S2000 top speed

[Sulland]

It has become obvious that the S2000 cars have a drawback on fast stages, due to low top speed.

Why is it that the top gear on them is not higher, and gives higher top speed ?

[grugsticles]

Well, how much time would they spend at or near their top speed? Not a great deal at all. Most WRCars average about 120km/h through stages with the majority of that between ~80 and 160km/h. Even they rarely hit their top speed (about 200 to 220km/h depending on ratios chosen for the event).

As for an IRC car they obviously have a less power than a WRCar so shorter gear ratios are required to achieve a good balance between acceleration and top speed (I would guess an IRCar's top speed would be between (170 and 200km/h).

[Mirek]

You need to keep engine in power bend rpm ratio which is quite small for naturally aspirated engines. Since then You have to find balance between top speed and acceleration. The longer gears, the more rpm between gears in the moment of shifting. Generally the larger power bent, the longer gearing is possible. Another solution is more gears but that's not allowed by S2000 rules.

[Sulland]

Well, how much time would they spend at or near their top speed? Not a great deal at all. Most WRCars average about 120km/h through stages with the majority of that between ~80 and 160km/h. Even they rarely hit their top speed (about 200 to 220km/h depending on ratios chosen for the event).

As for an IRC car they obviously have a less power than a WRCar so shorter gear ratios are required to achieve a good balance between acceleration and top speed (I would guess an IRCar's top speed would be between (170 and 200km/h).

Well that depends on the rally of course, but Brynildsen was driving quite a lot on the rev limiter on this weekends Mountain Rally, and as far as I remember there are very quick sections in both Sweden and Finland, in addition to other places. You loose quite a lot to the Gr N cars, when they have a top speed of aprox 210 km/h and the S2000 cars at 165-175 km/h, if you are on the limiter for 30 sec, several times.

As Mirek is saying, putting in a gear number 7 is currently not allowed, and the narrow band makes it a challenge to make 6th gear some sort of "overdrive" on the rallies you need that - But that is the only option as of today - Homologate a longer 6th gear that pick up right in the lower part of the band, being on the limiter in 5th. If its not like that already ?

Or are there other ways ?

[Sulland]

]You need to keep engine in power bend rpm ratio which is quite small for naturally aspirated engines. Since then You have to find balance between top speed and acceleration. The longer gears, the more rpm between gears in the moment of shifting. Generally the larger power bent, the longer gearing is possible. Another solution is more gears but that's not allowed by S2000 rules.

Will be very interesting to see the difference btw PWRC and SWRC in Sweden, and to have reports from the S2000 drivers on how long they were on the rev limiter.

So the only way is to put in a notch higher 5 and a 6th gear that will give 190-200 before the rev limiter kicks in.
Have anyone tested ways to get to a higher top speed ?