# Zero to 100: Mid-Range Sports Car vs. 747 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172 "2015-07-14T21:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/1 "2015-07-14T21:58:02Z")
What will go from zero to 100 mph the fastest, a mid-range sports car (like, say, a Chevy Camaro) or a 747? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/2 "2015-07-14T22:01:17Z")
I’ve seen this done. The car trounces the plane. 100-200 is a different story, though… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/3 "2015-07-14T22:35:11Z")
Apparently, there are (or were) some motorcycles which would outrun fighter jets until the aircraft took off: > [@](#): > > Or maybe not: The Ducati 900 is so finely engineered and balanced and torqued that you can do 90 mph in fifth through a 35-mph zone and get away with it. The bike is not just fast – it is extremely quick and responsive, and it will do amazing things… It is a little like riding the original Vincent Black Shadow, which would outrun an F-86 jet fighter on the takeoff runway, but at the end, the F-86 would go airborne and the Vincent would not, and there was no point in trying to turn it. WHAMO! The Sausage Creature strikes again. ([Source](http://www.vincent-hrd.co.uk/hst.html)) It amazes me they were considered for mass production. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/4 "2015-07-14T23:02:31Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’ve seen this done. > The car trounces the plane. > 100-200 is a different story, though… 300-400, even more so. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/5 "2015-07-14T23:53:46Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Apparently, there are (or were) some motorcycles which would outrun fighter jets until the aircraft took off:([Source](http://www.vincent-hrd.co.uk/hst.html)) It amazes me they were considered for mass production. Couple things: 1. The OP was asking about a 747, not a fighter jet. A fighter will accelerate from a stop \*substantially \*faster than the 747 will lumber away. 2. The Ducati 900SS referred to in that article is only a half to a third as powerful as a modern superbike. 3. The referenced article, while an all time great piece of motorcycle journalism, is by Hunter S. Thompson. It’s about as reliable a source of facts as, um, uh, some tremendously unreliable thing. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/6 "2015-07-15T08:33:49Z")
…as a Dennis Miller rant? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/7 "2015-07-15T08:58:18Z")
Here are some youtube videos . I won’t spoiler them for you as to which one wins. F1 car vs F18 jet: (Red Bull) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-NyH_rKCwE) Bugatti Veyron vs Euro Fighter (from Top Gear) Porsche vs R1 vs plane Porsche GT3 vs Cargo Plane 747 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/p6fccEDeJjA/hqdefault.jpg "Porsche GT3 vs Cargo Plane 747 at Singapore Changi Airport 05 Sep 2009") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6fccEDeJjA) ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/8 "2015-07-15T09:05:21Z")
[Here](http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/631468-how-many-seconds-does-take-737-747-777-a330-do-0-60mph-0-150mph.html) it says 0-150 MPH is 45 seconds [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AAeoXj_DNA) is a Camaro doing 0-150 in less than 25 seconds ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/9 "2015-07-15T11:21:41Z")
It always struck me that the race would be more interesting if the plane wasn’t allowed to take off, but had to keep it’s wheels on the runway. That should clip its wings substantially. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/10 "2015-07-15T16:19:10Z")
> [@](#): > > It always struck me that the race would be more interesting if the plane wasn’t allowed to take off, but had to keep it’s wheels on the runway. That should clip its wings substantially. Especially when the runway ended. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/11 "2015-07-15T16:53:11Z")
A Camaro isn’t a sports car. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/12 "2015-07-15T18:35:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > A Camaro isn’t a sports car. Them’s fightin’ words! ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/13 "2015-07-15T19:44:50Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > Especially when the runway ended. 😃 Unless it was on a treadmill. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/14 "2015-07-15T19:59:17Z")
[quote=“engineer\_comp\_geek, post:7, topic:725172”] Here are some youtube videos . I won’t spoiler them for you as to which one wins. F1 car vs F18 jet: (Red Bull) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-NyH_rKCwE) Bugatti Veyron vs Euro Fighter (from Top Gear) Porsche vs R1 vs plane Porsche GT3 vs Cargo Plane 747 [/QUOTE] I’ll spoil this … not a single car made 100 foot altitude … planes win easily. It was nice that last video had English sub-titles, even though the video was in English … ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/15 "2015-07-15T20:46:30Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > A Camaro isn’t a sports car. > [@YogSosoth](#): > > Them’s fightin’ words! Sorry, **Yog** , **RNATB** is correct. A Camaro is a muscle car. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/16 "2015-07-15T21:46:11Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > Unless it was on a treadmill. Draws 1920’s style Death Ray and reduces you to ash. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/17 "2015-07-15T23:11:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > A Camaro isn’t a sports car. Tell that to Ferrari and Car and Driver. The Camaro is in no way my cup of tea, but it posted a 2:50.9 at Virginia International Raceway to the Ferrari F12’s 2:50.8. It was beaten by the Viper, the GTR, Porsche 918 and the Ferrari. The Camaro beat the Corvette, 911 Turbo, R8, Jag XKR-S and quite a few other worthy competitors. So, although it pains me to say it, it sure quacks like a sports car… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/18 "2015-07-15T23:18:11Z")
The nature of IC engines and transmissions plus air drag means the car’s acceleration is greatest at low speed and decreases as speed builds. The nature of turbine engines plus air drag means the jet’s acceleration is lowest at low speed and increases as speed builds. For a jet engine, thrust is proportional to air volume coming in the front, and ramming air in there at 150mph really helps the engine breath vs. it sucking air at a standstill. The result of a drag race is predictable on that basis. The car (or motorcycle) has a hell of a hole shot. But … Once we’re above 100, you almost can’t talk fast enough to count the speed increase by 10s. And they just keep coming. Think about it: once we break ground at about 150-175, we’re going uphill at ~15 degrees and holding speed steady, at least for the next couple miles. That’s a tremendous amount of excess power. All of which would be available for further acceleration if we had stayed on the ground (and the runway was long enough :)). Damn few cars could climb a 15 degree slope while maintaining any kind of speed, much less a fast speed. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/19 "2015-07-15T23:35:15Z")
> [@Tride](#): > > Tell that to Ferrari and Car and Driver. The Camaro is in no way my cup of tea, but it posted a 2:50.9 at Virginia International Raceway to the Ferrari F12’s 2:50.8. It was beaten by the Viper, the GTR, Porsche 918 and the Ferrari. The Camaro beat the Corvette, 911 Turbo, R8, Jag XKR-S and quite a few other worthy competitors. So, although it pains me to say it, it sure quacks like a sports car… Muscle car ≠ Sports car. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172/20 "2015-07-15T23:48:43Z")
I’m just thankful least the OP didn’t specify a Mustang, or surely by now we’d have someone insisting it’s neither a sports car nor a muscle car but a “pony car”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-to-100-mid-range-sports-car-vs-747/725172.md?page=2)