Top speed of a P5?
 

Anyone know the top speed of a P5. Bone stock with a 2.0 and 5 speed?

According to Car and Driver (Nov 2002), the top speed of a 2.0L LX sedan with 5-speed was governed to 117mph. I do not have the comparo with the P5 in it handy, but I would assume that it is the same because the powertrain (and thus the stock engine cal) is essentially the same. If you could figure out how to rewrite the code in the ECU so the vehicle would be redline or drag limited instead of governed, I assume it would at least crack 125.

Yep...it will crack 125 bone stock given enough road!!

good question, anyone know how fast a 01 protege lx will go? or atleist how fast it will go with the governor?

mine hits 130mph with ease but it is not stock. With a good 4-1 header and catback exhaust I bet you could run 130+ until you hit an aerodynamic wall...

i tested it out yesterday, and it would only hit 99MPH. i had it flored and it maintened 99 for about 10 seconds but wouldn't pick up anything else, so i was pretty dissapointed at that. so ill prolly have to do some mods to it soon

i got up to 110 and let off because i couldnt see over a hill incase of a cop

a hill??? in Texas?? I'm calling BS!!!


hahaha

i hit a little over 115 on the 10 towards tucson (sorta uphill). i'm not stock either.

Highest I've had mine is 115. Also with ease. Also not stock.

i hit 118 mph (190 kph) in my LX '00, pure stock. then it just let off. kinda pissed about that. anyone know how to take the governor off?

there is no governor...bone stock the P5 is usally drag limited to around 120

.... Car and Driver (Nov 2002) notes that the ES sedan is governed to a set speed of 117, but I suppose Macdaddyslomo could be correct about the P5.

For your reference, when a car is goverened, there is not a mechanical device on the engine that limits speed. There instead is a line of code in the ECU software that cuts fuel and spark when you hit a maximum speed value. It compares this preset limit with the output signal from the vehicle speed sensor. In order to change the limit value, you need to download the software from the ECU, and go in and change the code to a higher value. Set it much higher than the car is capable of going, and the car becomes drag limited (or redline limited in the case of a very powerful car).

Please also note that on an automatic transmission car, again the vehicle will be governed to a different top speed, as it will not allow you to overrev the engine. Even the best manumatics force you to shift just before you touch the redline in "manual" mode, so I suppose this could also apply to Proteges with the Sportshift manumatic.

Now this I will need proof! I tried it a few months back and all I could get was 105 mph out of my 03 LX sedan!
But it was VERY windy, and I do have about 100 extra pounds in my car with the system I have. But at 105 in 5th gear it was around 5k RPM so I don't think you could get to much more without readlineing it.


(a hill??? in Texas?? I'm calling BS!!! )

We have hills, and some are BIG too. But I have never seen a mountin.

I hit 115 pure stock in my dx 2003. Could not tell you rpm because I have no tach.

Remember too that the automotive press uses corrected numbers, since most speedo's are inaccurate, some fast, some slow. My '02 DX went an actual (radar checked) 72 MPH at 70 indicated with the stock 15" RE-92's, but my 205/45-16's made it spot on. But my friend's P5 went 68 actual at 70 indicated with his stock 195-50-16 Dunlops. Also top speed demands much higher power proportionate to simply "accelerating faster. I had a 1982 Toyota PU with a 22R that went about 96 MPH (drag limited, a real "brick"), and after putting on a Downey header, a mildly hotter cam, and dual Mikuni sidedrafts, it went. . . . about 98 MPH. It got to 60-75 MPH much quicker, but top speed was a whole different story. With today's more aerodynamic cars though, maybe that's changed.

yea man i actually did get it up to 118mph, i wouldnt bullshit it. then it just let off i was running in 5th at around 6, its redlines a 6 1/2. It was a very cold day. No one else in the car, bone stock, not even a system. mayb ill take a picture next time I punch it hard?

taker ez

I got mine up to 130 on the autobahn once.

the manumatics on the mazda doesn't have the safety precaution of shifting at redline for you... hee hee... oops.

Well I guess with the wind, my system AND MY 220LBS OF BUT weighed it down! lol! After I get the header I'll have to try it again. Plus I have new wheels coming in that are supposed to be lighter! Anyone know the weight of the stock 15in alu. wheels?

I'm 280lbs and my p5 (almost stock) had no problems hitting 130mph. My civic on the other hand couldn't 100mph downhill.

should a spoiler matter at all for top speed, cuase mine maxed out at 99, with the mp3 style spoiler

Well, I guess its time for my two cents. I've hit 112 in my protege, and that was at the governor... Actually, I've hit it on several occasions. Theoretically speaking, I guess I could hit 130-132 without the governor but then would be rev-limited due to my gearing. I run out of RPMs at about 6500 + change. I don't think that any of us shmoes can write out own code for the cars, and the only way to get rid of the governator would be to put a aftermarket ECU in or find someone who has written thier own code (such as Wagner Motorsports).

Frankly speaking, at those speeds aerodynamics become a major factor, especially when you consider that a Cessna 172 airplane takes off at 65 Knots or around 72-75 mph. Most passenger sedans are shaped like airfoils, with a curved top and a flat bottom. Now, we're talkin about diffusers, downforcers and wings that work, and of course...money. My next question would be if there are any actual aerodynamic devices out there that will work for our cars? Most of the ones out there (all of them) are for show and will start limiting your top speed at as little as 50 mph. Don't believe me? I'll do the math for you to show how many pounds of force are being created by drag.

