What is the optimal HP/TQ ratio for a street car? What I'm asking is, it better to have more TQ than HP, more HP than TQ or equal HP/TQ at certian RPM? This question is geared towards a street car that does drag pulls at the strip every now and then.

 

It's best for every car, regardless of application, to make equal torque and HP at 5252 RPM.

 

I've heard that before somewhere now that you tell me...

So even for circle track cars and cars that run the silver state race?

 

Uh, actually, the equations that calculate the HP are based on the TQ values.

Plus, those equations FORCE the TQ and HP to ALWAYS be the same at just over 5200 RPM. All motors have equal HP and TQ there.

IMO, on the street - TQ is King!!!!!

 

HP = TQ * RPM / 5252

It's not just a good idea, it's the law.

 

IIRC, math and physics says that HP and TQ are going to be equal at 5252RPM no matter what engine it is.

For a street car, you want as flat of a torque curve as possible. Torque isn't everything though, you still need HP. Torque is what gets you going, horsepower is how fast that torque accelerates you.

Someone on here had a quote about torque being how far through the tree you go, but horsepower is how fast you hit the tree, or something to those lines..

 

i've heard Torque is the work that can be done, Horse power is how fast the work can be done

 

That's another way of wording what I was trying to say. Exactly.

 

A car with more torque will accelerate over a given distance in less time.

A car with more HP will require less distance to reach a given speed.