How global rallycross supercars hit 60 mph in 1.9 seconds
Regulations limit them to 2 liter engines and 45 millimeter turbocharger restrictor plates, which ultimately are the two factors limiting power. The engines produce about 600 horsepower, and over 650 lb-ft of torque, rocketing these machines from 0-60 in as fast as 1.9 seconds. 1.9 seconds! If we do the math, 60 mph is equivalent to 88 ft per second. 88/1.9 = 46.3 ft/sec squared, or if we divided by 32.2, it means the cars accelerate at over 1.4 longitudinal g’s!! That’s faster than any production vehicle, regardless of how much it costs. So how do they achieve such mind blowing acceleration? First and foremost, you’ll need all wheel drive and an absurd power to weight ratio. With a minimum weight of 2921 pounds including the driver and all fluids, the vehicles are carrying less than 5 pounds of weight for every horsepower the engine produces. All wheel drive is obviously critical for maximizing acceleration, but it’s also important that the engine torque finds its way to the wheels with the most traction. To do this, plate and ramp style mechanical limited slip differentials are used front and back. A shallow ramp angle in an LSD will lock up more easily under throttle. With the differential locked up, torque goes wherever it finds grip. A steep ramp angle will provide little lock-up, or if it’s as steep as 90 degrees, no lockup.
2026-04-08T16:32:18Z
