Redeye: the highway cruiser

[DGatzby]

Happy to report we are home safe. 860 miles in 27 hours, got a good sleep and appointment in too. Car is such a highway cruiser and bruiser. @DGatzby not one car got past us . Did a few blasts to 125+ redlining 4th gear where car pulls crazy strong playing with a few cars, one modded Cummins felt like burning some fuel...
In sport mode the car gently runs up to almost 100 mph in 8th gear and it's still at only about 2000 rpms.
I have 2.62s and the 285/35r20s - broken in my someone you know - Pilot Sport 4s that I got from @Jimmy N. a little over a year ago, they are almost to the wear bars!
@BULL i would say smoke is about the same in New Mexico vs Colorado. We were in Highlands Ranch at the Children’s Hospital there for my daughters appointment. Everything went well, we had time to drive into the Ferrari Dealer to peek around

Couldn’t rest until the car was clean tonight.. Got 24 mpg on the way back, filled up with Phillips 66 premium unleaded, first time ever in 2 years car has not had Shell or Chevron, almost always run Shell. Let it idle as I did a Nascar style fuel up in Walsenburg, that may have been enough to kill the number. Anyway, love Denver and Colorado!

Oh, yes. That set of tires have quite a legend now! That set has seen it all. Irony is the original car that used them also resides just south of you in NM. Good use of rubber for a trip! Also demonstrates those PS4S tires are good to the end.

 

[DGatzby]

Seriously I think there is something to this...8th gear is only at like 1800 rpms at 85 mph

That is crazy. With the “other” gears all mine will do is 22-23 and that is at less than 65.
Ha, I have even tried several different superchargers and a couple of blocks.

Eric, I need to go add a trophy now for the cleaning job. Just looked at your pics.

 

[EricG]

Funny how this corner of Phoenix is also about 430 miles from my house, didn’t do quite as well on this trip but still got 24 mpg in about 6 hours. I’m going to do the SRT experience at the Radford Racing School. There’s a Demon parked out front of the hotel I’m at My Redeye gets no respect lol and is freshly bug-splatted too. This car is so fun on big mountain sweepers and such a great highway ride. Passing power OMG…with these 2.62s kick down at 85 and hit the top of 3rd gear and forget about it!

 

[EricG]

Funny how this corner of Phoenix is also about 430 miles from my house, didn’t do quite as well on this trip but still got 24 mpg in about 6 hours. I’m going to do the SRT experience at the Radford Racing School. There’s a Demon parked out front of the hotel I’m at My Redeye gets no respect in the regular parking lot lol and is freshly bug-splatted too. This car is so fun on big mountain sweepers and such a great highway ride. Passing power OMG…with these 2.62s kick down at 85 and hit the top of 3rd gear and forget about it!

 

[Whatknot]

That is a lot of blue.

 

[Matt someone with an SRT]

My Redeye with 309s forget about it. I try to stay under 75 on the highway or it gets too noisy with the rpm.. does great around 60, 65mph.. The charger I could cruise 100 and not even notice with the 262s

 

[coolblue]

My Redeye with 309s forget about it. I try to stay under 75 on the highway or it gets too noisy with the rpm.. does great around 60, 65mph.. The charger I could cruise 100 and not even notice with the 262s

I'm actually surprised to hear that. With a 2.62 rear and a .67 8th gear overdrive you final axel ratio is like 1:75. With stock 28.7 diameter tires your turning 1536RPM at @75MPH. With 3:09's your RPM @75mph would be like 1800RPM. Higher, but both RPM's are for a performance motor.

To put that in perspective, if you had an old muscle car with a 1:1 final drive tranny and a 4:11 rear with 27inch tires (average for 15 inch rims) you'd be turning over 3800RPM! More than twice the Hellcat....now that'd be making some NOISE .

 

[EricG]

It may depend on what drive mode @Matt someone with an SRT is in, some times I have to wait for it to shift into 8th gear when I’m in sport mode(where I do almost all my driving in street tires) but I did a stretch on the way home from Phoenix where I set the cruise at 78mph and it looked to be 1600 rpms(how can we check visually, I looked through all the gauge packages I could) but the car said I was almost getting 30mpg!!!

