Re: weight vs hp

[AUDIDUDI@delphi.com]

>   Trimming weight gives minimal gains on a street car, and I'll argue the
> costs are extremely high vs the hp costs available for these cars....  And
> trimming weight comes only when the marginal utility of the next Nth hp
> becomes more expensive than the weight loss costs....  I'm pushing 350hp
> now and the MU is not close enough to even look at weight yet.......

We're talking horses for courses, I guess ... I've lost count of the number
of times I've beaten cars with superior power-to-weight ratios on the track
or autocross course.  And my 5000 doesn't have the benefit of either AWD, a
turbo or a manual transmission!

For the fun of it, let's change the focus of this argument: I'll bet that if
I spent as much on my car tweaking the suspension and/or reducing its weight
as you have pumping-up the output of your engine, I will lap any road course
you propose (excepting perhaps Watkins Glen or Road America, with their long
straights!) quicker than you will with your 350hp quattro and OEM wheels and
suspension.

I realize we're not really talking about street cars anymore but my point is
while improving the power-to-weight ratio from the power side will certainly
improve straight-line acceleration, it won't do much for either cornering or
handling.  But when you improve upon this from the weight side, you gain the
same degree of improvement in acceleration as you would from a proportionate
increase in power (and shouldn't we really be talking about torque-to-weight
ratios instead of horsepower?) and a significant improvement in both braking
and cornering performance to boot!  While this may be irrelavent for driving
on the street, some would suggest that improvements in acceleration are also
irrelevant (of course, those people probably drive a Ford Taurasoarus rather
than fine German cars like us!).

That said, I'm certainly envious of what you've been able accomplish on your
car and I live in fear of the day that you finally decide that it's time for
the weight to start coming off...   :^)


                /| | | |\  |   |\  | | |\  |  AudiDudi@delphi.com
               /-| | | | | | = | | | | | | |  Jeffrey Goggin
              /  | |_| |/  |   |/  |_| |/  |  Scottsdale, Arizona