Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocky1974
Maybe you guys all failed high school math, but I didn't.
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I'm sure you meant Physics and not math
Yes, you cannot have one without the other, but the thing is, unless you inadvertantly didn't explain it properly in your writings above, one is almost left to conclude that you are saying that diesel engines with gobs of torque, hardly any HP, would win the vast majority of auto races(not discounting the fact they fuel up less at the pit).
What it really boils down to is, optimum distribution of the power band, for a particular type of auto racing(slow with turns, or all out top speed), and of course, weight, tranny and diff gearing playing a crucial role. This is why engineers spend $$$$$ and countless hours on R&D to find the optimal setup.
It's not a single answer, to just say, more torque wins period, or more HP wins period. Car enthusiast circles and forums constantly debate this, but you will not see this on a Physics site from a Physics perspective. The latter will debate and discuss issues such as: on how the tranny ratios should be spaced, how the end user will use them, how a gearbox can multiply the torque at a given speed (whilst being incapable of changing power), and thus proving that peak torque alone is useless, since the gear ratios that the end user controls through a select given gearbox, essentially is multiplying torque. This is all just the icing on the cake
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Again, it all depends on the application as well, and what the end user wishes to achieve. Whether it be Mclaren F1 car, with more peak HP(higher revving engines) than torque, or an Alpina BMW diesel powered sports car, with more torque than peak HP, there is no doubt that the two have entirely different driving feels on a track, and thus suited for entirely different applications altogether.
The science behind it is all intertwined, but the execution of it takes it into entirely different directions.
This is unfortunately the wrong thread to discuss it, so perhaps an other time elsewhere
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My favourite Camaro is this: