The term ‘race car’ refers to vehicles that are modified to move faster than regular cars. Certain race cars may have even been constructed from the ground up with the purpose of increasing their maximum speed. Hence, it makes sense that to most people, a fast car is usually a race car.
However, any fan of racing, or motorsports in general, will know that there are other types of vehicles that also boast relatively high speeds. A prime example of this is offroad vehicles, which, like race cars, often consist of modifications like 4Runner lift kits that increase their speed and torque control. But if that’s the case, what makes race cars any different from offroad vehicles? Read on as this article goes over six key differences between the two.
1. Types
Though it’s understandable to wonder about the differences between race cars and offroad vehicles, it actually makes more sense to ask what’s not different between the two.
They’re simply too different, from their general definition to their specifications. Perhaps the only similarity between the two is they’re both usually beefed up to some extent. But one of their main differences lies in their types.
Let’s first take a look at the types of race cars:
- Open seaters: As the name implies, an open-seater race car doesn’t have a roof, only consists of a single seat, and has two large wheels on the back and two smaller wheels on the front. Two of the most popular open-seater race cars are Formula One and IndyCar, which are also two of the fastest. Open-seater race cars are the fastest type of the bunch.
- Touring cars: A touring car is essentially a regular car, but every part of it has been modified for racing. These include brakes, wheels, tires, suspension, and engines.
- Dragsters: As the name implies, a dragster is a car designed for drag racing. And since drag racing involves covering only a quarter mile (402 meters), a dragster is built with a focus on acceleration. A dragster is characterized by a narrow body, long front end or nose, large rear wheels, a nitro-burning V8 engine, and the driver’s seat at the back.
- Drag race cars: A drag race car is similar to touring cars in that it’s just a standard car body with a bunch of modifications. This time, however, rather than focusing on its endurance, the car body is modified to maximize the vehicle’s acceleration. It usually consists of superchargers, and the unnecessary parts are removed to reduce their weight.
- Rally cars: This type is the closest you can get to an offroad vehicle. A rally car is designed to drive on the road with snow, tarmac, mud, and gravel. So, while it’s not a full-blown offroad car, its design allows it to drive on a not-so-smooth surface.
- Offroad race cars: Though there are offroad vehicles like SUVs, not all of them are designed to drive on rough surfaces quickly. Offroad race cars are vehicles that boast not only high torque and horsepower to pass over obstacles but also high speeds so they can do so quickly. The racing version of offroad vehicles often has more modifications.
- Drift cars: There’s not much difference between the appearance of drift cars and regular race cars. The difference lies in their technological features. To be precise, drift cars have unique features like a special handbrake and a negative suspension camber.
The different types of race cars usually have different specifications. Some focus on either endurance, acceleration, and maximum speed while others have a balance between the three. Â
For comparison, here’s a look at the most common types of offroad vehicles:
- ATV: All-terrain vehicles have a similar appearance and construction as a motorcycle, except it has four wheels rather than two. It’s not as fast as offroad race cars, but it’s fast enough to compete in certain types of races like quad racing. An ATV is arguably the smallest offroad vehicle and can only seat, at most, three people.
- UTV: Utility task vehicles are pretty similar to ATVs, but with two main differences: (1) UTVs are relatively larger, and (2) they have a different seating arrangement. Due to its size, it can seat more people than an ATV (at most six people).
- 4×4 Truck: This is perhaps the most popular type of offroad vehicle. 4×4 truck, also known as 4WD, short for four-wheel drive, gets its name from the fact that it can provide torque to all four wheels. Since torque is necessary to give wheels the power to grip the ground, it naturally improves a vehicle’s ability to drive offroad on rough surfaces. Examples of 4×4 trucks include Ford F150 1948 and 4Runner.
Unlike race cars, each type of offroad vehicle has vastly different appearances. Of course, their specs still vary, but they all have high torque, and their speed and acceleration aren’t as far apart.
2. Passenger Seats
While there are offroad vehicles with only a few passenger seats like ATVs, most of them can seat more than four people. Meanwhile, race cars can only seat at most two passengers. Put simply, vehicles for offroading can typically seat more people than race cars.
3. Performance Parameters
There are several performance parameters as far as vehicles are involved. These include the maximum speed they can reach, the time it takes to reach that speed, and the maximum climbing angle. The climbing angle is often associated with torque, which is the specific parameter in vehicles that gives them the ability to move the vehicle’s entire weight.
While torque is a vital parameter to a race car, speed and acceleration are often more important. But as far as offroad vehicles are concerned, torque is the most important parameter.
That’s why offroad vehicles often have high torque but not necessarily high speeds while race cars have high speeds and acceleration but not necessarily high torque.
4. Wheel Drive System
In vehicles, there’s what we call the wheel drive system. It refers to how many wheels the engine can power. When it comes to four-wheeled vehicles like cars and trucks, there are generally four types of wheel drive systems.
Here’s a look at each type:
- A front-wheel drive (FWD) system provides power only to the front wheels. A vehicle using an FWD system is relatively lighter than those that use other wheel drive systems.
- A rear-wheel drive (RWD) system provides power only to the rear wheels. An RWD system features greater handling, braking, and higher initial acceleration than FWD.
- A four-wheel drive (4WD) system provides power to all four wheels. When doing so, it locks the front axle that holds the front wheels and the rear axle that holds the rear wheels. That means all wheels will receive the same amount of power.
- An all-wheel drive (AWD) system provides power to all four wheels independently. That means, unlike a 4WD system, each wheel can have different levels of power.
Race cars usually have either an FWD or RWD system, though a few models use a 4WD system for increased traction. On the other hand, offroad vehicles typically use 4WD or AWD systems.
5. Weight
It’s common for racers to reduce the weight of their cars as much as possible. The idea is that the lighter the vehicle, the faster it can go. It also reduces the torque required to move the vehicle while still maintaining traction. That’s why, compared to regular vehicles, race cars are often lighter. Offroad vehicles, however, are significantly heavier than race cars for several reasons.
One, certain parts are larger like the large tires with deep treads and the body. And two, an offroad vehicle typically consists of additional parts like the suspension or a winch bumper.
For those venturing into offroading with pickup trucks, considering additional protective measures, such as a Toyota Tacoma catalytic converter shield, is prudent to guard against potential damage to essential components when navigating through challenging terrains.
However, people fond of offroading do try to minimize the weight of the vehicle since, as stated earlier, it’s easier to drive a lighter car. If the rear is too heavy, then the vehicle may struggle to move uphill. It also reduces the vehicle’s ability to turn quickly.
6. Tires
One of the most apparent differences between race cars and offroad vehicles is their tires. Apart from the size, the tread design of their tires also differs. Most race cars have slick tires which have no grooves and feature smooth tread. The idea behind it is that the rubber has direct contact with the ground, which allows the car to accelerate without being hindered by traction.
Offroad vehicles follow the opposite principle, which is to maximize traction with their tires that feature deep treads. The deep treads can grip unpaved surfaces like mud and gravel more easily.
Of course, they cannot grip smooth surfaces as well as slick tires, but the deep and wide grooves of the tires make it easier for them to sink into the gravel, mud, or loose dirt surfaces.
Key Points
While it makes sense to compare race cars with offroad vehicles as they both have a need for speed, you should realize now that they have more differences than similarities. Not only does each term refer to completely different types of vehicles, but their specifications also differ. Their components, like the tires and seats, or their construction, in general, are also far from the same. If you want to get a car, then at least you now know a thing or two about both.
