drag race 1/4 mile ET measuring method revised?

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Greyout

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In real life, when a car's acceleration is measured, the timer is started by an electronic eye a few inches in front of the front tire, so when the car begins to move, the time is then started.

In GT3, the 400M performance test starts the timer in the same way as the rest of the races... 3-2-1-GO, timer starts with the car stationary, then the car begins to move.

Although it would seem the difference is very small, it makes a very noticable error between GT 1/4 mile times and real life 1/4 mile times. (The slow shifting doesn't help, but thats already been beat to death).

The question I have is: Do the 1/4 mile times in GT4 match up with the real life 1/4 mile times of the cars?

For comparison, you may visit this URL to find a database of trustworthy acceleration tests from various media sources.

http://www.car-stats.com/stats/search/choosemake.aspx
 
Hmmm, that's a good point. But on the contrary, 400m isn't quite 1/4mi. I imagine that would make up for some of the difference (maybe even more than make up on some slower cars).

Nevertheless, I'm also interested in how these differences will affect the game vs. actual 1/4mi. times.
 
The most people don't know the real acceleration and btw it is a game I can never be as realistac as IRL. You have that other thread too about the time to complete a lap on the nurburgring. Its a bit the same topic about the realism of laptimes and so on. But what they say there is correct. In GT4 you don't mind banging against the wall with 250kmh but in real you have to be good to make fast lap times.

btw its a good site, it's a pitty they don't have more cars on it
 
Greyout
In real life, when a car's acceleration is measured, the timer is started by an electronic eye a few inches in front of the front tire, so when the car begins to move, the time is then started.

In GT3, the 400M performance test starts the timer in the same way as the rest of the races... 3-2-1-GO, timer starts with the car stationary, then the car begins to move.

Although it would seem the difference is very small, it makes a very noticable error between GT 1/4 mile times and real life 1/4 mile times. (The slow shifting doesn't help, but thats already been beat to death).

The question I have is: Do the 1/4 mile times in GT4 match up with the real life 1/4 mile times of the cars?

For comparison, you may visit this URL to find a database of trustworthy acceleration tests from various media sources.

http://www.car-stats.com/stats/search/choosemake.aspx
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Good questions. I'm not holding my breath for anything spectacular in the Drag Racing department. I'm glad they put it in, but reports of it arn't making it sound like they put much time/effort into it. That's alright though, as I doubt they'd take drag racing back out again for future versions of the game..so perhaps it will get better.

Just for the record, the way real drag racing works is that there are 2 beams. A "Pre-staged" and a "Staged". When the front tires of the car breaks the eye beams (blocking it from being read by the sensor on the other side) the corrosponding light will illuminate on the tree. The first beam for "pre", obviously, and the second for staged.

When the car launches, the timer doesn't actually begin until the front tires roll PAST the beams (unblocking it) far enough to allow it to hit the sensor and start the clock. Just wanted to clarify.
 
He isn't necessarily talking about drag racing but rather the quarter mile times themselves (in a non-race environment).
 
Vapor
He isn't necessarily talking about drag racing but rather the quarter mile times themselves (in a non-race environment).
Click to expand...

Hmmm...good point now that you mention it. His first sentence doesn't say drag racing at all, just the rest of his post. Looks like I read it wrong. Thanks for the clarification. 👍
 
the 1/4 mile times in the game will be faster than in real life as the reaction time is zero on the game so this will mean it will run the quickest possible time for the car. in real life reaction time will mean the car will be slower as the reaction time of the car can not be zero.
 
subie power
the 1/4 mile times in the game will be faster than in real life as the reaction time is zero on the game so this will mean it will run the quickest possible time for the car. in real life reaction time will mean the car will be slower as the reaction time of the car can not be zero.
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RT (Reaction time) has nothing to do with ET (Elapsed time).
 
subie power
the 1/4 mile times in the game will be faster than in real life as the reaction time is zero on the game so this will mean it will run the quickest possible time for the car. in real life reaction time will mean the car will be slower as the reaction time of the car can not be zero.
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reaction time is not figured into your 1/4 mile time, regardless if you are looking at a magazine spec, or at the local strip yourself in your own car on a friday night.

Again, in real life, the timer does NOT start until your front tire clears the starting line. You could be in the middle of your lunch when the light goes green - finish your sandwhich, start the car, and take off, you will get the same time.
 
Lethalchem
They didn't accurately reproduce the gear ratios?
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Not for all cars in GT3. I tested mostly Hondas though, so my testing is limited to that quarter. Once I fixed the gear ratios, the 1/4 times improved a bit (might have something to do with the better tranny too) and were closer to factory times. It's just with some cars you have to shift into third to hit 60mph/100kmh where you're supposed to hit that in second.

Maybe the GT4 ratios are closer ratios and work better on a track setting where you are shifting from 2-3-4 instead of the gear ratios on manufactured cars but I still prefer the OEM ratios. My 2 cents. :)
 
I've compared a Saleen S7 in GT4 with the times on that site and they are almost the soma. I used a stock model and checked for the 1/4 mile but in GT4 my time was about 0.1 sec faster and The 0-60 is a bit slower but that's because of my reactiontime with a stopwach. So I would say it pretty much matches the real thing.
 

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