Protocol for MPG contests
There are two independent aspects to MPG testing:
1) Driver skill
2) Vehicle engineering
It would make sense to offer two driving tests, time permitting, with one being a set of identical vehicles driven by skilled drivers and a separate test in which a cadre of 'uniform' drivers operates each car. This lets us measure each in a way that gives reproducable results.
Driver skill contest
In a perfect world, this would be a fleet of identical rental cars. Each would be made as identical as possible in respect to fluids, air and weight. They would be the functional equivalent to identical stock or F1 vehicles. Thus the only differences would be the driver skill.
In an alternative approach, a vehicle simulator would be used. Each contestant would 'drive the simulator' for their score. The nice thing is afterwards, the top "n" contestants might have an actual run-off using the identical cars.
Vehicle engineering
In this test, each submitted vehicle would be put on a dynometer and a team of trained drivers run them through a given set of protocols. The dynometer provides a uniform load within the limits of ambient temperature. The owner/operator would simply provide instructions to the driving team on any unique features or instrumentation of the vehicle.
This approach separates the driving skills from the vehicle engineering and maintenance. It helps us learn what technical enhancements work and those that don't. For comic relief, we'll bring on the magnets and tornado adapters <grins>.
Bob Wilson
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