kit99bar

can someone explain this?
I was comparing a 2000 Integra Type R with 195 hp and 130 torque and a 2000 Max with 222 hp and 217 torgue.
Is it something like if you have less torque you can't go up hills as fast?

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

But yes, more torque more pulling power.

deathwish

HP is torque divided by 5252.

Shingles

No...

but looking at numbers really don't mean much.. you have to take into account weight and gear ratio... and that's just a few things.

-Shing

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

I can't explain it, but you're on the right track. The Integra Type R has alot of HP for its engine size, like the Toyota Celica GTS. However, given their lo torque ratings, their drivability at lowewr RPMs is not as "flexible." I have a frined who has an Type R, everytime he puts the A/C on, its like "where's my engine gone??"

Bigger engines, like V-8s, tend to have alot of torque all over the rev band, hence their ease in drivability. I like the way my Max doesn't change too much (Feel weaker)when the a/c is turned on. It's only really noticeable in 4th gear. This is attributable to its broad and generous torque band.

DW

brubenstein

Torque is twisting force. Horse Power is the ability to do work. Torque determines acceleration, HP top speed. I don't recall the equation to calculate HP from torque, but I don't think the one listed above is corect (RPM is part of the equation. It's something like HP = Torque x RPM/Constant)

MaxRX7

http://www.vettenet.org/torquehp.html

Mad Jap

Torque is the measurement of rotational enertia.
Horsepower is derived by the following formula:

(Torque X RPM)/5252 = HP

It is also good to note the following:

Dynos measure torque, then converts the resutls to HP by using the above formula....
Very often you see a combination Torque/HP chart in magazines...If the torque and the HP curves do NOT intersect at 5252 RPM, then it is inaccurate. By definition/formula, it MUST intersect at 5252 RPM.

Hope this helps....
This is about all I remember from Physics at UF.

chris j vurnis

TORQUE is what actually accelerates a car. Horsepower does not accelerate a car. Accleration is ( FORCE / MASS ). TORQUE is the unit of Force... Horsepower is not a unit of Force.

The torque at a given RPM (multiplied through the gearing) will determine how much acceleration potential exists... Of course the higher the torque the better...

HORSEPOWER = (Torque * RPM)/5250

If you have a car and it makes 190HP at 5000RPM and can also maintain that horsepower at 6000RPM, it will still accelerate faster at 5000RPM than 6000RPM because it takes less torque to have 190HP at 6000RPM.

To maintain acceleration with increasing RPMs, you must maintain torque...(Horsepower figures must increase proportionally with RPM to maintain a given level of acceleration)

This is why VTEC cars like the Acura NSX and INTEGRA have axle ratios between 4.40 and 4.90... because those engines don't produce much torque but they do rev fairly high... So the axle ratio is made "shorter" to compensate...

cjv

machavez702

The Type R with its VTEC engine also switches cams at around 6000 RPM. This helps out in producing torque. The Celica uses variable valve timing which also aids in more power. 4 cylinder engines produce less power than 8 cylinder engines, obviously. It's true that torque pulls better & high h.p. numbers generally translates to higher speed. That's why trucks have such high torque curves with V8's with low top speed and the S2000 has a high top speed with its I4 at 240 h.p. but can't tow a trailer.

BrianV

iTrader: (9)

HP = Torque * RPM / 5252

La Jolla Max

The unit of torque is (weight)*(length)...if could be any unit, we just happen to use lb-ft for ft-lb. When you do that formula for horsepower you add a dimension which is revolution/time, and since revolution is a dimensionless quantity (kinda like radians) and since the constant 5252 has no unit, you end up with a number in terms of (weight*length)/time, which, as I believe, happens to be the unit of power (how much weight can you pull a certain distance in a given time span).

Whats my point? My point is horsepower is exactly that; a function of torque. It basically is torque. But it can be a little more specific in that it tells you how much rotational energy the engine is generating throughout its operating range. Or, in real world terms, how strongly an engine pulls throughout the rev range.

This is why we look at low rpm torque gains but high rpm power gains..its basically multiplying that torque several hundred times (why the constant 5252 was chosen is beyond me..) per second, which is why high-powered cars are just that..fast!

Black VQ

Torque is the real power a car or truck makes, while horsepower is just the rate at which the power is sent to the ground.
That is why all the 4-banger VTECs seem to be a little slow off the line(unless you dump the clutch at 5 grand.hehe), and then speed up in the midrange and top end. Not only are they lacking in torque, but they don't reach their measly peak until around 5-6K rpm. That's also the reason big OHV V8s are so quick off the line. They make gobs of torque at the low end.