Why the V8 is not that much faster than the V6

[Michael_S]

If only it were that simple things would be much easier in this drag racing world in which I live. In the real world, the laws of physics make that scenario very unlikely. First of all, the driven wheels are likely to go up in smoke. Wheel spin, while impressive to some, is something that drag racers spend a great deal of money to prevent. Assuming that the track is properly prepared and you have sticky tires, the next thing that can be over-powered is the clutch. Neither wheel spin nor a slipping clutch are conducive to faster acceleration times.

Now, let's assume that, after a significant cash outlay, we have tires that will grip and a clutch that will hold without slipping. If the car doesn't make enough power to overcome the forces of inertia to get the car moving, the engine will fall flat on it's face (bogging); and the car will stumble away from the line. Again, a condition that isn't conducive to lower acceleration times.

Finally, in a worst case scenario, there is the very real possibility that the sudden shock of dropping the clutch can twist a drive shaft and/or shear the teeth off the ring gear in the rear end. Interestingly, when this happens, the car tends not to accelerate at all.

I have been involved in the drag racing game since the early fifties; and I cannot think of any instance where a full throttle clutch drop was used successfully. Launching a car from a dead stop is a delicate art. Ideally, the driver must apply as much power as possible while still staying within physical limitations to avoid loss of traction or parts breakage.

Serious drag racers of street cars have grudgingly come to recognize that a well prepared automatic transmission car will usually win out over a manual transmission car. Notice that I limited this statement to drag racing. The statement is, obviously, not true for other types of racing. It's all about having the right tool for a specific job.

Oh, just for the record...it is also possible to overpower the rear wheels with an automatic transmission. See my avatar for proof.

All this fun stuff I didn't know. Thanks.

I did know that for drag racing, an automatic is often faster.