Today's new cars are way overpowered...

[AGRIMAN]

I use to drag race many decades back, have restored over a dozen classic performance cars, rode bikes from a CB 125, to a GSX 11. Same driver in every car, similar weight, gearing and tires, more power wins, every time.

Yes sir. In a case like that, I would agree. Just wondering, what classics have you done?

 

[AGRIMAN]

Of course, but we're talking about street cars that don't have anywhere near enough power to start running into those issues. No doubt that technique, tire selection/pressure, temperature/barometric pressure, and track surface will come into play, but they're still essentially power limited. Cars with serious power are traction limited in that they struggle to put down all of what they have available. The cars we're talking about here can use all of what they have after the first few feet....wide open throttle with no spinning. Give them more power, and they'll have a faster ET.

No argument here. As I said, I understood what you where saying. I'm was referring to race cars/trucks (some street driven/raced) and most in the 1000 hp + range.

 

[LD1]

[video]http://arachnoid.com/gravitation_equations/power_energy_gravity.html[/video]

The true power expended does not rely on the top HP of the engine. It is the accumulated sums as the RPM is increasing . How the RPM increases is a function of many variables starting with friction to engine design.

It is about what HP is developed at what RPM.

Another way of saying "area under the curve"

 

[4570Man]

Well-said, GMAN. Also, good calculator link above. Note to everyone: torque is NOT part of the ET equation. As to the question, "can you ever have too much power"?: I think that not only is it possible you have too much power when you can't keep the front wheels down, you may also have too much when you can't get traction in normal driving. Most cars and M/Cs don't have that problem, so the quest for more power goes on. Case in point: in the days of bias ply tires (remember them?), I used to drive around a lot with a friend who arguably had too much power. He drove a mildly modified 69 Mustang 428CJ, and prob had 500hp. If the pavement was wet, it was very hard to drive it at all, as the rear tires could not get traction and feathering the throttle was hard. Manual tranny, of course. To the OP: yes, many current cars are "over-powered", but with traction control and few manual trannies, these issues are not quite the danger they may have been in the past. In our days of 300hp Camrys, people should have the choice to buy all the power they want. Even if they never use it. Despite how heavy cars are these days, we are probably in the golden age of hp.

Toque IS part of the equation. A car that has 400 hp at 10,000 rpm and only 75 foot pounds of toque isn't going to to post very good times on the 1/4 mile track. A car of the same weight with 300 foot pounds of toque and 400 hp will do way better.

 

[AGRIMAN]

A car that has 400 hp at 10,000 rpm.

Wow, you got to twist her up pretty tight for that 400 HP.

 

[LD1]

Toque IS part of the equation. A car that has 400 hp at 10,000 rpm and only 75 foot pounds of toque isn't going to to post very good times on the 1/4 mile track. A car of the same weight with 300 foot pounds of toque and 400 hp will do way better.

Impossible. If it has 400hp at 10k its got 210ft-lbs torque. And probably more at a lower rpm.

My guess is it would fair pretty well if geared properly.

 

[Egon]

Another way of saying "area under the curve"

You betcha.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Bias ply tires are still around. My Spec Racer Ford had Goodyear racing tires that were bias ply. It was the Spec for that SCCA class and they gave you good traction. The radials that were spec before that let go quickly and it was often exciting.

Not a drag racer, but I recall when we changed the wife's '68 Impala from bias plys to radials. On the ice and snow, it was a whole new world. I felt like the old girl would climb up the side of a building with those things on. And yeah, bias plys are still around; I'm told they use them a lot on trailers. I also (in a moment of stupidity) put them on my '59 Impala because they were "Original". It makes it steer easy, especially parking and such, but it is really squirrely on the road.

 

[toppop52]

Yes sir. In a case like that, I would agree. Just wondering, what classics have you done?

2 '67 impala SS, 9 various Firebirds, 3 Camaros, 2 Chargers '66, '69, a Sport Fury, '68 GTX, 2 '73 Buick Regals, one with Stage 1, '85 442, and honestly about 2 dozen others. My wife and I are active in a couple of charitable car clubs and have been playing with classics for 40+ years. This is my wife's weekend toy.

 

[dfkrug]

Another way of saying "area under the curve"

That would be "energy", not power.