In one great episode of the classic TV sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, Jennifer's very buff boyfriend, Steel Hawthorne, says to news director Les Nessman, "I like to think that a person's name says a lot about the type of person he is. What was your name again?" To which Nessman sheepishly replies, "Les."
We like to think most of us base our judgement of performance, whether human or vehicular, on something more tangible than just a name. We want something objective. We want actual info. We want real numbers. Granted, off-roading usually doesn't require the all-out, ten-tenths type of performance that you might see and need in other forms of automotive sport (i.e., racing), but it's fun to get some real performance numbers without having to rent an entire racetrack.
Maybe you'd like to see how those new lower gears or taller tires affect your acceleration and braking. Or maybe you've recently gone from a carburetor to fuel-injection and need to dial it in. Maybe you just want to compare the accuracy of your butt dyno to some real measured numbers.
The G-Tech Pro Competition performance meter from Tesla Electronics is an accurate, affordable way to get those real numbers. Once you've plugged the unit into your cigarette lighter and punched in your 4x4's weight and redline, the G-Tech meter can figure all sorts of performance parameters (see sidebar).
What In G-Tech Can You measure?Here's a list of what parameters can be measured using the G-Tech Competition Pro performance meter. Remember that the data recorded by the G-Tech show real-world performance numbers including all parasitic losses for friction, heat, gearing, and aerodynamic drag affecting the results. You may be surprised at how little power really ever makes it to the dirt!
HorsepowerTorqueEngine speed (rpm)Braking distanceHandling g-forces (g's)Acceleration and braking g's0-60 foot time0-330 foot time0-1,000 foot time0-60 mph time11/48-mile elapsed time and speed11/44-mile elapsed time and speedReaction timeRpm vs. time graphHp and torque vs. rpm graphVehicle speed vs. time graphVehicle speed vs. distanceG's vs. time graph