And I'll have to take her to the local strip to see what she runs in the quarter too. If I feel especially adventurous I'll give her the beans on an abandoned highway in the middle of the night to see what she'll do flat out on GPS. Come to think of that, I've seen top speed videos of the weirdest cars, but never of a DeLorean. Guess everyone that owns one is too sane to try, or to afraid to break something. Heh, guess I will be too after I learn how much it costs to get it fixed. Or the ticket for that matter.

[WelmoedJ]

If (when) I get one I will find an abandoned (read empty) parking lot and see what happens during different circumstances. And I'll have to take her to the local strip to see what she runs in the quarter too. If I feel especially adventurous I'll give her the beans on an abandoned highway in the middle of the night to see what she'll do flat out on GPS. Come to think of that, I've seen top speed videos of the weirdest cars, but never of a DeLorean. Guess everyone that owns one is too sane to try, or to afraid to break something. Heh, guess I will be too after I learn how much it costs to get it fixed. Or the ticket for that matter.

Done that, crashed one, speeded (117 Mph in a 65 zone ).
On highways breaking at 70 Mph is strait, no problems.
However in curves even without breaking she tries to wiggle her tail.
If it's raining and the road's puddles fill up, she also wiggles.
Probably the tires, I guess.
On German highways one can go faster without much trouble (120 Mph over a 13 mile stretch is no problem for the car).
I have got her up to the max though, tuning hasn't been completed, so I keep away from pedal to metal until then.

[john 05141]

Welmoed, were you doing this...
or running from this???


John..