Quote:
Originally Posted by theDreamer
Question about HP loss for a rear wheel drive car.
~Is there a way to limit this loss with part upgrades, I know adding a new exhaust, intake, etc. will increase your WHP but can you decrease the overall loss in general on a rear wheel drive car?
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When you're thinking of improving performance, a motor is simple - its a lung. Help it breathe faster (or breathe more air in), and it'll perform better. Whats the point of being able to exhale very well if you cant inhale as efficiently, and vice versa? A well-built car will be able to do both, in the proper proportions. Dont always assume that slapping any intake on a car will increase performance, though - manufacturers claims can differ from real life, greatly.
Now that you understand how to actually improve your base performance, we'll go into recovering lost power.
Lowering unsprung weight is one way to recover "lost' horsepower. Replacing a steel driveshaft with a carbon fiber one, for instance. Replacing ridiculously heavy, shitty wheels with lightweight, performance wheels (hence why many of the performance-minded guys laugh at people wanting to get 20's or bigger that weigh more than stock wheels - you're LOSING performance, really!) will recover some power. Aside from that, you're probably talking upgrades that many simply wont do, like a locker rear differential that allows no slip.
BTW, its worthy to note that, after unsprung weight, recovering horsepower due to parasitic losses becomes very difficult.