Quote:
Originally Posted by winkosmosis
Horsepower is a function of the amount of air flowing into and out of an engine. Engine displacement * rotation speed = flow rate. So there is a replacement for displacement-- revs. That Ferrari engine needs high revs to make the horsepower it does.
The fact that the Corvette rides on leafsprings has nothing to do with low-tech. The car has double wishbones, with composite leafs taking the place of coil springs. The advantage of the leafs is a more compact suspension system, because you don't need reinforced structures up top to seat coils into.
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Yes sir, but you forget that a car needs to be engineered to relatively high standards to produce the revs as high as in the Ferrari's engine. In reality, horsepower is a less important number than torque, even though both numbers give a good idea of the performance of a car. And whether the car needs a lot of revs or not, it is still a more efficient use of the space. The front end of a Corvette is the most obnoxiously long piece of overstuffed fiberglass. It's the compensation car, for sure.
You are correct on you leafspring remark, however. It is an advantageous system.
As far as needing 525hp in a performance car, it has more to do with the top speed than anything else. It's getting similar performance numbers to the Elise with it's little 1.8L Toyota engine as far as acceleration and handling, despite increased weight, but it's top speed is much greater. That's why the Veyron need 16 cylinders, 4 turbos and 1000hp to go 250mph.