THREE MILES A MINUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 5 October 1907, Page 3

THREE MILES A MINUTE.

According to Lord Montagu, states The Motor, a distinguished motorits has offered both Messrs Renault and a wellknown English firm the sum of .£SOOO for a car which "will achieve a speed equal to three miles a minute." It is said that neither linn has accepted the offer, which is not surprising. The offer is presumably conditional upon the accomplishment of the speed in question, which speed is 50 per cent, more than the highest speed rate yet recorded as ca|iablc of accomplishment by a motor vehicle. «

Mr Henry Sjturniey, one 0 f f o) . e . most writers oil motoring in the world, in referring to the offer, says: "It is simply that it is much easier to talk about it on paper than to accomplish it. The casual observer might possibly —probably does—argue that, if the power were increased 50 per cent, without adding to the weight—this alone being a very big order—the speed would be proportionately greater, and that, hence, it should not be an exceedingly difficult performance to achieve. But this argument will not hold good for one moment, because the stresses upon most parts of the car are increased as the square of the speed, and not as the speed itself, and practically the effect of the windage is increased in this proportion. And when one gets up to these high speed rates, windage, much more than friction, is the principal bar to further progress to a higher speed. The wind resistance met with on a car travelling at 180 miles an hour would be more than double that to be overcome when travelling at 120 miles an hour. And when it is seen what little real increase in speed rates has been achieved lately, by doubling the horse power put into the cars, it is not difficult to perceive that the task set by the distinguished motorist is a stupendous one, and hardly to be entered into lightly. Of course the addition of power necessitates increase in strength in all parts to contain it, and I am inclined to think that am one taking on this order, even at £SOOO, would be assuming a very big task indeed, that might not he completed for double the money."