<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by toddt:
It's funny you brought up the 10-speed on the ice argument.
At my last post, I had a similar thought process, but it went more like this:
Your legs are a high torque, low horsepower engine.
Can you get up to speed on your ten speed faster by starting in first gear, fifth gear, or tenth gear? (no ice).
I think the answer depends on how easily you can turn the highest gear. If you can turn tenth gear easily, I guarantee you will get to speed faster by starting in 10th and not in first, then shifting.
If you had shrimpy legs, but could move them amazingly fast, you might beat the guy starting in tenth gear even though you start in first.
This effect, I think, may explain why the stock gearing MAY (I say MAY) be more optimal for 0-60 times than shorter gears.
Effectively, from the line, the Viper engine is that high torque, low horsepower engine. You must keep the engine in the torque band at launch not the horsepower peak. Otherwise, you lose the rearend completely. Since you can spin the 3.07's no problem, you MAY wind up getting to redline SLOWER than the 3.55s but getting to a faster speed for the same amount of elapsed time.
That's my story and I'm stickin to it.
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Take it from a road bike racer try another analogy it doesn't hold water here.