MINI2

rich · Jan 1st, 2002, 09:25 PM

I notice that the new Lamborghini Murcielago has a g-force meter integrated into the onboard computer - records peak g pulled

Oh yes! Now that's a gadget I would like in my Mini Cooper S when it arrives eventually

Does anyone know if these are available as an aftermarket add-on?

BruceK · Jan 1st, 2002, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rich
.....Does anyone know if these are available as an aftermarket add-on?

YES! They have been available in the US for about 15 years now.

They are about the size of a radar detector and fairly cheap to buy (about US$140 or AUS$275 or €158 or £97)

http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/gtech.htm

BruceK · Jan 2nd, 2002, 12:27 AM

Here's another one:

http://www.cb-racing.com/rt-ac-22.htm

rich · Jan 2nd, 2002, 12:40 AM

Thanks Bruce - Cool little gadget & cheap enough too, given it's a bit of fun. I will try and track down a local supplier

Maybe 'max g' should be included in comparative tests of vehicles as an assessment of "chuckability" - e.g. put car on a (large!) controlled tarmac surface & drive car at limit of adhesion of tyres in an increasing arc/spiral from 0mph up to max speed (if you have the nuts). On survival, simply read off maximum g pulled and speed

...Just a thought

BruceK · Jan 2nd, 2002, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rich
.....Maybe 'max g' should be included in comparative tests of vehicles as an assessment of "chuckability" - e.g. put car on a (large!) controlled tarmac surface & drive car at limit of adhesion of tyres in an increasing arc/spiral from 0mph up to max speed (if you have the nuts). On survival, simply read off maximum g pulled and speed

...Just a thought

Well, it's common practice for the US car magazines to do a standardized skidpad evaluation to determine maximum G force whenever a car is tested.

It's not an increasing spiral as you suggested but instead it's typically a fixed circle the car must follow. Car and Driver magazine uses a skidpad with a diameter of 300 feet and typically the results for street vehicles range from .70G for 4X4 SUVs to nearly 1.00 for exotic sports cars. No mention of the speed on the skidpad is ever made.

Of course there's a lot more to handling that driving fast in circles.

rich · Jan 2nd, 2002, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK

Well, it's common practice for the US car magazines to do a standardized skidpad evaluation to determine maximum G force whenever a car is tested.

It's not an increasing spiral as you suggested but instead it's typically a fixed circle the car must follow. Car and Driver magazine uses a skidpad with a diameter of 300 feet and typically the results for street vehicles range from .70G for 4X4 SUVs to nearly 1.00 for exotic sports cars. No mention of the speed on the skidpad is ever made.

Thanks for this info - I never knew...

From memory, I think the recent EVO COTY test managed 1.05 in the Lambo, driving through sleepy Italian villages (!)

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK

Of course there's a lot more to handling that driving fast in circles.

You've obviously never needed to drive on the M25 in London

On a more serious note, I'd like to see the MINI go through this test with different tyre & suspension options

I guess it's no more/less meaningful than any other completely artificial test measure (e.g. 0-60mph times)

BruceK · Jan 2nd, 2002, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rich

...You've obviously never needed to drive on the M25 in London..

I've driven on the M25 plenty of times, but I remember it as being rather larger than the 300 foot diameter skidpad.

But my favorite part of driving in the UK is negotiating roundabouts (they are almost completely non-existent in the US). Roundabouts are sort of public access skidpads, aren't they?

Spoolin' · Jan 2nd, 2002, 09:49 AM

We have a few of them in New Jersey, but no fancy names. We just call them circles, mostly. I have a friend that performed 95 laps around one, before he was asked to move along by the local police. I doubt he pulled any significant G"s, due to the fact that he was driving a '68 Beetle!

rich · Jan 3rd, 2002, 06:57 AM

Spoolin' & BruceK... Given your penchant for roundabouts, you really should consider visiting Swindon

Does anyone reading this live in Swindon? Send these guys some photos!

BruceK · Jan 3rd, 2002, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rich
Spoolin' & BruceK... Given your penchant for roundabouts, you really should consider visiting Swindon

Does anyone reading this live in Swindon? Send these guys some photos!

Been there. Survived it - barely! Had to change my underwear afterward though...

May the guy who planned that rot in hell

- better yet, be forced to drive in Swindon for eternity in a Sinclair C5!

My idea of roundabouts is in Milton Keynes - lots of simple ones.

zoooooom · Jan 3rd, 2002, 12:18 PM

who needs a G-force meter just watch for the dangle angle of yer furry dice.

Spoolin' · Jan 3rd, 2002, 01:25 PM

Word!

zoooooom · Jan 3rd, 2002, 02:59 PM

Word????????

