Horsepower rating?

Question

What is a horsepower rating actually telling us? What information can you get from one of thse ratings?

Answer 1

Horsepower ratings are so anti-quited, That is basically a way of comparing a horse hauling coal out of a mine and a car hauling itself and you down the highway. Horsepower is a measurement of work being done over a period of time. Torque, however, is a measurement of actual force the engine puts out. To put it simply, horsepower is how fast the engine can do a certain amount of work, and torque is how much work it can do at a given time. Hope this helps.
-Jeff

Answer 2

A horsepower rating in and of itself is at best a clue and at worst another mystery altogether, first is it flywheel horsepower (usually expressed as "FWP") or is it drive wheel horsepower (expressed as "FWHP" or "RWHP"). Horsepower can be used to estimate performance of a vehicle if the weight and drag coefficent are known.It is also a great marketing tool.But the bottom line is ,"HORSEPOWER IS WHAT WE LIE TO OUR FRIENDS ABOUT- TORQUE WINS RACES !"