Has anyone noticed , when it's raining their car is a tad faster?

Do any of you scooby-peeps think it's because of the intercooler sucking in colder air from the condensed rain water?

Look forward to hear your thoughts on this...........

 

Erm I tend to slow down when it rains so i couldnt tell ya.
Obviously though the cooler air is gonna benefit the performance!

 

Yes it will improve your performance

 

Yes, I notice a difference. Go for a drive on a warm afternoon, and then drive back on a cold damp evening and it feels like there is a 20% performance difference.

 

I suppose it is the equivalent to using the water spray gadget in my STi. To be honest it makes very little difference and when it is actually raining of course you can't go as quick as when dry (and I don't care how good you think you and your car is). It does make difference though I suppose.

 

Don't know about faster, but with 600bhp it's a bit of a handfull!!!










Ah hang on.....I haven't got 600bhp....there I go, dreaming again.

When it's raining you will have a combination of cooler, denser air and a little bit of moisture in the charge to cool it down. I think this will have far more effect than any water on your intercooler. I personally think the intercooler spray is a bit of a gimmick in a standard (or near standard) car. No doubt the experts will prove me wrong with lots of cold facts and figures (pardon the pun), but IIRC it's the evaporation of the water that chills the fins down and therefore creates a more efficient intercooler. I can't believe that on a standard intercooler, a little bit of water makes much difference. I've seen some intercoolers with CO2 and N2O sprays.....I guess these may have a greater effect as the spray is much colder than evaporating water.

Preparing to be shot down now

I reckon the charge temp is much more likely to be the reason behind any slight performance increase felt when it's raining. In my experience most of my cars have seemed to run better on cold misty mornings.

Also.....cars probably "feel" faster in the rain because everyone around you slows down, you have less grip and the car feels less positive under you......Placebo effect on performance.

 

Mine was definately quicker in the winter when the temp was freezing/near freezing, but the fuel consumption was even worse than usual

 

Didn't some of the rally cars in the 80's have water injection to give a power boost, Lancia's, maybe Audi's

I know I enjoy driving in the rain, always have, and consequently I tend to drive a bit more heavy footed