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Exactly. I found a few people in M3 claiming they broke 200 mph, but their speedos were so innaccurate that their actual speed turned out to be only 184 - 187 mph in reality.
I could have sworn I read somewhere Lexus LFA's speedo reads information from a satellite, but I could be wrong.
Originally Posted by gengar
I also agree that satellite telemetry should be more accurate. GPS itself is not very accurate (at least not consumer-level GPS) but scientifically it makes sense that the difference in positions when taken sequentially can be accurate despsite any positional lack of accuracy, and this is what makes the telemetry accurate.
The other (and bigger reason) is that car manufacturers consistently understate speed at the speedometer. Using various satellite-based telemetry recorders I've found Japanese cars tend to be about 1-2mph at the speedo at highway speeds, including my IS F. German cars are notorious for overstating speed; I've read this is due to EU regulations that penalize for inaccurate understating (but not overstating) of speed resulting in many European manufacturers making sure they have a wide buffer on the over. My friend found his 335i to be a shocking 3-4mph overstated at highway speeds, i.e., his speedo would read 63-64 when in fact only going 60. Many of the users at some of our neighbor BMW forums complain about this a lot.
The vbox data isn't a shot-for-shot of the LFA's speedo/tach. It's just made to look like the LFA's. On battle of the supercars, Tanner Foust said that the speedo of the LFA was basically spot on. They use Vbox on that show don't they?
The vbox data isn't a shot-for-shot of the LFA's speedo/tach. It's just made to look like the LFA's. On battle of the supercars, Tanner Foust said that the speedo of the LFA was basically spot on. They use Vbox on that show don't they?
The rpm changes are in sync with how the car is being shifted as well as how engine speed is changing. It is actually how video VBOX functions/marketing features where it integrates video from mounted camera with real-time satellite telemetry data in one screen.
Last edited by 05RollaXRS; Mar 28, 2011 at 05:10 PM.
Still doesn't explain why he reads off 153mph and the VBOX says 147mph max. Considering he was looking down at the speedo, it may have traveled faster than that, but I think he was being honest. So the 6+mph gap comes from where? I don't think the LFA's speedo is that optimistic, is it?
Still doesn't explain why he reads off 153mph and the VBOX says 147mph max. Considering he was looking down at the speedo, it may have traveled faster than that, but I think he was being honest. So the 6+mph gap comes from where? I don't think the LFA's speedo is that optimistic, is it?
Well, it has been well known for a number of years that almost all car's speedos at high speed are deliberately set to read optimistically from factory as a safety net and to avoid liability issues. The speed on the speedo is not reliable in any car at 130 mph+. Read gengar's post as he explained it already.
VBOX tells the actual speed that the satellite data reveals. The 6 mph difference you are seeing here is very typical and within the maximum tolerance of a speedo.
"Vehicle manufacturers usually calibrate speedometers to read high by an amount equal to the average error, to ensure that their speedometers never indicate a lower speed than the actual speed of the vehicle, to ensure they are not liable for drivers violating speed limits."
Last edited by 05RollaXRS; Mar 28, 2011 at 07:57 PM.
I posted this in the thread with the pictures of the 2011 VLN1 car, but figured I'd repost the video here just because there's some quality footage of the LFA (watch it in HD):
Official video of the LFA at Infineon Speedway. I like the thermal imaging shots showing the heat from the radiators and brakes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1pI7_E6tqQ