SupercarsTopic of choiceJames Hopkins

B320028

Why Supercars?

I am a massive fan of cars. Specifically supercars, as they are fast, expensive and rare.

As this is a topic I am interested in, it meant that research was enjoyable.

What are Supercars?

A supercar is a car with a certain classification. They usually are known to be fast, expensive and rare.They usually have the ability to turn heads by the sound of the engine or the size of the spoiler.“A very expensive, fast or powerful car with a centrally located engine” – The Free Dictionary

Speed is everything

Supercars are renowned for being fast and their performance is tested in a variety of ways. This includes 0-62mph times, top speed, maximum engine power and many others.

0-62mph (100kph)A popular way of judging how fast a car is, is by measuring how fast it can accelerate.

Cars are timed to see how long it takes them to accelerate to 62mph, or the 100kph equivalent.

One of the fastest accelerating production cars is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which reaches 62mph in just 2.5 seconds.

Top SpeedAnother popular way of measuring a cars performance, is by measuring it’s maximum top speed. This is the fastest that the car can possibly travel in a straight line.

Once again, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport comes top in this test, reaching 267mph.

However many cars are actually limited to a certain speeds.

Maximum Power (bhp)BHP stands for Brake Horse Power.

BHP is the measurement of the engine power, calculated from the engine’s torque. The more BHP a car has, the greater power a car has.

Of course, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport comes out as one of the top, with 1184bph.

Engine Size – “litre”

It is measurement of engine displacement. It is measured by the volume of an engine’s cylinders.

The McLaren P1 has a 3.8 litre engine.

Engine Type – “V6, V8, V12”

A ‘V engine’ usually appears in supercars. It is an engine shaped in a V shape. In standard cars, usually a straight engine is used.

The number after the V, stands for how many cylinders a car has. So a V12 has 12 cylinders.

The more cylinders a car has, the more power you can make.

Gearbox

A gearbox is all of the gears in the car which control the rotational speed of the shaft.

As you go up the gears, it allows for a higher speed.

The McLaren P1 has a 7 speed gearbox, meaning it has 7 gears.

CO2 Emissions

CO2 Emissions calculates the amount of CO2 produced by the car, per kilometre.

The amount of road tax is calculated by how much CO2 a car produces and it’s fuel type.

The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is one of the UK’s ‘worst CO2 offenders’:

Fuel TypeDifferent cars are powered by different types of fuel.

Petrol and Diesel are the most common types of fuel.

Electric cars are powered by rechargeable batteries, producing 0 emissions so is environmentally friendly.

Hybrid is when a car supports both petrol/diesel and electric and is able to switch between the two. This appears within the McLaren P1.

Supercar Mansion