Test Weights vs Kerb Weight

[Mafalda]

Qu

I think Quattroruote is 2/3 fuel

Quttroruote WAS 2/3 fuel, in 80's
now is 4/4 fuel +100 Kgs

 

[Switar]

Qu

Quttroruote WAS 2/3 fuel, in 80's
now is 4/4 fuel +100 Kgs

Thanks, i don't know this modification

 

[Mafalda]

About LaFe, quattroruote wrote " 1650 kgs: 1580 kerb + 70 from driver" (tested @ fiorano)
an owner wrote on FCHAT "tested" less than 1600 kgs with gps, hifi and lift system.
About optionals and weight, Autocar wrote "we've tested the official 458Speciale and two weeks later a stock one: the stock was a bit slower (just a bit...), but just for the more weight cause optionals"
As usual, Ferrari press cars have a lots of CF optionals.
The best ferrari-weight I think was 599 GTO, tested (Quattroruote) 1622 Kgs, just +37 than claimed

 

[Switar]

However there's something strange. In Quattroruote Suzuki Swift sport test they say "975 dry wheigth, 1075 with liquid and pilot. It seems they always add 100 kg

 

[bmwz4coupe]

Qu

Quttroruote WAS 2/3 fuel, in 80's
now is 4/4 fuel +100 Kgs

Correct Quattroroute weight is with full tank. What they did in the 80's I dont know.
And Road & Track, Car and Driver, and Motortrend weight is with curb weight = full tank. The same with Edmunds.

 

[DjordjeC63]

Interesting thread

 

[bmwz4coupe]

However there's something strange. In Quattroruote Suzuki Swift sport test they say "975 dry wheigth, 1075 with liquid and pilot. It seems they always add 100 kg

Yes they always add 100 kg as standard

 

[bmwz4coupe]

As far as I know the magazines apply these weight standards:

AutoMotorUndSport: full tank
Sport Auto: full tank
AutoBild: full tank
AutoZeitung: full tank
Sport Auto France: full tank
Motorsport (france): full tank
Quattreroute: full tank (+100kg for drive order)
Auto (italia): full tank
Automovil (spain): full tank
Autocar from aprox 1997: full tank
Autocar 1991 to aprox 1997: half tank ?
Autocar & Motor 1988 to 1991: half/full tank ?
Autocar 1975 to 1988: half/full tank ?
Autocar 1962 to 1975: half tank
Autocar until 1961: 5 gallons
Motor (merged with Autocar in 1988): with fuel for 50miles
EVO: full tank
Road & Track: full tank
Car and Driver: full tank
Motortrend: full tank
Edmunds: full tank

I have seen some examples where the magazines apply half tank or 3/4 tank, for example Quattroroute and Road & Track, but the standard for these magazines is full tank.

 

[Sunny]

I wish everyone would standardize weights around a fixed amount of fuel, say 10 gallons instead of full tank/half tank etc. Would take away the manufacturer's incentive to fit tiny tanks as standard.

 

[Rolf]

Very interesting thread. The magazines should standardize and follow the DIN/EU method for testing their vehicles weights (instead of a 68kg driver they can just add 68kg sand bag weight in the driver seat and a 7kg bag) and put 90% fuel and then put the car on the scales, then we can compare apples with apples for all the test cars and see how much of a difference they are with the manufacturers claims.

 

[DataHunter]

In light of this new information and the excellent work done by members on this forum, the list should be updated accordingly.

US standard: 100% fuel
Japanese standard: 100% fuel
DIN standard: 90% fuel; no driver
EU standard: 90% fuel; 75 kg payload (68 kg driver, 7 kg luggage)
Auto (Italy): 100% fuel, no driver
AutoBild (and AutoBild Sportscars): 100% fuel; no driver
Autocar:

100% fuel; no driver - mid-1997 to today
50% fuel; no driver - 1991 to mid-1997
50% or 100% fuel; no driver - 1975 to 1991
50% fuel; no driver - 1962 to 1975
5 gallons of fuel; no driver - the dawn of time to 1962

Automobilismo:
Automovil (Spain): 100% fuel, no driver
Auto Motor und Sport: 100% fuel; no driver
AutoZeitung: 100% fuel; no driver
Car and Driver: 100% fuel; no driver
Edmunds: 100% fuel; no driver
EVO: 100% fuel; no driver
Motorsport (France): 100% fuel; no driver
Motor Trend: 100% fuel; no driver
Quattroruote:

100% fuel; 100 kg payload (driver and instruments) - today
2/3 fuel; unknown kg (driver and equipment) - the 1980s to mid 1990s(?)
1/3 fuel; unknown kg (driver and equipment) - sometimes (noted in test)

Road and Track: 100% fuel; no driver
Sport Auto: 100% fuel; no driver
Sport Auto (France): 100% fuel; no driver

Automobilismo appears to be the only one left to figure out. As bmwz4coupe pointed out, exceptions do occur - I would imagine that such exceptions are mentioned in the text of the article.

 

[DataHunter]

About LaFe, quattroruote wrote " 1650 kgs: 1580 kerb + 70 from driver" (tested @ fiorano)
an owner wrote on FCHAT "tested" less than 1600 kgs with gps, hifi and lift system.
About optionals and weight, Autocar wrote "we've tested the official 458Speciale and two weeks later a stock one: the stock was a bit slower (just a bit...), but just for the more...