Spoolin' · Jan 3rd, 2002, 03:28 PM

Ghetto slang for "Cool"!

rich · Jan 3rd, 2002, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zoooooom
who needs a G-force meter just watch for the dangle angle of yer furry dice.

Ha Ha Ha...

You would need to allow for body roll, but assuming this is negligible in MINI with SSP+, then a 1g corner would equate to a furry dice dangle angle (FDDA) of 45 degrees

0.5g would be 30 degrees, I think, and 2g 60 degrees... Any mathematicians out there able to provide a handy formula for this?

Not sure my mind will be totally on this arithmetic, however, if the situation arises

Anyone know what g the airbags kick in? Presumably no one has managed to set them off yet through over-zealous cornering, braking or acceleration!

Paul · Jan 4th, 2002, 07:47 AM

Who's got more roundabouts them Milton Keynes or Swindon? I thought we held that crown.

BigC · Jan 4th, 2002, 08:04 AM

I think MK probably has more roundabouts but I don't think it can compete with Swindon's "Magic Roundabout" which is 5 mini roundabouts arranged in a circle to make 1 big roundabout

It particularly confuses people because as you treat each mini roundabout separately, you can go round the big roundabout in either direction

There is a similar one in Hemel Hempstead which I used to have to use on my commute to work which has 6 mini roundabouts - you could spot someone who wasn't used to it from a mile off as they always looked terrified.

Spoolin' · Jan 4th, 2002, 09:15 AM

You people are nuts! I would never drive through something like that! No wonder your nation has so many F1 drivers to it's credit! Crazy!

BruceK · Jan 4th, 2002, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BigC
I think MK probably has more roundabouts but I don't think it can compete with Swindon's "Magic Roundabout" which is 5 mini roundabouts arranged in a circle to make 1 big roundabout
It particularly confuses people because as you treat each mini roundabout separately, you can go round the big roundabout in either direction
......

ARHHH!! That's it! Now the nightmares will start up again!

Even looking at it from the air, it doesn't seem to make sense, but on the ground.... with other traffic.... it only gets worse

Milton Keynes? Piece of cake after that.

MrCooper · Jan 4th, 2002, 06:24 PM

I can beat that guys - Colchester - 7 mini roundabouts to make one big one. Its quite scary when you aren't ready for it!

Pete

Jan 1st, 2002, 09:25 PM	#1
rich MINI2 Master Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Sydney, Australia Local Time: 05:38 PM Posts: 1,588 Offline	g-force meter I notice that the new Lamborghini Murcielago has a g-force meter integrated into the onboard computer - records peak g pulled Oh yes! Now that's a gadget I would like in my Mini Cooper S when it arrives eventually Does anyone know if these are available as an aftermarket add-on?

Jan 1st, 2002, 11:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
BruceK Moderator & Sponsor Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Antonio, Texas Local Time: 01:38 AM Posts: 3,852 Offline	Re: g-force meter Quote: Originally posted by rich .....Does anyone know if these are available as an aftermarket add-on? YES! They have been available in the US for about 15 years now. They are about the size of a radar detector and fairly cheap to buy (about US$140 or AUS$275 or €158 or £97) http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/gtech.htm + 2002 MINI Cooper S - Dark Silver / White roof, Sport, Premium, Lapis blue leather + 1965 Mini Traveller - Tartan Red / White roof, 1275, Cooper S discs, fully restored/renewed

Jan 2nd, 2002, 12:27 AM	#3 (permalink)
BruceK Moderator & Sponsor Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Antonio, Texas Local Time: 01:38 AM Posts: 3,852 Offline	Here's another one: http://www.cb-racing.com/rt-ac-22.htm + 2002 MINI Cooper S - Dark Silver / White roof, Sport, Premium, Lapis blue leather + 1965 Mini Traveller - Tartan Red / White roof, 1275, Cooper S discs, fully restored/renewed

Jan 2nd, 2002, 12:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
BruceK Moderator & Sponsor Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Antonio, Texas Local Time: 01:38 AM Posts: 3,852 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by rich .....Maybe 'max g' should be included in comparative tests of vehicles as an assessment of "chuckability" - e.g. put car on a (large!) controlled tarmac surface & drive car at limit of adhesion of tyres in an increasing arc/spiral from 0mph up to max speed (if you have the nuts). On survival, simply read off maximum g pulled and speed ...Just a thought Well, it's common practice for the US car magazines to do a standardized skidpad evaluation to determine maximum G force whenever a car is tested. It's not an increasing spiral as you suggested but instead it's typically a fixed circle the car must follow. Car and Driver magazine uses a skidpad with a diameter of 300 feet and typically the results for street vehicles range from .70G for 4X4 SUVs to nearly 1.00 for exotic sports cars. No mention of the speed on the skidpad is ever made. Of course there's a lot more to handling that driving fast in circles. + 2002 MINI Cooper S - Dark Silver / White roof, Sport, Premium, Lapis blue leather + 1965 Mini Traveller - Tartan Red / White roof, 1275, Cooper S discs, fully restored/renewed

