I was just wandering if someone can explain what the difference is and why there's a difference between hp at the flywheel and hp at the wheels? Also, I've seen car reviews from the British and they speak of "brake hp". Is this the same as whp?

 

HP measured from teh flywheel is pratically HP produced from that engine, but HP measured at the wheels is actualyl what ur getting out of ur car... the difference in the numbers is because after the power travels all the way to the wheels, some of the power produced by the engine is lost due to heat/friction at different places.... so thats y there's flywheel HP and WHP.... i might be wrong, if so somone correct me...

 

As RX Rensis said, but to put it another way...In transfering power from one "thing" to another you will always loose power. The engine passes its power to various things along its travel to the wheel, ie the transmission and diff. Each of these loses some power.

Andrew

 

So would it be true to say that the more efficient the car/the better the car, you'll have less loss of power as it transfers to the wheels? Is there a standard % loss from engine to wheels or is there a big difference from one car to the next?

 

if u compare RX8 to RX8, the whp measured can vary a little bit, but not too much... but if u compare one car's loss of power to another different car, that could mean a big difference in loss of power depend what the power goes through.... sometimes u can loose very little or sometimes u can loose alot all depending on the parts( if u get what i'm trying to say)

useing lighten parts such as lighten flywheel or a hollw shaft can give u a quicker response and loose less power...

 

less loss of power is a nicer thing to have but to compensate, just get more flywheel horsepower! Not a question of better/worse, just the way certain cars are made/run. The rule of thumb is 17-25% loss from flywheel to wheels throgh transmission, drive shaft, differential.