Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site godot.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!godot!bradley From: bradley@godot.UUCP (Bradley C. Kuszmaul) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: "The biggest farce ever" faster speed =? better mpg Message-ID: <141@godot.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Jun-84 12:01:15 EDT Article-I.D.: godot.141 Posted: Wed Jun 20 12:01:15 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 06:38:37 EDT References: <2104@ihnss.UUCP> <714@ut-ngp.UUCP> Organization: Thinking Machines, Waltham, MA Lines: 20 It may actually be the case that you got better milage at 62 than 55 because of a number of factors (possibly including that your toyota is better tuned for 62 than 55) but you just can't get around the fundamentals of air resistance. At highway speed air resistance (and other friction: inside the engine, tires etc.) is what eats fuel, and air resistance goes up like the square of your speed (or is it the cube... something goes up like the cube. sigh) so 75 mph is going to be roughly twice as expensive as 55 mph. I have empirically verified this in the following vehicles 72 volvo station wagon (presumably built for high speeds since it is pre 55 mph) 72 vw window van. (same comment, except being german where the autobahns rule more so) 78 honda civic cvcc 66 jeep (not fair since it is badly shaped, but fuel economy dropped from 14 at 45mph to 10 at 55mph to 5 at 65 mph. --Brad -- {decvax!cca,ihnp4!mit-eddie,allegra!ias}!godot!bradley, "godot!bradley@mit-eddie"@MIT-XX.ARPA