 

[coolblue]

It may depend on what drive mode @Matt someone with an SRT is in, some times I have to wait for it to shift into 8th gear when I’m in sport mode(where I do almost all my driving in street tires) but I did a stretch on the way home from Phoenix where I set the cruise at 78mph and it looked to be 1600 rpms(how can we check visually, I looked through all the gauge packages I could) but the car said I was almost getting 30mpg!!!

I've been looking through the gauge packages also. I find the virtual frustrating. Give me good old analog any day. Those #'s were done with formula. RPM = MPH X Gear Ratio X 336 divided by Tire Diameter.
Dude your car is a FREAK. Send it to a lab to be analyzed. .

 

[DGatzby]

My Redeye with 309s forget about it. I try to stay under 75 on the highway or it gets too noisy with the rpm.. does great around 60, 65mph.. The charger I could cruise 100 and not even notice with the 262s

Bummer Matt. That Charger must be different. I cannot say that about my Challenger with the bigger gears. All the the way to about 170 she is smooth and like silk in my hands. Purrs with the windows up like the kitten it is. I have a little gear ring at 45/85/135 mph. But it is very speed dependent and not bad enough to complain about.

When I need to open the windows at the track all I can hear is a supercharger up front and a mean exhaust growl and notes behind me.

 

[DGatzby]

I've been looking through the gauge packages also. I find the virtual frustrating. Give me good old analog any day. Those #'s were done with formula. RPM = MPH X Gear Ratio X 336 divided by Tire Diameter.
Dude your car is a FREAK. Send it to a lab to be analyzed. .

It is the tires. Custom break-in at speeds from 100-165

 

[EricG]

Just wanted to update in these gas-crazy times, got to stretch her legs on the interstate this weekend and this car does so well on the highway! Super comfortable and amazing passing power, hit the top of 3rd gear and see ya! With the 2.62s it gets great MPGs right up to 100 mph. Blah blah blah said it all before - love it more than ever

 

[Matt someone with an SRT]

Just wanted to update in these gas-crazy times, got to stretch her legs on the interstate this weekend and this car does so well on the highway! Super comfortable and amazing passing power, hit the top of 3rd gear and see ya! With the 2.62s it gets great MPGs right up to 100 mph. Blah blah blah said it all before - love it more than ever

Nice you beat me. The best I think I got was 28-29mpg in the charger. Never got near 30. Agree with the .262 gears you get good mileage to 100. With the .309 gears you get good mileage up to about 70mph haha. The .309 is an ideal around town car. If you do more highway .262 Is the way. ✌️

 

[bobn]

@EricG - I see you've put on about 8k miles since September- nice!

 

[EricG]

@EricG - I see you've put on about 8k miles since September- nice!

Thanks Bob, yeah I definitely drive this car and love every mile!!!

Sure wish premium was below $5.50 here though LOL

 

[Jimmy N.]

Eric, you should buy my GT AWD and use it for the menial driving. It sips regular.

 

[EricG]

Eric, you should buy my GT AWD and use it for the menial driving. It sips regular.

I am actually thinking about picking up a new GR Corolla, I have a connection here and may be able to get one of the first ones in. Hoping they are in the low to mid $30s?

I bought this car knowing it would be my daily though, and it has been great. Of course gas prices then were like half of what they are now. It would be nice to let this one rest and turn it into more of an all-out race car though.

 

[Jimmy N.]

For just a few thousand more you could drive a classier Challenger.
It has 788 miles on it, and has been broken in correctly. Stickered at 42,880.

 

[EricG]

For just a few thousand more you could drive a classier Challenger.
It has 788 miles on it, and has been broken in correctly. Stickered at 42,880.

Tempting for sure...but I think that GR Corolla could be a lot of fun, plus it has 4 doors!

 

[Jimmy N.]

Never did consider that you have all afternoon to play taxi.