Horsepower: Do you really use yours?

[Broo]

My Echo daily driver only has 108 HP, so yes, I do use them all on occasion like getting on the highway.

My pickup only has 148 HP from its old V6 and I do quite often use all it got to haul/pull stuff. Quite sure I'm over the tow/haul limit sometimes

Our van has 230 HP. It isn't a very stressed out engine as a family hauler (with 2 members suffering from motion sickness) and wife's daily driver.

 

[FCD]

Yes, every once in a while.
With my Capri and Escort if i notice they're running a bit rough, i'll wait until the engine is warm, drive out to a long stretch of road where there are no speed cameras that i know, and perhaps from 60mph, do a few foot to the floor runs up to 100 or 120 Mph and coast back down to 60 , and at all times keeping it in a relatively low gear to keep the engine revved up.
Just an old school Italian tune up.
They msot always run better afterwards.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

I don't know and don't care. Put er in "D" and drive it down the street/highway at posted speed.

 

[PeterPolyol]

Regularly, no matter which car I'm driving. 115hp or 400hp doesnt matter. Swung the back out a bit off the line, last time I drove the SC Jag V8....never gets old. Also miss the raucus days of 600+whp boosted 2.0L I4's in FWD cars lol 100% ridiculum.

 

[Ifixyawata]

130hp in my daily driver usually use every bit of it at least once a day.

 

[02SE]

Originally Posted By: Silk
The 5252 people have a fit when they see a Kw/Nm chart....


Only if they are ignorant.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: 02SE
Originally Posted By: Silk
The 5252 people have a fit when they see a Kw/Nm chart....

Only if they are ignorant.


Yep, always have to look at units and scales on a graph to get the story. If a HP and T curve don't cross at 5252 RPM then it's ether not in US units, or if it is in US units, then the y-axis units/scales are different.

 

[Silverado12]

I like to hammer on it a little on the on ramps.

 

[SevenBizzos]

Yep. Two V6 coupes and a V8 Mustang. I do the 0-60 (or higher) track test on all of them regularly.

 

[CBR.worm]

I use as many of them as I can as often as I can. I wish I had 100hp more in each car.

I prefer high revving NA horsepower, my wife prefers boosted low rpm torque.

 

[SilverFusion2010]

Sometimes I get to wind it out, on ramps mostly. For commuter driving I would prefer more torque at the low end.

 

[red7404]

my 08 Avalon V6. has more than enough power. 150-160 i think. i cant get a good 0-60 time as the tires bounce. but a 10-60 is 6.0 sec. gets 27-25 mpg on the hiway. at 60 mph a Kansas head wind of 40-50 gets 21 mpg. 21 in town. of course useing Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel. 4 oz in 10 gal.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: red7404
my 08 Avalon V6. has more than enough power. 150-160 i think. i cant get a good 0-60 time as the tires bounce. but a 10-60 is 6.0 sec. gets 27-25 mpg on the hiway. at 60 mph a Kansas head wind of 40-50 gets 21 mpg. 21 in town. of course useing Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel. 4 oz in 10 gal.
08' Avalon has the 2GR-FE. 268hp

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: Silk
The 5252 people have a fit when they see a Kw/Nm chart....
Probably vice versa, too. Proper metric units are less confusing.
As someone pointed out, the 5252 shortcut is a closer approximation than 5250, but is still only an approximation of 33,000/2pi.
Many folks have to "really use all theirs," because the power/weight ratio required to stay out of trouble tends to be inversely proportional to the square of the IQ of the driver.

 

[Silk]

Originally Posted By: CR94
Proper metric units are less confusing.


I don't think anyone has said that on BITOG before.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: CR94
As someone pointed out, the 5252 shortcut is a closer approximation than 5250, but is still only an approximation of 33,000/2pi.


It's only 0.002% off ... close enough.

 

[KrisZ]

HP is an antiquated measurnment just like mouthfuls, cubits, etc. It gets people confused when talking torque and power.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
HP is an antiquated measurnment just like mouthfuls, cubits, etc. It gets people confused when talking torque and power.


Not if you understand what HP is measuring. It's a pretty simple relationship consisting of only torque and RPM.

 

[red7404]

thanks nick for the right hp. on my 08 Avalon. the car really gets down the road.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
HP is an antiquated measurnment just like mouthfuls, cubits, etc. ...
Not if you understand what HP is measuring. It's a pretty simple relationship consisting of only torque and RPM.
No, it's not. It's an antiquated unit of measure equal by definition to exactly 33,000 foot-pounds per minute. Conventionally (but not necessarily) it's used in connection with mechanical power production or transfer. It can be linear speed times force, just as easily as torque times rotational speed.