If two cars have equal weight, what car would be faster, the one with more torque or the one with more horses?

Answer 1

First of all, when talking about an engine, torque IS horsepower and horsepower IS torque. Dynomometers (machines that measure horsepower) measure torque....torque is merely twisting action. This twisting action is measured in foot-pounds in the US. A mathmatical formula is then used to convert that into horsepower. The formula is hp=T (torque) X RPM/5252. For example, if an engine produces 200 ft lbs of torque at 2,000 rpm, 200X2,000/5252=76.2 hp. When you look at a horsepower and torque chart of a particular engine, the torque peak is the point where the engine makes the most horsepower with the fewest rpms. Not the maximum total hp and bear in mind that big torque numbers don't necessarily mean big hp. Compared to the above example, an engine producing 150 ft lbs of torque at 4,000 rpm is producing 114.2 hp. See? Less torque but more hp. Engines refered to as "torquers" or "torquey" make a lot of low rpm horsepower compared to engines that are "revers". The revers usually make high rpm hp at the expense of low rpm hp and vice versa. Hard to have both. A torquer is going to be easier and more pleasant to drive and usually gets better fuel mileage than a comparable sized rever. Torquers work well with 3 speed automatic transmissions but revers work better with 4-5 speed manual trannies because having more gears and slipping the clutch allows you to keep the engine at an rpm more conducive to power production. If you have a loaded truck or pull heavy trailers, youmost certainly want a torquey engine that won't run out of power when the engine rpm's drop while going up a hill. Revers lose hp quickly as the rpm's drop. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Torque is what actually spins the wheels on a car, while horsepower determines the rate at which torque is used. The car with more torque would probably have a faster 0-60 time than the one with horsepower, but the one with more horsepower would probably have higher top-end speed

Answer 3

The car with more torque would be faster off the line from a dead stop, and the one with more horsepower would have a higher top speed (everything else being equal).

Answer 4

Horsepower will give you better top end, if both cars are geared the same. Torque will get you better acceleration off the line.

Answer 5

You have to be more specific,do you mean faster or quicker?