Okay Math/Physics Nerds! Need your help!

I thoroughly enjoyed this Engineering Explained video that sought to find the theoretical maximum 0-60 on legal street tires. The conclusion was the 'limit' was 2.05 seconds.

The amazing thing is with cars like the Dodge Demon, the Holy Trinity, Chiron, and the P100D - we're getting very close to that limit. I would argue the next generation of ultra cars will hit it.

I would say that once this limit becomes commoditized, the next battle ground will be the 1/4 and increasingly popular 1/2 mile formats.

So the question I have, is what is the theoretical limit (time and speed) on street tires for 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile?

I took a stab at it myself, but I don't know how to correct for drag or anything else I'm missing. I would love a 'peer' review for corrections or to point out errors in my calculations.

I used the basic assumptions from the video as my constants.
(Ignores drag, downforce, and assumes street tires)

max acceleration = 43ft/sec^2 on street tires

time equation
t = 1/2 * acceleration * t^2

I got these numbers:
1/4 mile time = 7.83
1/2 mile time = 11.08

What I gathered is other limiting factors such as wind resistance and the requirement of crazy top speeds make the above numbers exceedingly difficult.

Thanks in advance for helping me answer a technical curiosity.

 

Yup!

What I find most interesting is that unless tire compounds get better - 0-60s will reach their pinnacle very shortly..so the 1/4 (perhaps even 1/2?) will the main measure of performance for the next ultra cars.

 

very cool - thanks!

 

I agree, I just wonder if the next compounds will be in time for the next gen ultra cars.

Cheers