Jan 2nd, 2002, 02:53 AM	#7 (permalink)
BruceK Moderator & Sponsor Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Antonio, Texas Local Time: 01:38 AM Posts: 3,852 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by rich ...You've obviously never needed to drive on the M25 in London.. I've driven on the M25 plenty of times, but I remember it as being rather larger than the 300 foot diameter skidpad. But my favorite part of driving in the UK is negotiating roundabouts (they are almost completely non-existent in the US). Roundabouts are sort of public access skidpads, aren't they? + 2002 MINI Cooper S - Dark Silver / White roof, Sport, Premium, Lapis blue leather + 1965 Mini Traveller - Tartan Red / White roof, 1275, Cooper S discs, fully restored/renewed

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Jan 2nd, 2002, 12:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
rich MINI2 Master Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Sydney, Australia Local Time: 05:38 PM Posts: 1,588 Offline	Thanks Bruce - Cool little gadget & cheap enough too, given it's a bit of fun. I will try and track down a local supplier Maybe 'max g' should be included in comparative tests of vehicles as an assessment of "chuckability" - e.g. put car on a (large!) controlled tarmac surface & drive car at limit of adhesion of tyres in an increasing arc/spiral from 0mph up to max speed (if you have the nuts). On survival, simply read off maximum g pulled and speed ...Just a thought

Jan 2nd, 2002, 01:19 AM	#6 (permalink)
rich MINI2 Master Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Sydney, Australia Local Time: 05:38 PM Posts: 1,588 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by BruceK Well, it's common practice for the US car magazines to do a standardized skidpad evaluation to determine maximum G force whenever a car is tested. It's not an increasing spiral as you suggested but instead it's typically a fixed circle the car must follow. Car and Driver magazine uses a skidpad with a diameter of 300 feet and typically the results for street vehicles range from .70G for 4X4 SUVs to nearly 1.00 for exotic sports cars. No mention of the speed on the skidpad is ever made. Thanks for this info - I never knew... From memory, I think the recent EVO COTY test managed 1.05 in the Lambo, driving through sleepy Italian villages (!) Quote: Originally posted by BruceK Of course there's a lot more to handling that driving fast in circles. You've obviously never needed to drive on the M25 in London On a more serious note, I'd like to see the MINI go through this test with different tyre & suspension options I guess it's no more/less meaningful than any other completely artificial test measure (e.g. 0-60mph times)

Jan 2nd, 2002, 09:49 AM	#8 (permalink)
Spoolin' MINI2 Regular Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Doylestown, Pennsylvania Local Time: 02:38 AM Posts: 261 Offline	We have a few of them in New Jersey, but no fancy names. We just call them circles, mostly. I have a friend that performed 95 laps around one, before he was asked to move along by the local police. I doubt he pulled any significant G"s, due to the fact that he was driving a '68 Beetle! Waiting, officially, since July 12, 2001. C'mon July 2002! Indi Blue Cooper S, White roof, Bonnet stripes, Lapis blue leather, Premium, Sport, and Winter packages. Is December here yet?

Jan 3rd, 2002, 06:57 AM	#9 (permalink)
rich MINI2 Master Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Sydney, Australia Local Time: 05:38 PM Posts: 1,588 Offline	Swindon! Spoolin' & BruceK... Given your penchant for roundabouts, you really should consider visiting Swindon Does anyone reading this live in Swindon? Send these guys some photos!

Jan 3rd, 2002, 11:58 AM	#10 (permalink)
BruceK Moderator & Sponsor Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Antonio, Texas Local Time: 01:38 AM Posts: 3,852 Offline	Re: Swindon! Quote: Originally posted by rich Spoolin' & BruceK... Given your penchant for roundabouts, you really should consider visiting Swindon Does anyone reading this live in Swindon? Send these guys some photos! Been there. Survived it - barely! Had to change my underwear afterward though... May the guy who planned that rot in hell - better yet, be forced to drive in Swindon for eternity in a Sinclair C5! My idea of roundabouts is in Milton Keynes - lots of simple ones. + 2002 MINI Cooper S - Dark Silver / White roof, Sport, Premium, Lapis blue leather + 1965 Mini Traveller - Tartan Red / White roof, 1275, Cooper S discs, fully restored/renewed

Jan 3rd, 2002, 12:18 PM	#11 (permalink)
zoooooom MINI2 Master My Classifieds Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Aberdeen,Scotland Local Time: 08:38 AM Posts: 2,483 Offline	who needs a G-force meter just watch for the dangle angle of yer furry dice.

