Quote:
Originally Posted by serialk11r
That's right, 8x the power for 2x the speed. That's why on the track, while a huge amount of energy is lost to braking, probably a bigger amount of energy is lost to pushing the car through the air at high speeds, which is why the brakes aren't being cooked with anywhere near the full output of the engine. It's why you need only 300-400hp in a "typical" sports car to hit 180mph, but to hit 250mph you need over 1000hp.
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We don't notice air as having resistance really because we are accustomed to it, but it can be treated like any fluid. The faster you go the more you compress the air and the more it wants to act like a solid.