I think that its possible that modifications, like exaust, may make changes to the entire torque curve itself. A torque curve can be effected in many ways. The entir e curve can move up, down, left, or right. For the maximum horsepower you want it to move up and to the right. At any given rpm you cannot lose torque and gain horsepower.

Maybe the exaust caused the torque curve to go left and up, but more left than up, resulting in lower peak horsepower but more low end horsepower, just to the point where you hit 100mph and don't quite have enough high end power to push it any further. You really don't want the torque curve to high early on if its going to sacrafice the top end. The torque curve should be at its highest around 4000 rpm on these engines.

 

I luv lancers ES but lets go the point. It only has 120 hp to the crank. Unless u have major modifications, i dont think a lancer ES can even reach 110. A SRI ( yield very minimal gains), the pulley is good for about 7 hp, and exhaust will yield like another 7. There is no way a base lancer can have a high top speed unless turbo'd or major bolt-ons ( like headers, full exhaust, CAI, and etc) but still they would reach around 120.

 

i thought the lancer top speed stock, was like 130. maybe im wrong though.

 

it is 130..... But who's actually reached it? anyone?

 

I have reached 130 three different times and every time the needle is berried

 

damn, you must have alot of open road. I can do it, but there's not enough road for me to achieve it.. especially ducking 5-0

 

I have my little friend called Radar with me at all times. Also my car doesn't really stop pulling until 115ish so the other 15mph only take a couple seconds to reach. Also the funny part every time i hit 130 i have someone else in the car with me. So it's really slower then it should be.

 

You can't take the manufacturer's specs for top speed as undeniable truth for your own personal driving situation. Test tracks that are at ideal altitude and cars being tested on open run or light curve ovals during peak driving conditions etc etc etc do not reflect what you are going to be able to achieve. I don't want to sidetrack this thread too much but just realize this is a four cylinder one cam setup- power isn't going to come easily.
I think this thread is important because it can be used to identify the small things that will rob power from our cars. Considering what we are starting with it's something that needs to be avoided. Also, it will give people a better idea of what their mods are going to do for them.

 

Says the man with the paragraph of mods! I was referring to STOCK top out, you're going to be running higher because of everything you've done to your car
Did you do test runs after each mod and if so when did you see differences in acceleration vs top speed or were they always both increasing? (your fuel rail should have helped stop the fuel from leaning out at higher RPMs- which would help achieve higher top speed)

 

Even if you go with the s2000, it only has what, 139 lb-ft of torque? Torque shouldn't matter once the car is up and going, and somehow I doubt the 1-2 lb-ft of torque lost down low will cause a car to have such a dramatic difference in top speed.

 

My top speed was around 110 - 115 before the piggyback. Now with the piggy i blow by those numbers every time I'm running into the triple digits.

 

by your reasoning then... in a stock car from about 5200 to 6000 you cant accelarte(spelling owns me) any more b/c that is where our torque drops... not to mention an exhaust will lower low end trq... should not effect his top end... you dont try going 100 at 2k.

 

You're right, if you leave out the difference in gearing, weight of the car, aerodynamics, torque curve, and pretty much all the other things dependent on knowing a 'top speed' number it can be compared to the Lancer. 139tq is higher than our car, the s2000 is lighter and more aerodynamic and, I don't know for sure but I'd be willing to guess, has better gearing.
The closer the car gets to top speed the more torque % is used to overcome resistance (air and rolling) so it does matter.
And one last thing- pulling random numbers (assuming the TQ loss was only 1-2) doesn't do anything to help.

 

Have you accelerated past 6000 RPM in the stock Lancer? If so I'd like to see it.

 

i get past 6000 rpm all the time. i got an intake, but i was doing that before the intake also. complete stock