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[Carter Shore]

>Horsepower sells engines, but torque is what wins
> races.

What wins races is getting there first. For a given
car weight, that depends on doing the most work in the
shortest time. Horsepower is a measure of work at a
given RPM. So the area under the horsepower curve for
the RPM ranges involved is a better measure of
performance. The SR20 has a fat curve, thus does more
work, and wins races.

This could certainly be expressed in traditional
engineering terms ( ergs from 4000-6000 RPM ?), but
what we really need is a good shorthand name to call
it, how about "cubic horsepower" ?

So a motor with a perfectly flat curve at 140 HP from
4000-6000 RPM could be rated at "280K cubic HP"

Yes, of course gear ratios, aero forces, etc all have
influence, but as long as we're bench racing, why not?

Carter Shore