Minimum HP requirement

[MadisonMPG]

"Torque is more fun that horsepower."
"HP is how fast you get to the wall, torque is how far you go through the wall"

Some good quotes.

[DarkDstryr40k]

well remeber F=ma so to be able to accelerate faster you need to have more force on the road in the form of horsepower preferable at lower rpm wich means more torque (torque = HP/rpm) or simply less weight! also as far as the rated horsepower on cars thats not what it is during normal driveing conditions thats the engine full throttle at something like 5-6000 rpms somthing a hypermilers car would probably never see

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by DarkDstryr40k

well remeber F=ma so to be able to accelerate faster you need to have more force on the road in the form of horsepower preferable at lower rpm wich means more torque (torque = HP/rpm) or simply less weight! also as far as the rated horsepower on cars thats not what it is during normal driveing conditions thats the engine full throttle at something like 5-6000 rpms somthing a hypermilers car would probably never see

Isn't HP the calculation? Torque is the measurement that is actually measured.

[Bicycle Bob]

If you use the gears, HP matters, and torque does not, except as it gets into the power calculation. If you want to ignore the transmission, torque does matter. In an efficient car, you pass by planning where it might be possible, building up a useful approach speed, and then either pulling out or nailing the brakes. With careful deductions, this can be done on unfamiliar mountain roads at night, although you miss some opportunities that a local driver could use.

Of course, when driving for economy, passing is seldom an issue anyway. Anybody who thinks they need a low HP/weight ratio should spend some time herding a heavy truck, and contemplating that real cowboys only use 1HP (organic) to haul their manhood around. A few reasonable limitations keep life interesting for us as well as possible for others.

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

If you use the gears, HP matters, and torque does not, except as it gets into the power calculation. If you want to ignore the transmission, torque does matter. In an efficient car, you pass by planning where it might be possible, building up a useful approach speed, and then either pulling out or nailing the brakes. With careful deductions, this can be done on unfamiliar mountain roads at night, although you miss some opportunities that a local driver could use.

uh...okay

[bgd73]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

"Torque is more fun that horsepower."
"HP is how fast you get to the wall, torque is how far you go through the wall"

Some good quotes.

I am at 90hp, but its a 3 main boxer. I spent my time hindering it more than anything. subaru did one heck of a job keeping it tiny, and dangerously so. I had to go about a healthier way. the tighter that carb gets the closer to 136 foot pounds it is. That is the way it is...scream a whistle or bellow like an old holley..actions either modes.
I have let it out, and it is fun. Keyword: fun. time to put the boxer back in a cage and grow up a little. I hardly pass anything, its gearing is now outrageous, 3500==88mph. Torque is the answer, it starts with the least friction. If you are obsessed with power to weight, it is the engine you are obsessed with.

[DarkDstryr40k]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

Isn't HP the calculation? Torque is the measurement that is actually measured.

horse power by definition is 550 ft lb / sec witch translates into 550 lbs moved (vertically) 1 ft in 1 sec. this is a steady pace for 1 horse so at full gallop a horse produces well more than 1 HP.

Torque from your engie is translated to the wheels concerned with dirveing wich produces a force (lb) so the torque is what drives your car and at top speed your force (torque over a distance is a force) on the ground from your tires is in equlibrium with air and every other form of friction holding you back

Now this is where HP comes in imagine a small fan with foam fins there moveing faster then your wheels right(angular speed... rpm)? well if you touch the blades it stops right? cause theres no torque (also no mass moment of inertia but thats another story) behind it. horse power allows you to put torque behind something spinning fast because HP is a measurment of a force over a distance in a given amount of time. and something spinning fast covers alot of distance in a short amount of time so you need alot of horsepower to produce alot of force

torque = HP/rpm so the same HP rating can produce high torque at low rpms (why lower gears ar "peppy") or high speed at low rpm (why it takes your car so long to reach 100mph) thats why high HP cars can put more torque (force) at the same speed F=ma and accelerate faster

sorry its a bit winded but im an engineer i live and breath this stuff