hp and tq #'s or weight to power ratio?

would u prefer a heavy car with 400 hp that ran 13's or a light weight coupe with 250 that ran the same?

 

Personally I would choose power to weight ratio.

It's fun to hear about the guys on Top Gear marvel over a little car like the Ariel Atom that looks like a go-kart, but has twice the power to weight ratio as a Veyron.

 

of course power to weight ratio is the most important when it comes to straight-line performance. The heavy car will generally be a better street car because the car will be something that's already suited to daily driving than the smaller car. You can't just throw out numbers.... chances are the car running 13's with 400 hp may be a TL, while lightweight coupe that hangs with it is probably a Miata or a older Civic.

My ideal car would be an LS3 FD RX-7. Sexy looks, relatively light weight, RWD, a nice interior (IMO) and haul ass performance, and of course it will sound incredible and have a high ceiling and plentiful aftermarket for all sorts of mods. Anemic sounding 4-cylinders do nothing for me, though the sound of a turbo spooling up and a BOV dumping into the atmosphere do help a lot.

and no matter what anyone says, when it comes to street cars, HP/liter is ricer math

 

I think it depends on your particular driving style and interests. I've had some cars that were very light with rather low horsepower and torque ratings, but were fun as hell to drive.

If I had to choose between horsepower or torque, I would choose torque. Especially in the form of a thumping V8.



Terry

 

You put it the best. OP I am guessing you might have asked this because you are going to buy a car. Maybe maybe not? But if it is something that you are going to drive around as a daily, or even atleast 4 out of the 7 days in a week, I would get high TQ and HP. If it is a weekend car that you might even track, then power to weight is better. Hope this helps...

 

I'd prefer the heavy car.

I had a 2005 S4 and it was no lightweight. But it was quick enough for me with 340hp.

But it felt like a tank and when I wasn't goosing it, it was every bit the luxury sports sedan I wanted it to be.

It depends on the purpose of the vehicle in the end I guess and how well it pulls it off.

 

I prefer power to weight. My TL was fun but it was to heavy, I got my RSX that has 25 less hp and a crap load less TQ and I find it to be a lot more fun and even quicker.

 

Just drove my friends 1st gen turbo Legacy w/ STi swap/6mt.

Having plenty of power + light weight is where it's at.

 

I'd take power to weight with good handling. I want a car that behaves in the turns.

If you can give me a pig with lots of power that does it well, I'll take it as well.

 

i was arguing with a friend about this

he kept telling me a stock srt charger is a better performer on the street than a b18c swapped crx

i simply told him i'd rather take the light weight coupe over the heavy pig.

 

I definitely prefer power to weight ratio. cars should be extremely simple performance-wise: take out all of the unnecessary equipment, make it lightweight and add decent power (200-400HP) and you have a badass car!

with that said, people above have a point: the heavier car with bigger HP would probably be more comfortable and luxurious. but the question from the OP makes me think straight performance, so definitely power to weight ratio.

 

would you just shut up and buy another one already

 

Yes, it probably is. a Diablo chipped(?) SRT-8 Charger dusted my friend's E85 Evo X at the track

I would take a stock SRT-8 over an H22a CRX, vehicle value aside. A car like the CRX would be a great track car (more multi-talented than the Charger at least) but that's about it. Yes, its probably great on gas and tons of fun to drive but with all the big ass SUVs about there's no chance in hell you can take that CRX on a road trip, unless you have a death wish. Plus, park it in the wrong spot and you may be taking the bus home.... and you may never see it again

The SRT-8 has:

better looks
a much nicer exhaust note
many, many more amenities
much more comfortable
hell of a lot more potential. In terms of straight line performance - a RWD, iron block V8 >>>>>>>>>> FWD 4-cyl

Seriously... you would rather be in a CRX than an SRT-8? Ah, to each his own. Once you see one of your friend's 11 second street cars get raped! by a cammed + nitrous SRT 300C, you'll understand. Plus, street performance? Unless you drive around with slicks on your CRX, you don't stand a chance. And if you put slicks on the SRT, the gap becomes even bigger.

 

we were talking straight performance

if i want a weekend car to spank people, i'm taking the sleeper crx...

if i wanted a fast daily, i'd take the srt 8.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0I5DwNWg98

looks like street tires on the Charger and slicks on the CRX

 

Looks like the charger won, nicee

I like chargers, but i feel that for the power they have, they're slow as balls

imo, there's no reason a car with 400+ hp should be doing high 12's in the quarter. i mean the evo 9 does mid 12's with a 4 banger...

