The HOLMES Viper

[Doubleclutch]

Okay all you steely eyed viewers of all things scientific, did anybody catch the "MYTHBUSTERS" episode with John Holmes and Polly's Viper?



The myth was that a toy car (aka hot wheels) could coast faster down a steep grade than a coasting full sized car. From a dead stop.



The set-up involved a quarter of a mile of plastic hot wheels track, and timed runs of various toy racers.



The fastest of the race toys was put up against the viper.



So... who do you think won, and why???

Greg

 

[kenny61]

I saw it but i dont remember the out come. I go with the full size car... OK I just cheated and googled it I won't give up the answer to be fair... .

 

[BrianJ]

Saw it, so I won't give away the winner... they had to shorten the plastic track down to 400' because the heat of the day was expanding and buckling the track at 1/4 mile. They still figured it was the longest track ever assembled. Sure was a sweet Viper.

 

[fest3er]

Didn't see it. I'll say the toy won because it has a lower overall Cd (that is, it has less rolling resistance which allows it to accelerate quicker and has less air resistance).

 

[Little Bill]

The wheels on the toy are too small.

 

[Dl5treez]

I think the toy car would be faster at the beginning but the Viper would catch it, pass it, and as the track got longer the Viper would continue to pull away.

Reasons:

1/4 mile would be a LONG way for a little toy car to go without going out of control, but depending on how they built the track.

Control... the car will no doubt have someone in it to keep the wheel straight... . the toy is running purely on it's built in alignment.

The Viper can hold together at high speeds..... the toy probably has some sort of speed rating and it could come apart... after all how good are toy car axles and wheels? Now if they use something like a high end R/C car without an engine or transmission and let it free wheel, the bearings & such on the hubs, and good tires & wheels, would probably hold together longer and then maybe it would put up a better fight... .

I still vote for the Viper...


that's my guess.

 

[MMeier]

Soooo.....

..... WTH won ????

 

[fest3er]

..... WTH won ????

Who cares? This is a scientific argument--a welcome change from the usual fare here in TDR.

 

[rbattelle]

That's an episode from several years ago. Who is John Holmes, anyway? [Or is that a dumb question?]

I have a friend with a '94 Viper. I've ridden in it a couple times, once at a very high rate of speed. A remarkable car, and I'd love to have one.

Ryan

 

[fest3er]

That's an episode from several years ago. Who is John Holmes, anyway? [Or is that a dumb question?] ...

[With a stupid look in return] John and Polly Holmes' relationship with TDR is readily apparent to anyone who reads the TDR quarterly publication. It therefore falls into the 'dumb question' category. And because you are a long-time member and should know who the Holmeses are, you are docked 150HP 'til you've read the next issue of TDR from cover to cover and write a Cliff Notes-like review of the issue in this forum.

 

[rbattelle]

[With a stupid look in return] John and Polly Holmes' relationship with TDR is readily apparent to anyone who reads the TDR quarterly publication. It therefore falls into the 'dumb question' category.

I figured.



Ryan

 

[Dl5treez]

So, what won---they toy or the big car?

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

I saw it and NEITHER WON!



Jamie nor Adam did not anticipate that they had set up the track in a bad neighborhood and half way down the track some kid ganked the toy and the viper driver was carjacked at the starting line. ... Oakland can be rough ya know





Truth be told they should have epoxied the plastic track joints together and keep a slight tension on the track to take up expansion and eliminate buckled joints and expand the track length to 660'

 

[fest3er]

... Truth be told they should have epoxied the ... joints together and keep a slight tension on the track to take up expansion and eliminate buckled joints ...

If only they could do that with the real highways out there in Oakland... .

 

[Dl5treez]

I saw it and NEITHER WON!



Jamie nor Adam did not anticipate that they had set up the track in a bad neighborhood and half way down the track some kid ganked the toy and the viper driver was carjacked at the starting line. ... Oakland can be rough ya know





Truth be told they should have epoxied the plastic track joints together and keep a slight tension on the track to take up expansion and eliminate buckled joints and expand the track length to 660'

I'd pay $35 to see that on PPV.

 

[Doubleclutch]

Answer:

It turns out they didn't need a 1/4 mile of plastic track for the toy car. The Viper passed it handily... and was out accelerating at 400'.



WHY???? How many of youse guys ever rode a bicycle? Ever notice how us, uh, riders of significant girth, can't be caught going down hill? Gravitational attraction. The Viper has it.



Greg

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Those of us with "girth" also call it "Traction Control" :-laf