400hp 5.0, 80mpg
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 681
You can't get anything done without power.
You can get as much torque as you want using the right gears.
Torque is basically how much force you can apply. Horsepower is how FAST you apply that torque.
Gears multiply torque. I can use my pinky finger, along with the proper gearing, and move a locomotive.
Remember the saying? "Give me a big enough lever and I can move the world." A gear is just a type of lever.
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,881
This argument has been done before. This is an old wive's tail.
You can't get anything done without power.
You can get as much torque as you want using the right gears.
Torque is basically how much force you can apply. Horsepower is how FAST you apply that torque.
Gears multiply torque. I can use my pinky finger, along with the proper gearing, and move a locomotive.
Remember the saying? "Give me a big enough lever and I can move the world." A gear is just a type of lever.
You can't get anything done without power.
You can get as much torque as you want using the right gears.
Torque is basically how much force you can apply. Horsepower is how FAST you apply that torque.
Gears multiply torque. I can use my pinky finger, along with the proper gearing, and move a locomotive.
Remember the saying? "Give me a big enough lever and I can move the world." A gear is just a type of lever.
HP is how much work you do at a given engine speed. Torque is the actual work. Torque is what is needed to get a mass moving from a dead stop. Ever wonder why people are so hot on electric motor assist for sports cars? The 100% torque from 0 rpm. You wont be launhcing a car at peak rpm to get peak HP. And why do we have gears? Torque multiplication for MOST torque available at any rpm. You have less and less torque multiplication with each shift to a higher gear. Thats why you accelerate MUCH faster to 60 then you do to 120. Torque is the force that moves the car and the force that breaks the tires loose. Hence the need for traction. There is no wives tale about it. High torque, gearing and traction will get any mass moving at a good clip to 60. Beyond that lack of HP will absolutely decrease acceleration with typical gearing ratios.
Look at two types of cars you will see at the drag strip. Big blocks with lots of low end torque. They hook and fly with the right gearing and traction. High end cars like small displacemt imports dont accelerate hard off the line due to weight transfer and low end torque. They make up for it further down the track with their HP.
Last edited by falchulk; Jul 5, 2008 at 08:59 AM.
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From: New Haven, CT
Damn....:
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From: STL
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If this guy had anything he would have filed for patents already.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 681
My last post on this. I just don't like it when myths get perpetuated. PM me if you want to discuss more.
Almost correct. HP is the rate at which work is getting done.
CORRECT!!! However, this doesn't tell you how quickly it does it...
The reason you launch at peak hp is to go as fast as you can.
We have gears to keep the engine making as much power as possible.
I think wind and rolling resistance play a factor...
Traction is a factor, I'll give you that. This is one of the keys why imports tend to be slower. They are front wheel drive. Front wheel drive cars naturally have a traction disadvantage. But, let's not go into that. I don't want to start another argument... 
CORRECT!!! However, this doesn't tell you how quickly it does it...
I think wind and rolling resistance play a factor...
Torque is the force that moves the car and the force that breaks the tires loose. Hence the need for traction. There is no wives tale about it. High torque, gearing and traction will get any mass moving at a good clip to 60. Beyond that lack of HP will absolutely decrease acceleration with typical gearing ratios.
Look at two types of cars you will see at the drag strip. Big blocks with lots of low end torque. They hook and fly with the right gearing and traction. High end cars like small displacemt imports dont accelerate hard off the line due to weight transfer and low end torque. They make up for it further down the track with their HP.
Look at two types of cars you will see at the drag strip. Big blocks with lots of low end torque. They hook and fly with the right gearing and traction. High end cars like small displacemt imports dont accelerate hard off the line due to weight transfer and low end torque. They make up for it further down the track with their HP.
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 339
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Any worth posting a link to?
I would think that proving the 100 mpg wouldn't be a big problem without revealing his secrets.
Then again there would always be skeptics. He would have to have a measured amount of gas in a metered reservoir placed in his gas line. Inorder to do that he would have to raise the hood. But he isn't going to do that without a patent. In the meantime he could make a lot of money selling the idea under the table.
I would think that proving the 100 mpg wouldn't be a big problem without revealing his secrets.
Then again there would always be skeptics. He would have to have a measured amount of gas in a metered reservoir placed in his gas line. Inorder to do that he would have to raise the hood. But he isn't going to do that without a patent. In the meantime he could make a lot of money selling the idea under the table.
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 983
From: Motor City
You could strip out a notchback to like 2700 lbs, install an LS3, T56, and 2.73 gears and prob get close to 40mpg. Then add lil stuff such as regenerative braking, hard skinny tires and maybe an electric drive unit to the front wheels for city driving and do it
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 983
From: Motor City
Since it's running on E85, every gallon consumed is only .15 gallon of gasoline. That means it burns 6.67 gallons of E85 in order to actually burn an entire gallon of pure gasoline.
Let's say the car does indeed get 110 miles per gallon of gasoline. That means it gets 110 miles per 6.67 gallons of E85. This equates to 16.5 miles per gallon of E85 burned.
Finally, don't forget that "flex fuel" cars (those that can run on E85 and E0) will see about 30% worse economy when running on E85 compared to running on E0. So if this guy's car sees 16.5 miles per gallon of E85, that would equate to about 23.5 miles per gallon of straight gasoline were he to switch over.
From what I've seen, 23.5 mpg is completely plausible for a 400 HP 5.0L Mustang while cruising in 5th gear at legal speeds.
Let's say the car does indeed get 110 miles per gallon of gasoline. That means it gets 110 miles per 6.67 gallons of E85. This equates to 16.5 miles per gallon of E85 burned.
Finally, don't forget that "flex fuel" cars (those that can run on E85 and E0) will see about 30% worse economy when running on E85 compared to running on E0. So if this guy's car sees 16.5 miles per gallon of E85, that would equate to about 23.5 miles per gallon of straight gasoline were he to switch over.
From what I've seen, 23.5 mpg is completely plausible for a 400 HP 5.0L Mustang while cruising in 5th gear at legal speeds.
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From: Oakland, California
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From: Tucson, AZ
