Horsepower is important for some things, but in the real world, weight and torque delivery is what you should care about most.
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| © Lamborghini Horsepower is important for some things, but in the real world, weight and torque delivery is what you should care about most. |
When a new car debuts, one of the most important numbers people seem
to care about is the horsepower. It makes sense, right? On the surface,
it seems like an easy, singular number to compare against rivals and
give an idea of how capable a car is. 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.
The thing to keep in mind is that horsepower is heavy. That means the
more power your car has, the heavier it will become. Why? Well if you
want more power, you need a bigger engine, beefier axles and
driveshafts, stronger transmissions, and bigger brakes to handle the
extra shove. That stuff starts to add up, and before you know it, your
car weighs two tons. Not great!
The best example Fenske gives uses downforce to explain things. Let's
say you have a 4000-pound car that makes 2000 pounds of downforce. That
means it can generate 1.5 gs of lateral acceleration in a corner, which
is pretty good. Now, let's say that same car is 2000 pounds, and
generates the same 2000 pounds of downforce. That car can
generate a full 2.0 gs of lateral acceleration. That means this
theoretical car can go a lot quicker around a track without any change
to the power.
Fenske makes a bunch of other good points in the
video as well. He explains that while horsepower is important for top
speed, it's torque curve and instant power delivery that matter in the
real world. How often do you accelerate to 60 mph versus go on top speed
runs? It's the low-end stuff you feel most of the time, and that has
little to do with that horsepower number—it's all weight and power
delivery. So next time you look at a stat sheet, maybe pay a bit more
attention to that curb weight number.
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