Jan 3rd, 2002, 01:25 PM	#12 (permalink)
Spoolin' MINI2 Regular Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Doylestown, Pennsylvania Local Time: 02:38 AM Posts: 261 Offline	Word! Waiting, officially, since July 12, 2001. C'mon July 2002! Indi Blue Cooper S, White roof, Bonnet stripes, Lapis blue leather, Premium, Sport, and Winter packages. Is December here yet?

Jan 3rd, 2002, 02:59 PM	#13 (permalink)
zoooooom MINI2 Master My Classifieds Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Aberdeen,Scotland Local Time: 08:38 AM Posts: 2,483 Offline	Word????????

Jan 3rd, 2002, 03:28 PM	#14 (permalink)
Spoolin' MINI2 Regular Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Doylestown, Pennsylvania Local Time: 02:38 AM Posts: 261 Offline	Ghetto slang for "Cool"! Waiting, officially, since July 12, 2001. C'mon July 2002! Indi Blue Cooper S, White roof, Bonnet stripes, Lapis blue leather, Premium, Sport, and Winter packages. Is December here yet?

Jan 3rd, 2002, 07:18 PM	#15 (permalink)
rich MINI2 Master Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Sydney, Australia Local Time: 05:38 PM Posts: 1,588 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by zoooooom who needs a G-force meter just watch for the dangle angle of yer furry dice. Ha Ha Ha... You would need to allow for body roll, but assuming this is negligible in MINI with SSP+, then a 1g corner would equate to a furry dice dangle angle (FDDA) of 45 degrees 0.5g would be 30 degrees, I think, and 2g 60 degrees... Any mathematicians out there able to provide a handy formula for this? Not sure my mind will be totally on this arithmetic, however, if the situation arises Anyone know what g the airbags kick in? Presumably no one has managed to set them off yet through over-zealous cornering, braking or acceleration!

Jan 4th, 2002, 07:47 AM	#16 (permalink)
Paul Trained Monkey My Classifieds Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Bedfordshire Local Time: 08:38 AM Posts: 37,538 Offline	Who's got more roundabouts them Milton Keynes or Swindon? I thought we held that crown.

Jan 4th, 2002, 08:04 AM	#17 (permalink)
BigC MINI2 Regular Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Oxford Local Time: 08:38 AM Posts: 270 Offline	I think MK probably has more roundabouts but I don't think it can compete with Swindon's "Magic Roundabout" which is 5 mini roundabouts arranged in a circle to make 1 big roundabout It particularly confuses people because as you treat each mini roundabout separately, you can go round the big roundabout in either direction There is a similar one in Hemel Hempstead which I used to have to use on my commute to work which has 6 mini roundabouts - you could spot someone who wasn't used to it from a mile off as they always looked terrified. It's not how fast you go that matters BUT how you go fast.

Jan 4th, 2002, 09:15 AM	#18 (permalink)
Spoolin' MINI2 Regular Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Doylestown, Pennsylvania Local Time: 02:38 AM Posts: 261 Offline	You people are nuts! I would never drive through something like that! No wonder your nation has so many F1 drivers to it's credit! Crazy! Waiting, officially, since July 12, 2001. C'mon July 2002! Indi Blue Cooper S, White roof, Bonnet stripes, Lapis blue leather, Premium, Sport, and Winter packages. Is December here yet?

Jan 4th, 2002, 11:27 AM	#19 (permalink)
BruceK Moderator & Sponsor Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: San Antonio, Texas Local Time: 01:38 AM Posts: 3,852 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by BigC I think MK probably has more roundabouts but I don't think it can compete with Swindon's "Magic Roundabout" which is 5 mini roundabouts arranged in a circle to make 1 big roundabout It particularly confuses people because as you treat each mini roundabout separately, you can go round the big roundabout in either direction ...... ARHHH!! That's it! Now the nightmares will start up again! Even looking at it from the air, it doesn't seem to make sense, but on the ground.... with other traffic.... it only gets worse Milton Keynes? Piece of cake after that. + 2002 MINI Cooper S - Dark Silver / White roof, Sport, Premium, Lapis blue leather + 1965 Mini Traveller - Tartan Red / White roof, 1275, Cooper S discs, fully restored/renewed

Jan 4th, 2002, 06:24 PM	#20 (permalink)
MrCooper MINI2 Senior Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Lincoln Local Time: 07:38 AM Posts: 356 Offline	I can beat that guys - Colchester - 7 mini roundabouts to make one big one. Its quite scary when you aren't ready for it! Pete Red/white Cooper with Chilli, AC, ASC+T, Computer, Kenwood MP3, Alarm, 17" wheels, BLOODY BIG SMILE. It may say Lincoln but oi be Oirish.

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