Of the hundreds of common car models on the roadways at any given time, it’s likely that few share exactly the same horsepower and torque measurements because there’s just so much variability in how each car is made. The purpose of the particular vehicle plays a big role in how many horses and how much torque it sports. For example, your average sedan needs to be able to go highway speeds and under but isn’t likely to be pressed to the limit on a racetrack anytime soon. Muscle cars, like the Chevrolet Camaro, are fine for road driving and can go really fast when little maneuvering is involved because they lack the braking and handling bells and whistles, making them less than ideal for speeds that involve curves.
Indeed, for all the pandering automakers do to buyers in commercials, the everyday driver doesn’t need as much horsepower or torque as someone with the last name Earnhardt or Waltrip. Despite this, flip through the pages of almost any automotive publication and you will see horsepower and torque listed for each vehicle. But how much do you know about these measurements? Channel your inner motorhead, and see if you can ace this quiz.
What is horsepower?
work done over time
Horsepower is defined as work done over time. One horsepower is measured specifically as 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute.
What was the horsepower of the first gasoline automobile, the Benz Patent Motorcar?
0.5 horsepower (373 watts)
0.75 horsepower
The one-cylinder engine of the first gasoline automobile, the Benz Patent Motorcar, generated 0.75 horsepower. The Benz automobile was patented by Carl Benz in 1886.
True or false: Horsepower is calculated by using torque.
true
The horsepower of an engine is calculated by using torque. To find horsepower, torque (pound-feet) is multiplied by speed (revolutions per minute) and divided by the constant 5,252.
What device is used to measure the horsepower of an automobile?
speedometer
dynamometer
A dynamometer is used to measure the horsepower of an automobile. The drive wheels of a vehicle are placed on spinning rollers that apply a load to the drivetrain while the torque is measured at various engine rpm speeds. The data is converted to horsepower.
How much torque does the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse produce?
706 pound-feet (957 Newton meters)
906 pound-feet
1,106 pound-feet
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse produces 1,106 pound-feet of torque. The Veyron has one of the highest torque ratings of all production cars.
Brake horsepower measures the engine output without the drivetrain. Brake refers to a horsepower measuring device called the Prony brake that was Gaspard de Prony invented in the early 1900s.
Which part of a vehicle is used for measuring brake horsepower?
the axle
the engine's flywheel
The flywheel is a heavy disc attached to the engine's crankshaft. It is designed to smooth gaps in the engine's delivery of power by storing and periodically releasing excess energy.
Which race car driver and former Indy 500 winner once said, "If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower"?