# Relationship between hp and acceleration? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relationship-between-hp-and-acceleration/148779 "2003-01-15T17:47:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relationship-between-hp-and-acceleration/148779/1 "2003-01-15T17:47:26Z")
I was looking at Cadillac’s new concept car, the Cadillac Sixteen, which boasts a 1000-hp V16 engine. :drool: Anyway, they don’t give a time for it to accelerate from 0 to 60. How could I figure this out? It’s been a long time since I took physics, so I can’t remember the equations or units of measurement. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relationship-between-hp-and-acceleration/148779/2 "2003-01-15T17:55:19Z")
I don’t believe you can figure it out directly. Gear ratios, torque curves, tire technology, RPM limitations, all sorts of things come together to determine exactly how fast a car can go. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relationship-between-hp-and-acceleration/148779/3 "2003-01-15T17:59:04Z")
Well, how many gears? How much does it weigh? Tire dimensions? Final drive ratio and gear ratios? All these things play huge rolls in acceleration. Chances are, even if it’s a pig, has long conservative gearing and big tires, it’ll accelerate to 60 in under 5 seconds, as some 500-600 HP cars weighing 5000 lbs are getting to 60mph in the 5.5 sec range, and the 1/4 mile at 14-15 ticks. This smells like a 5,000 lb car, with HP numbers that will come down, and will probably get the job done in around 4 secs. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relationship-between-hp-and-acceleration/148779/4 "2003-01-15T19:08:54Z")
You cannot get the answer from the OP. The HP are only for a narrow range of RPM and you would need to know much more. The way you get to know the 0 - 60 acceleration is but doing it. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relationship-between-hp-and-acceleration/148779/5 "2003-01-15T19:28:00Z")
OK, I’ll chalk this up as a learning experience. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relationship-between-hp-and-acceleration/148779/6 "2003-01-15T21:45:31Z")
[http://www.prestage.com/carmath/](http://www.prestage.com/carmath/) This site gives various estimates of acceleration given various inputs such as bhp and weight. One that you can take to the bank: top speed varies directly with aerodynamics but to the 1/3 rd power with horsepower. So, improve aerodynamics by 2% and get a 2% increase in top speed, whereas an 8% increase in horsepower gets you the same 2% increase in top speed. ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/relationship-between-hp-and-acceleration/148779/7 "2003-01-15T22:49:23Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Philster \* All these things play huge rolls in acceleration. QUOTE] Was that an unintended pun or _what_…