 

that's something I can agree with, they're heavy as hell. Indeed a nice car to cruise around in.

 

Being able to stop faster makes you go faster.

 

Power to weight.
Then again, I'd take a (slower) Porsche Cayman over a Corvette or 911.

 

Definitely power to weight, considering i just got an s2k. I love to toss the car around in corners more then straight line performance. With a heavy car you just can't take the corners like a light weight car.

 

In large part to killing the guy in the CRX at the tree......



To the OP, I have continually gravitated towards power-to-weight ratio, in this case meaning the lightest car possible.

What can I say, I just don't like heavy cars. They don't change direction well, they take big torque to goose off the line, and they need big brakes. You just can't canyon-hack in a 3,600 lb. car anywhere near a 2,900 lb. car which carries the same power to weight ratio.

Besides, lighter cars don't eat brakes and tires at the track like heavy cars do. Plus, they get decent mileage if you actually have to drive the thing anywhere.

That being said, I'll take a Charger on street tires any day of the week over a 20 year old B-series CRX on slicks at the strip.

 

Well considering I don't race my car, and I don't track my car, and I'm not professionally trained, I'd take torque over power to weight ratio. Torque certainly makes a big difference as far as being able to take off. My 2001 330xi has the same amount of horsepower and only slightly more torque than my 2000 TL, but it feels much quicker. The AWD helps, but the I6 engine seems to be the biggest difference.

 

1) Power to weight
2) Torque
3) HP

Less weight improves all aspects of a car's performance. But there is a limit...not too sure I'd want to drive a 2,000 lb car on a regular basis considering all of the much larger cars/trucks that would obliterate it in an accident.

 

Hmm. Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

 

really great point. and im sure you are inferring that power to weight ratio is where its at. and for anyone who may not realize, track performance comes down to extremely big brakes...or nice oem brakes on a lightweight car with decent power (to weight)

looks like 13-2 in favor of power-to-weight ratio

 

Haha, I know ...

I really like my Jetta Sportwagen a lot. I do miss the S4 but not nearly as much as I did when I had my Mazda.

My point's still valid though!

 

There is one of those Japanese race vids of I think a Mine's R34 vs. I think a modded Supra (I can't remember exactly) vs. a modded FD RX-7. The RX-7 was the best handling car but just couldn't keep up with the other two in the straights. So, FD + more power would = win!

 

Only one answer for this question. Both. Monster Miata. /Thread

 

Well said.

 

I would do bad, bad things to get my hands on a FD and put a LS motor in it.

 

It depends on what you mean by performance. If you mean quarter mile times as long as you make enough power, it doesn't matter what you weigh. If you mean 4 direction performance (accel, decel, left and right) you simply can't beat light weight with a good power to weight ratio.

 

I prefer light cars because I can care less what it can do in a straight line. Corners are more exciting.

My current car would absolutely smoke my first car in a straight line. But my first car would pull away from my current car once we're in the twisties. If my current car were about 600lbs lighter, it would be perfect in my eyes.

 

depends on what you want to do with it...the heavier car would likely be more comfortable but wouldn't be as "tossable" through corners as a lighter car, but then in the lighter car it may feel a little too coked up when you're just trying to commute in rush hour...

solution:

1. rob bank/win lottery/create cocaine empire/alchemy
2. buy both an atom (light weight) and an s65 (powerful but heavy)

 

This is the car I blame for creating my love for torque, I drove an SL65 AMG once and that thing had some of the fastest acceleration I've ever experienced, and even in blasts from 55-100 the car felt incredibly stable. If I ever get to drive a car like that again I'll be sure to test it a bit around corners too.

 

this is one reason i have my boxster. It only has 250 hp but it handles like a mofo.

I would rather have a great handling car. anyone can go fast on a straightaway, but it takes skill to drive fast in corners

 

Handling >>>>>>>>>> Straightline performance for me

 

When it comes to strictly performance, nothing will beat a lighter car with a decent power to weight ratio.

That said I thoroughly enjoy my big heavy car with lots of horsepower. Even though it weighs 2 tons it can still handle and brake as well if not better than most currently produced cars. Even with all that weight to carry around I can flick the wheel and slam a passenger into the door hard. It will easily smoke the tires when I want and I still do ok at the auto-x.

 

you got to drive one you lucky mofo? i've always wanted to drive a v12, but have never had the opportunity...i like the feeling of giving the car just a little gas but still getting pushed in the seat, sort of like when i leave my tl in 1st in a parking garage and surprise unsuspecting occupants with a burst of power...

and mclaren...what car do you speak of?

 

e39 m5

 

Generation? (please say E39)