Quote:
Originally Posted by UniversalPass Pete
Wrong! The weight and gearing of a car is as important, if not more so that raw HP! I have seen a 500hp car kill an 800hp car based on weight alone. Although in this case it was kind of obvious who was going to win!  |
Math of HP to weight requires a pretty big shift to get a difference. If you take two similar cars side by side (say bone stock mustang GTs) and add 200 pounds to one and not the other, you might see a couple of tenths in a quarter mile run.
Consider that the two cars in question are both relatively porky, withthe Bugatti weighing in at over 4100 pounds, and the Merc rough number of about 3300 pounds. Less than a third more weight, more than a third more horsepower. Both cars are geared to generate high autobahn style speeds.
The Bugatti benefits greatly during acceleration by having all wheel drive, which means that the theoretical limit of tire grip is much higher without spinning the wheels, which leads directly to more horsepower being put the game from the get go.
It really isn't a surprise in the slightest. 25% more weight, 55% more horsepower, and nearly twice the available traction. Did I miss anything?