Do you have any scans of this test? It sounds pretty awesome.

 

[bmwz4coupe]

Very interesting thread. The magazines should standardize and follow the DIN/EU method for testing their vehicles weights (instead of a 68kg driver they can just add 68kg sand bag weight in the driver seat and a 7kg bag) and put 90% fuel and then put the car on the scales, then we can compare apples with apples for all the test cars and see how much of a...

Yes, but remember its only in Europe where the 90% tank standard is applied by the manufacteurs. In USA they use curb wich is full tank and i Japan I think the same. And I dont think all the US and japanese cars are using the 90% standard even in Euro-spec in the european market. I also noticed the UK manufacteurs has been slow applying the 90% standard, I am not sure they all use it by now.

 

[DataHunter]

Yes, but remember its only in Europe where the 90% tank standard is applied by the manufacteurs. In USA they use curb wich is full tank and i Japan I think the same. And I dont think all the US and japanese cars are using the 90% standard even in Euro-spec in the european market. I also noticed the UK manufacteurs has been slow applying the 90% stan...

I wasn't aware of the full tank standard in the US and Japan; I will edit my last post to reflect that fact. Does anyone know the standard for SAE curb weight?

 

[bmwz4coupe]

In light of this new information and the excellent work done by members on this forum, the list should be updated accordingly.

US standard: 100% fuel
Japanese standard: 100% fuel
DIN standard: 90% fuel; no driver
EU standard: 90% fuel; 75 kg payload (68 kg driver, 7 kg luggage)
Auto (Italy): 100% fuel, no driver
[...

Automobilismo also uses full tank.
AutoMotorUndSport has used full tank at least since the 50's.
Car and Driver and Road & Track also used full tank since the 50's. Motortend appeared in the 60's I think, they have used full tank all time.
The old american magazines Car Life, Popular Mechanics, sports car illustrated also used full tank.
Japanese magazine Best Motoring also use full tank I think.

 

[Serpens]

Motor Trend does a fantastic job outlining this along with the rest of their testing procedures: Vehicle Testing, the Motor Trend Way - Motor Trend. Looks like the links still aren't working so remove the parentheses around "com" in the following address to access: https://www.motortrend.(com)/news/motor-trend-testing/

Car and Driver will mention their procedures from time to time in response to reader letters but hasn't released an all-encompassing summary like Motor Trend.

 

[DataHunter]

Excellent work. The current list is as such:

US standard: 100% fuel
Japanese standard: 100% fuel
DIN standard: 90% fuel; no driver
EU standard: 90% fuel; 75 kg payload (68 kg driver, 7 kg luggage)
Auto (Italy): 100% fuel, no driver
AutoBild (and AutoBild Sportscars): 100% fuel; no driver
Autocar:

100% fuel; no driver - mid-1997 to today
50% fuel; no driver - 1991 to mid-1997
50% or 100% fuel; no driver - 1975 to 1991
50% fuel; no driver - 1962 to 1975
5 gallons of fuel; no driver - the dawn of time to 1962

Automobilismo: 100% fuel, no driver
Automovil (Spain): 100% fuel, no driver
Auto Motor und Sport: 100% fuel; no driver - 1950s to today
AutoZeitung: 100% fuel; no driver
Best Motoring: 100% fuel; no driver (likely)
Car and Driver: 100% fuel; no driver - 1950s to today
Car Life: 100% fuel; no driver
Edmunds: 100% fuel; no driver
EVO: 100% fuel; no driver
Motorsport (France): 100% fuel; no driver
Motor Trend: 100% fuel; no driver - 1960s to today
Popular Mechanics: 100% fuel; no driver
Quattroruote:

100% fuel; 100 kg payload (driver and instruments) - today
2/3 fuel; unknown kg (driver and equipment) - the 1980s to mid 1990s(?)
1/3 fuel; unknown kg (driver and equipment) - sometimes (noted in test)

Road and Track: 100% fuel; no driver - 1950s to today
Sport Auto: 100% fuel; no driver
Sport Auto (France): 100% fuel; no driver
Sports Car Illustrated: 100% fuel; no driver

 

[Centurion]

Great work. This thread should be a sticky.

 

[Mafalda]

Do you have any scans of this test? It sounds pretty awesome.

"And for anyone who still suspects Maranello’s boys are employing dodgy tactics to secure favourable publicity, consider this. Shortly after we figured Ferrari’s own Speciale for our road test, we figured another.

The car was supplied by a reader. To tell you who owned it or why they’d risk souring their relationship with Ferrari by lending it to us would be a huge betrayal of confidence – so don’t ask.

But, despite being in less-than-perfect running order, the second Speciale replicated the performance of the first on maximum in-gear acceleration on every 20mph increment between 30- and 90mph in fourth gear to within a tenth of a second.

So there you have it. Ferrari isn’t afraid of track comparisons. Ferrari doesn’t supply bent press cars. And Ferrari certainly doesn’t need to send the cavalry along when we test their new models in future – because even when they don’t, we end up with near-enough identical results. End of."

Ferrari 458 Speciale versus McLaren 650S: what really happened | Autocar

 

[Matski]

I'm really no expert on this, but aren't EU weights supposed to be taken with a vehicle that is believed to be representative of the most common options fitted to the car? I've had a quick scan of European Directive 95/48/EC which talks about the masses to be added, but I suspect the details of variation from type approval are buried within another document.