Ok, ok, some people don't realize the limiting factors that can actually contribute to speed... i have a 94 protege lx... simple flowmaster muffler /w 3 inch tip and a K&N filter... not much to buck on, but here you go. for the longest time, i couldn't figure out what the **** was wrong with my car, i have an automatic tranny and had 4 yokohama Avid-h4's on my car. i punched that car as hard as i could, and with the pedal to the floor and 5 miles of open stretch on the pa turnpike, my car lugged for 2 minutes straight at 110 to 112 mph...so what the hell? i did the research and found this much out, your tires are speed rated, meaning they are 'safe' up to a certain speed. my particular h4's were only rated to 106 mph and here i'm pulling 112? i sure as hell would hope that better tires would have left me with at least 120 mph. also a limiting factor to us stuck with an automatic, while the speedo runs to 140, the tranny won't let you...leaving an automatic to top out at about 122mph. now the top speed quoted for a mazda protege, i've heard, is 147mph on a manual tranny, thats it, no more, no less... i'm sure that would have to be some pretty extenuating circumstances to pull 147 mph on a stock protege, but who knows. so, contributing factors... tires and transmissions.

 

I doubt that a stock protege could hit 147. I kow that I am nowhere near that. 120-130 Max.

 

Agreed, is that supposed to be the theoretical top speed, like right at the fuel cutoff? Maybe on a dyno? hehe

 

Ive heard of turbo proteges maxing 140 and still keep going. No idea after 140 but im sure it will hit 147 -150 at redline, A stock protege i doubt will go over 130 i had mine pinned at 120 something and didnt have the salt plains to keep going ...Jon

 

well i did 190km/h, 120mph and i was in gear 4 at 6500rpm, need to slow down before the curve. i'm sure i can hit 130mph but i don't like high speed.

 

Theoretical Speed = gearing & Redline

Realistic Speed = Theoretical Speed minus wind resistance


once wind resistance is equal tohorsepower, nothing else matters.



Slightly Modded ("RAM AIR") BP on cheapo tires.


4th Gear:

 

if mine spedo is acurate i went over 140.i know i had 7000k (rev limiter on gtx ecu)in 5th on stock lx trans.

 

ok, i admit i could be wrong... dead wrong for that fact. not pertaining to the discussion too much, but here is a link listing features and specs on the 2000 protege, somewhere around 115mph for an LX... simple listing from canadian mazda dealership, just a tidbit http://www.mazdavictoria.com/vehicle...specs/2000.htm

i don't know where i got the conceivable idea that it would do 147, but who knows, take out the wind resistance, going downhill.... ??? would i be going in the right direction to say the protege would do 147 in those conditions? however, is there any doubt that a trans and/or tires are contributing factors to just how fast your pro will go?

 

Of course the gearing of the transmission has a lot to do with top speed... although I'm really sure the tires don't affect top speed as much as if you're going to die while trying to get to top speed... lol. If you ever try to take the car up high there with crappy tires... it'll start to bounce around like a **** and be unpredicatable. I am not sure exactly what happens when you "exceed" a tire's rating. I am guessing that it has to do with how sticky the rubber gets at that high of a speed.

But yeah if you want to go that fast get a fast rated tire, that is undeniable

I want to research how they rate speed on tires and what happens what you exceed that... sounds interesting.

 

Your 4th gear looks about like my 5th gear

 

LX has shorter gears.

 

I know that.

 

I got mine around 125 - 130 mph

 

lol...you wanna hear my away from a cop story? So here it is. I live in NC and i was going to durham to see a girl. Its me and my best bud, just cruising along, got the cc set at 90, minding my own buisness, when we see the blue lights of a state trooper. i was like "o ****...ive already got reckless endangerment...i cant afford another ticket." so i haul ***, hit 125, drift onto an off ramp, and hid out in a brick factory outside of sanford nc. It was great

 

I have had my 93 lx at (according to my speedo) 135 at 5500 to 6000 rpm That was stock however my speedo is off like all stock cars are at that speed, What my real speed was I dont know but thats good because if I did I would of had a pretty big fine to pay!