Ground Clearance

[elise2000]

Hi all

Not specifically a supercar question, but thought this would be the best place to ask!

I have a holiday home that is at the top of a very steep hill. More to the point, the hill starts very suddenly. I’m 99% sure that if I still had my lotus it would scrape the ground. Is there a calculation I could do to check this?

Many thanks

[EpsomJames]

Nearly all supercars have a lift of some sort, so ramps, even reasonably steep ones are not much of an issue. In any case, they generally are not as low to the ground as an Elise.

I do have a story about the clearance. I was in a Gallardo Spyder in Dorset and took the Sandbanks ferry at high tide. There was quite a steep ramp to get onto the ferry but engaged the nose lift and drove straight on without needing to slow. A Peugeot 406 Coupe was following directly behind me. The next thing I hear is a crunch to look in the rear view to see the 406 with the black lip half hanging off the car having grounded the front. I assume the driver thought if a Lambo could get up that ramp they'd have no issue.

[X-Box]

Most car spec sheets, or the dealers full info, includes max approach angle front and back.

It’s the angle from tyre contact point to splitter, or diffuser.

To measure your drive inclination:

1 - expensive/east way, put a G63 or similar on it with inclination sensors.

2 - with string and spirit level, mark 3m from foot of the drive diagonally up hill, then measure the horizontal distance back to above the origin, finally the vertical drop back down.

Bit of trigonometry and you can find the angle, since you know all lengths of a right angle triangle.

Edited by X-Box on Saturday 28th December 04:59

[Oilchange]

I have this issue with my Esprit, I angle the car at 45 degrees (or so) to the slope so that my left front wheel approaches first then turn onto the slope as the corner of the car rises. Works most of the time.

Edited by Oilchange on Saturday 28th December 05:34

[elise2000]

X-Box said:

Most car spec sheets, or the dealers full info, includes max approach angle front and back.

It’s the angle from tyre contact point to splitter, or diffuser.

To measure your drive inclination:

1 - expensive/east way, put a G63 or similar on it with inclination sensors.

2 - with string and spirit level, mark 3m from foot of the drive diagonally up hill, then measure the horizontal distance back to above the origin, finally the vertical drop back down.

Bit of trigonometry and you can find the angle, since you know all lengths of a right angle triangle.

Edited by X-Box on Saturday 28th December 04:59

Perfect, thanks v much!