HP vs Torque
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 2
From: seattle WA
In your example Gregg I'd put my money on car number 2, the one making 570 ft lbs, 457 HP at 4200 RPMs.....everything else being equal...hands down. Could someone explain why? if I'm wrong. I'm assuming (hate that word) that both engines HP peaked at 457.
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Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Overland Park Kansas
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There are different sizes of TPI setups that I know of. Stock, SLP, ASM/TPIS, and First Intakes. I listed them in increasing order of tube size. By selecting this config, a motor gets more low-end Torque (or HP). A universal statement has been made that all motors with higher HP are faster.
In the example I gave, I was thinking down the road. If I selected a larger TPI setup then installed a larger motor a few years from now (i.e., 383). The tubes would still help the car pull faster on low end, but could hit a "ceiling". From the ceiling to max rpm, the car's HP would remain relatively flat -- so it still accelerates. Up to the peak HP point, it would be stronger and get there significantly quicker. It also has more leverage to pull after shifts to lower rpms.
To me, it's not clear that the higher torque car would always be a disadvantage (assuming they peak with the same HP).
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 2
From: seattle WA
I think you're on the right track. Pretty simple, if both motors had a peak HP of 457, yet one reached max HP at 4200 RPMs with 570# of T,and the other at 6K RPMS with 400# of T, the second would never catch up. In this case the higher T engine has the ADVANTAGE. Most cars are different though and it depends on what their power curve looks like. And that's what you're looking at with the larger TPI. You'll always find someone with more HP....but it depends on where that comes into play.
