Quote:
Originally Posted by twin turbo
What about acceleration thru the gears?
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Lots of people tend to think of horsepower as the UMMMPH that makes cars go. Therefore, they conclude that more horsepower results in quicker acceleration as well as higher top speed. And in casual conversation that's probably a good enough understanding. But technically, its an engine's torque that determines its rate of acceleration. Its possible (and sometimes desirable) to build two engines that produce similar amounts of torque, but at different points in the RPM range. The engine that produced its optimum torque higher in the RPM range would produce more power (horsepower), but it wouldn't necessarily be capable of accelerating more quickly. It would, however, be capable of pushing the same car to a higher theoretical top speed.