engine power

[guym]

Whats with each new module has to produce more power. The old focus produced 86 or 96kw depending on model and the new one produces 107kw. Then I read an article that says the new commodore will increase power from 190kw to nearly 200kw. Why, is the current car not powerful enough, can it not drive at the legal spead limit or over it already. Why more power more power. Why not say well the car in powerful enough lets still improve it but make it more efficient or more reliable or something other than more power.

Now that I have had my rant I will watch for all the petrol heads come out and abuse me for questioning this.

[THORNSPAWN]

More power is a byproduct of making an engine more efficient. If you want to keep the same power in a more efficient design they'd have to reduce the capacity. Turbo's were designed to increase efficiency.

[XRchic]

Evolution. If human beings didnt strive to improve things (medicine, cars (power, economy etc), computers) which affect their lives, we would still be driving the cars of the 1950s or so... Would you really like to drive a car with 15rwkw and which used as much fuel as a large truck??? Do we want to be driving the same stagnated car in 30 years? Or do we want development?

I am sure you will find that with the engine developments which brought about more power, came improved fuel efficiency and safety and reliability. All of those things are usually linked together when it comes to development of a car... large car companies rarely focus on developing power gains alone, rather the development of the car as a whole. I would think that in particular, fuel efficiency and power development would go hand in hand.

I certainly wouldnt want to drive my 170rwkw car if it did not have the fuel economy and safety to match.

One other thing to consider (Im assuming you have never studied economics and the concept of supply and demand and market forces) is the buying public. Most Ford and Holden etc purchasers are looking for more power in the next model. The market place determines this, as a rule. If people want it, the market will supply it and thus provide the basis of such an industry.

If there wasnt more power in each model, then a lot of people might not like to upgrade to the next one. It is part of the decision for people who like powerful cars, who like to race them etc. With Ford and Holden its about the competetion between the brands as well, for many buyers. This competition has provided the impetus for much of the car manufacturing industry in this country, and the basis of the competition is speed/power comparisons to a large degree.

Power does not have much to do with speed limits. People generally would like more power due to the increased acceleration and torque that it produces, rather than outright speed. Top speed of a car is not a prime consideration for many.

If each new model did not produce more or enough power, then people will mod it in the aftermarket to create it anyway, as I have.

I want more power so I can a) improve my ETs, b) flog Holdens at the lights c) brag value.

If that is not someone's interest, then they can refuse to take advantage of the evolution of the car, go to www.grannycars.com and buy a 30 year old Datto and then drive at 59 kmh (max speed while using the same amount of fuel at a BA Falcon) to your weekly knitting club.

Hope this explains it.

Jac

[Bossxr8]

New models usually get heavier and need more power to move them, but as mentioned earlier to increase fuel economy you must improve efficiency of the fuel burn, and making that more efficient means the engine will make more power when pushed. New technology also allows this freedom, because if its possible to improve power as well as fuel efficiency then why not?

[TotalDriver]

I honestly think most of it is motivated by competition.

The car manufacturers always have to outdo each other, that's how they work.

Also, better figures produce better sales. It's the Aussie way, we all want more grunt - hell I've spent thousands over my driving career trying to get that extra hp.

They know that's how we think, so they play on it.

Cheers,

[MO]

Why more power.....so that you can pass the roadtrains in the N.T.,which are also getting more powerfull.

Power and instant power is everything.....grow up.

[outback_ute]

Originally Posted by XRchic

If that is not someone's interest, then they can refuse to take advantage of the evolution of the car, go to www.grannycars.com and buy a 30 year old Datto and then drive at 59 kmh (max speed while using the same amount of fuel at a BA Falcon) to your weekly knitting club.

The website is not working, try below I think I fixed the link
:
www.grannycars.com

[XRchic]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

The website is not working, try below I think I fixed the link
:
www.grannycars.com

Hahaha, yep! :hihi:

[Martyvan]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

The website is not working, try below I think I fixed the link
:
www.grannycars.com

Gold

[banarcus]

You do seem to be very very against more power and large capacity engines mate. Are you on a crusade against traditional Australian motor vehicles?

[djjase]

You hit the nail on the head. If they made cars lighter, they wouldnt need such big engines to make the power needed to make them go. What I want to know is why are modern cars heavier than the older ones of the 70's ? I thought plastic was lighter than metal. Where is all the technology gone into cars ? airbags and computers ? My BA weighs more than my all metal XA does. Trust me, my XA is faster, stops better and doesnt get a dent when i lean on the front guard. It is no wonder rego is still based on the weight of them well in NSW/ACT anyway.

[turboute]

As for cars engine power always going up:
Corrolla - 93kW down from 100
Commodore - 173kW down from 175 (190kW version lost 3-5Nm of torque)

There are a few others too, due to new emissions standards coming in and manufacturers having to detune cars to meet them.

The other thing to notice is that as cars get bigger smaller models tend to slot in under them.
I would take a guess that most of the weight in new cars is in the interior - things like sound deadening/ heavy seats etc would account for alot - IRS also involves a lot more metal than the old setups..

[XRchic]

The technology has probably made cars heavier. Now we have things like climate control, big soft seats with suppor that older cars never had, air conditioning, power steering, IRS (couple of hundred kilos?), often body kits and much bigger wheels (these days 17s are generally considered standard or small), bigger, heavier engines, even things like sound systems with bigger speakers and subbies and amps (old cars usually only had front door mounted speakers which were tiny), we probably have bigger, heavier springs and shocks, bigger gearboxes and heavier autos and even the brakes these days would be bigger and heavier. Of course there are airbags. And I think even the window safety glass is heavier than it used to be on account of it being harder to smash.

I guess you can go back to older, lighter cars but you might find you have less safety features (brakes, tyres, suspension all lesser and with no airbags), you might find poorer handling, you might find less comfort on the inside (no air con, no sound, no gadgets), and it might be a lot harder to drive (no power steering, big clunky gearbox, pizza cutter wheels)... and for all of that, it will probably still use more fuel than today's heavier cars and go slower...

But hey, lighter and less power must be better, right?

Hmmmmm.

[Ghiadude]

for every kilo of weight added to a car you have to add heavier brakes and suspension to keep it all on the road. and so begins the death spiral.