Table of Contents
- 1 Is horsepower a weight?
- 2 What determines the horsepower of a car?
- 3 What car has the highest horsepower to weight?
- 4 Why do heavier cars go faster?
- 5 What car has a 1 to 1 power weight ratio?
- 6 What is the weight to power ratio of a car?
- 7 What’s the difference between power to weight and weight to power?
- 8 How much weight would it take to add 50 horsepower?
Is horsepower a weight?
Simply divide the power output of a vehicle by its weight. For example, if you have a car that weights 2000 pounds and has 250 hp, the PWR will be as follows: 250 / 2000 = 0.125 hp for every pound of car.
What determines the horsepower of a car?
Behind the Numbers Engine horsepower is measured using a dynamometer, but what the dynamometer really does is measure the torque output of the engine, as well as the RPM – or “revolutions per minute”. These numbers are plugged into a formula (torque x RPM / 5,252) to determine the horsepower.
Is horsepower more important than weight?
In reality, that horsepower number isn’t nearly as relevant as a car’s weight. The thing to keep in mind is that horsepower is heavy. That means the more power your car has, the heavier it will become.
What car has the highest horsepower to weight?
Top 50 Supercars listed by power to weight ratios
| No. | Make | Power to Weight (hp/lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hennessey | 55.87 |
| 2 | McLaren | 51.97 |
| 3 | McLaren | 51.74 |
| 4 | SSC | 51.92 |
Why do heavier cars go faster?
The heavier the car, the more power is needed to overcome inertia. However, newer heavy SUVs with multiple gear ratios appear to accelerate faster because of the lower gearing that multiplies torque. Much more fuel is consumed though to achieve this.
How heavy is an f1 car?
F1 car weight over the years
| Year | Weight |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 728 kg |
| 2018 | 734 kg |
| 2019 | 743 kg |
| 2020 | 746 kg |
What car has a 1 to 1 power weight ratio?
The One:1, a highly modified Agera R. So named for its (more or less) 1:1 power-to-weight ratio, the One:1 boasts 1341 horsepower and a claimed curb weight of 1360 kilograms.
What is the weight to power ratio of a car?
For example, if I have a 3500 lb car with 215 horsepower, I simply divide 3500 by 215 to get a weight to power ratio of 16.28 lbs per horsepower. The same car with 250 hp would have a weight to power ratio of 14 lbs per horsepower. To give you a really over simplified visual, imagine that each “horsepower” is a horse.
Is horsepower more important than a car’s weight?
In reality, that horsepower number isn’t nearly as relevant as a car’s weight. In his latest video, Road & Track contributor Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained breaks down how horsepower and weight affect each other, and why a car’s curb weight is the most important factor in determining performance and fun.
What’s the difference between power to weight and weight to power?
You’ve probably heard power-to-weight more than weight to power, they’re the same thing but one has nicer numbers and a better visual representation so I’ll be using weight to power for this discussion. Weight to power is one way to get a general idea of acceleration performance.
How much weight would it take to add 50 horsepower?
Now it’s simple Algebra again to figure out how much weight I’d have to lose off the car to make up the same amount of power: New Power to Weight (13.2) * 215 (old horsepower) = Theoretical Weight (2838). So 50 horsepower in this particular vehicle would be roughly the same as shaving off 662 lbs.