Quote:
Originally Posted by Design1stCode2nd
Here is something I've been wondering. The 08 M3 is 416hp 290 something tq and weighs 3700 and change and gets 4.1-4.3 0-60 (mag testing so who knows), wouldn't the SS be about 4.3-4.5 just based on power to weight? Or are there lots of other factors at play?
Not that it matters for me as anything under 5 seconds is plenty fast for me.
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The new M3 has a redline of somewhere over 8000 rpm, which is how they get to over 400 hp, as hp is proportional to rpm HP=Torque*rpm/5252. So the M3 is more of a race car engine, producing very little hp down low-compared to what we are used to. By using a lot of expensive technology, such as individual throttle bodies-8! that isolate pulses they are able to achieve acceptable street manners with what would otherwise be too aggressive of a camshaft.
There are some obvious tradeoffs in longevity, as a motor that needs to be pushed that high just to really get going will not last like a 6000 rpm motor, in my opinion.
As for your question, gearing also plays a key role as I would be willing to bet the M3 is geared much more aggressively than the Camaro, and even with a tiny 4L v8 still gets only 20mpg on the highway. I think this is why it would be somewhat faster with similar hp and weight, they sacrificed a lot of efficiency and longevity for performance. To each his own I suppose.