Figured I'd put this in a separate thread, though it's related to the "What is fast" thread?
Without using Google-foo, does anyone know how/when/why 0-60 became the industry standard? I have no clue. That and the 1/4 mile standard. Why 1/4?
Figured I'd put this in a separate thread, though it's related to the "What is fast" thread?
Without using Google-foo, does anyone know how/when/why 0-60 became the industry standard? I have no clue. That and the 1/4 mile standard. Why 1/4?
I believe it was an effort to make it fair for all manfactuers. Mopar's couldn't run longer than a 1/4 mile and Fords had a hard time reaching 70. 
easy (and quick) to repeat consistently?
The 0-60 test was originated by the venerable Tom McCahill, pioneering automobile tester and writer for Mechanix Illustrated from 1946 to 1975.
I always assumed it was a 0-freeway merging speed reference.
0-100km/hr = 0-~62mph
"how fast to 100"?
1/4 because drag racing is done on a 1/4 mile strip, probably because that's the standard that was safe enough on most abandoned WW2 airfield runways.
^I think the 1/4 mile distance goes back a lot further than that, like to guys racing horses dragging sleds (which is the origin of the name). 1/4 mile was about the length of a small town's "main street."
60mph/100kph just because those were common highway speed limits.
Historically there were quite a few half mile drags early on. I suspect that pretty quickly 1/2 mile got dangerous or hard to find a place with safe shutdown, and 1/8 was just too short. I think modern speeds and space constraints are making the 1/8 more attractive as a distance.
No, I think my answer is better.
Bobzilla wrote: I believe it was an effort to make it fair for all manfactuers. Mopar's couldn't run longer than a 1/4 mile and Fords had a hard time reaching 70.
You jest, but I had the paperwork that came with a Stage III 426 that specified that full throttle was not to be used for more than 15 seconds.
Knurled wrote: You jest, but I had the paperwork that came with a Stage III 426 that specified that full throttle was not to be used for more than 15 seconds.
Well that 15 seconds should have gotten you through the 1/4 mile if you had a well tuned 426.
I still wonder why we in the US are so hung up on straight line speed from a standing start? What value has that in the real world? Wouldn't turning laps at any actual race track be a better indicator of the rides abilities? Or better yet, the ability to travel 2,500 or so miles in a short period of time without needing back surgery?
I consider the ability to travel X number of miles in X amount of time on real roads to be much more important than stop light race wins or losses. Even with speed limits fuel capacity, cornering abilities, long time driving comfort, good control in bad weather, and most importantly short stopping distances all enter into the true speed of your ride. The best 0-60mph car I ever owned (a four-forty six-pack '69 Roadrunner) was by far the least drivable or desirable car I ever owned!
Among the "fastest cars" I ever owned was a '66 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 421 Tri-Power and a '71 Datsun 240Z with headers, triple carbs, & a 2.8 ltr. motor. Both had a good ride, dependable brakes, a huge (for their size) gas tank, & the ability to eat the miles in a comfortable and non-tiring manner. Neither car impressed at 0-60 or even top end but they were great at averaging 1,000+ miles per day for trips from Southern California to Kentucky & other east of the Mississippi River locations. You could also do the return trip to California with just a couple of days or less turn around time. Try that in a, submit your drag racer favorite, car with no legs!
Same deal with motorcycles. I've taken more than one trip of 1,000 miles or more on a BMW motorcycle and noticed a ton of sport bikers in rest areas doing the "shakes" while trying to get their circulation going again after all the vibration of their ride. And I've also seen a ton of them on the side of the road with an empty gas tank after only a hundred or just a few more miles since their last fill-up.
Even with the stupid speed traps we live with in the US & Canada today, I'm so glad I survived the puberty stud thing and learned that automobile and motorcycle speed involves a lot more than 1/4 or 1/2 mile at a time!
Americans aren't the only ones concerned about straight line speed. BMW and Mercedes Benz and Audi always seem to increase the horsepower of their M, AMG, and RS cars every time they engineer a new one. Like some Motortrend writers said, "The horsepower wars live on!"
In reply to Mr_Clutch42:
They do indeed live on, for those in a higher income bracket.
A 70 GTO Judge started at ~$22k, inflation adjusted, Ram Air IV vert around 24.
I figured the 0-60 standard came about sometime after WWII, as most cars (at least the ones regular people could afford), could barely reach 60mph in the 20's an 30's. The 0-60 time for a Model T would be "to infinity and beyond..." 
Because 60 is a mile a minute?
In reply to Rupert:
In the real world, that's how you show your friend that your car is faster. Line up, say GO! and beat him. It's safe, easy, and repeatable.
Damn it people, 0-60 measures quickness. Top speed measures fast.
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