Torque vs horsepower (vehicle, manual transmission, Japanese, MPG)

[ducviloxi]

Car 1:
Curb weight - 3200 lbs
Horsepower - 143hp @ 5200 rpm
Torque - 202 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm

Car2:
Curb weight - 2800 lbs
Horsepower - 130hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque - 128 lb-ft @ 3800 rpm

Which car will feel faster - in terms of accelerating from a start and also in terms of passing at highway speeds?

[Me007gold]

Whats the gearing like? What kind of Transmission?

[ukrkoz]

Exactly. What is transmission geared to - quick giddy up from the start and lousy drive thereafter, like many Japanese ones do?

But in general. HP gets you off, torque gets you down the road.

[Yellow Jacket]

Car 1 would feel faster.

[SpeedyAZ]

Originally Posted by ducviloxi

Car 1:
Curb weight - 3200 lbs
Horsepower - 143hp @ 5200 rpm
Torque - 202 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm

Car2:
Curb weight - 2800 lbs
Horsepower - 130hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque - 128 lb-ft @ 3800 rpm

Which car will feel faster - in terms of accelerating from a start and also in terms of passing at highway speeds?

What would feel faster? OR what would be faster?

As other posters mentioned...it does depend on the transmission. If we're talking both mated to a six speed manual transmission and the drivers being of equal ability...I'd say that Car #1 would be faster but Car #2 would be more agile. Albeit neither vehicle would be a speed demon.

[WyoNewk]

I agree with Yellow Jacket.

Car 1 has 58% more torque at 2800 rpm than does Car 2 at 3800 rpm.

The peak h.p. of Car 1 is 10% more than the peak h.p. of Car 2, and it hits its peak at 5200 rpm rather than at 6000 rpm.

Car 1 will deliver the power without the screaming engine.

Car 1 is 14% heavier than Car 2, so the peak h.p. per pound (with payload added) will be pretty even, but the extra torque of Car 1 at the lower rpm should make it outperform Car 2 in normal driving conditions.


Did I get it right, teach?

[MrWillys]

Car #3 my 3200 lb 350 hp @5200, and 375 ft lbs torque @ 4400.

WHAT

Go big or go home.

28 mpg too

[vmaxnc]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

But in general. HP gets you off, torque gets you down the road.

I think that's backwards, in general terms.

[SpeedyAZ]

Originally Posted by MrWillys

Car #3 my 3200 lb 350 hp @5200, and 375 ft lbs torque @ 4400.

WHAT

Go big or go home.

28 mpg too

Let me guess...C5 Corvette?

I'll raise you a 3200 lb 436 hp @5900 rpm and 424 ft lbs torque @ 4600 rpm.

Soon to be a Corvette C7 at 3100 lb 450+ hp, 450+ lb ft of torque.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by vmaxnc

I think that's backwards, in general terms.

It is backwards. Engines produce far more torque than they do horsepower in the lower rpm ranges. It's torque that gets you rolling, it's horsepower that lets you keep accelerating at higher speeds.