Bottom line, if you really want to increase your tops speed, get a new ECU, and change the gearing in your car.

or a nice long tube header....DaveB picked up 8mph top end on his automatic p5 with just adding the obx header to his car. It doesn't sound like much but he's able to get around more cars now at the track....thats what it's all about.

These cars should be completely stable aerodynamically well beyond 120mph.... after all, they are also sold in Europe, where cars are required to obtain and run at that speed for long durations (on the autobahn for instance).

HAHA, man if my can HAD to run at 120 for more than a mile I think it would be that bug on your window whos ass is right in the way!! LOL

As far as the drag goes, that could have alot to do with it. The p5s have the front air dam and mine don't, so more air goes under. I think I will go try it this weekend if its not to windy.

Well wouldn't the only way he could pick up that extra 8 mph be if he wasn't hitting the governor or rev-limiter in the first place? That was my whole point in the fact that if we want our cars to go faster than (the average here) 115 mph, then we'd need to change the top gearing of the cars and the code/whole ECU. Also, the reason why the cars are governed to the certain speed is not only because the manufacturer feels its stupid to go any faster, but the cars haven't been aerodynamically tested past that point and it probably gets pretty sketchy past that anyway. Mercedes-Benz for example has governed all their cars to 155mph because of the unstable aerodynamics at those speeds. Not all cars on the Autobahn go 200 mph.

People on this forum do not believe that there is a governor on the P5.... and I am not in a position to debate them, as I have not had the ol' girl up at that lofty speed. For your ES or LX, yes, it's governed. That is a fact.

Cars are governed for a number of reasons. One reason that it allows the manufacturer to purchase cheaper tires for the vehicle, which can save thirty bucks per vehicle. That's huge savings in the auto industry, where every day engineering strives to split a nickel. Governing the car limits the driver to staying under the speed rating.

I still maintain that the Protege offers adequete aerodynamics. Consider this: the eighties 5.0L Mustangs are a lot less aerodynamic, and they will do more than 140mph.

You should really read the Protege FAQ..the only 3rd gen with a governor is the 99-00 1.8L's...any other 3rd gen(including P5) is drag limited, meaning they dont have the power to overcome the drag at around 115+mph. That is why the long tube header Matty references to is giving extra power,hence it is able to overcome the drag at 115 and push above 120. They arent "sketchy" beyond these speeds...an MSP can go well beyond 115, and if it was unstable above this Mazda would have installed a governor on them....

Alright, I gotcha now, I wonder why they decided to screw us with the 99-00 models and put a governor on... The car is capable of much more. I knew that the MP3 and MSP did not have governors on them, and the suspension is much more suited at those speeds. Seriously speaking though, (don't worry, I'm not trying to beat the dead horse) even my ES model is not suited, with a stock suspension, for very high speeds, and I'm sorry if you don't believe me on the aerodynamics thing, but it's very true. Cars are inherently aerdynamically efficient when producing lift, but very inefficient when it comes to drag (as you said). That is why sports cars have undercar diffusers, downforcers, front wings and rear wings all for downforce. For instance, my Mom's Audi S4, which has a very similar shape to the Protege and hits only shightly higher speeds, has a small rear wing/lip as well as a front wing under the nose. Audi put them there for purpose and not for show as most of you will agree that the S4 is not a very show-y car. As I said before, I'll be happy to try to figure some of the math out, but I'll have to pull out my AP Physics notes from last year. BTW, the reason a 5.0 Mustang, with crappy aerodynamics, can top 140 is all power to weight... "With enough force you can make a rock fly..."

P5's(which is the subject of the original question) have a stiffer suspension than your ES, they suspension sits lower, the front bumper sits lower(reduces lift),side skirts(reduces lift), and they have a functional rear wing(downforce),plus I,m pretty sure they carry a wider tire stock(grip). I have every confidence they are quite stable at 120+mph, albeit probably not much higher.

My MSP has topped out the speedo before past 140mph....I don't know how accurate our speedo's are though. I know my P5 will sit on 130mph but it takes a LOT longer to get it there than the msp's 5psi.

Wanna see something neat? Wait until I get my supercharger on my p5 and then I'll get a video of it pushing 140mph for you.

hehe, yeah, I have no doubt that it'll go past 140, in-fact, I never doubted it would, hell with re-gearing, and a new ECU, even mine could... Mine accelerates rather smoothly to 115 mph until the engine shuts off...

Just be careful, I still doubt how much past 130 the car will handle safely.

Hell, I broke 122 mph on the dyno today with my P5. Were thinking of running it in 5th just to see if it has enough ass to go past the 140 mph reading on the speedometer.

there's no wind resistance on a dyno :wtf:

hahaha

That was ment to be in response for the ones saying that the 5 speed P5 is governed to 117 mph. :doh: I know that there is no wind resistence on the dyno. I might still be learning about Proteges, but I'm not a complete `tard. :D

Im bring this thread back. Ive read through the whole thing, i see no major doubts (like I got) of top speeds over 117mph. Prime weve seen the install lets see the video.

Oh christ, can we please keep this to one thread ?

lol, agreed.

videos of all supercharger stuff will be put in one of the 35 different supercharger threads we have!