Originally posted by l0st-s0ul:
Have some questions here. For simplicity sake, i will use simple round values.
Car A has 100 bhp and weighs 1000kg.
Car B has 200 bhp and weighs 2000kg.
i duno if i am right in using bhp or should i use torque?
Which car would be more power? is there a formula between the power and weight values?
answering directly to this question, b4 all other factors r taken into account, i would choose car A.
because its lighter, its inertia and momentum would be smaller. these r what kills performance. stopping distances and handling would be better.
sure both cars have the same bhp:weight ratio, but any bhp gains from modifying would have more significance in car A than car B.
of course i won't say both cars accelerate at the same rate because of the difference in torque figures and gearing. also since we can't be sure what the difference in engine capacity here is, we cannot comment on likely torque figures or fuel consumption, as well as the more intricate details of weight distribution and how that affects handling.
so based on the given info on power and weight alone, i would choose car A.
most people compare the bhp: weight ratio by taking the power of a car, dividing it by the weight of the car in kg and then multiplying it by 1000. this gives the number of bhp available to the car for every 1000kg, and makes comparism easier.
btw any car that weighs 1000 kg is very light.