More power. With less.
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Knebworth, Herts
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More power. With less.
I have a question after reading about lightened pulleys:
Let's say you took your average impreza, with standard spec.
Then removed all unnecessary weight, swapped every part you could for magnesium/titanium/forged/fancymetalium in order to save weight and increase efficiency. I mean everything, suspension, brakes, wheels, the lot.
Having left out the power mods and just focused on the rest, would you end up with a quick car? I like the idea, but think costs would be prohibitive, so this is purely for discussion really
In theory, it would be completely reliable as its running standard power with better internals. Much quicker due to weight reduction and also far more economic.
Let's say you took your average impreza, with standard spec.
Then removed all unnecessary weight, swapped every part you could for magnesium/titanium/forged/fancymetalium in order to save weight and increase efficiency. I mean everything, suspension, brakes, wheels, the lot.
Having left out the power mods and just focused on the rest, would you end up with a quick car? I like the idea, but think costs would be prohibitive, so this is purely for discussion really
In theory, it would be completely reliable as its running standard power with better internals. Much quicker due to weight reduction and also far more economic.
Last edited by Jazzy Jefferson; 11 February 2014 at 08:54 AM.
#3
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Knebworth, Herts
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, what if you had lightweight pulleys/pistons/valves and whatever else makes an engine work... I get the power to weight, but due to requiring less effort, would one see the engine behave differently, or better?
#4
Does reducing weight make your car faster? Yes. Of course it does - basic physics. There are several other advantages to having a lighter car in terms of handling, braking and so on - but I'm not sure it'd be possible to replace the internals for lighter components without increasing the power output, unless you had a restrictive map put on the car... which would be a pretty pointless way to spend a lot of money.
#5
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Knebworth, Herts
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Does reducing weight make your car faster? Yes. Of course it does - basic physics. There are several other advantages to having a lighter car in terms of handling, braking and so on - but I'm not sure it'd be possible to replace the internals for lighter components without increasing the power output, unless you had a restrictive map put on the car... which would be a pretty pointless way to spend a lot of money.
I'm not sure I know how to word what I mean...
Last edited by Jazzy Jefferson; 11 February 2014 at 09:15 AM.
#6
I think I see what you're getting at - a 200BHP engine from a 2000kg car would still make 200BHP in a 1500kg car, but it wouldn't have to work as hard to achieve it so would be running more efficiently. The car would be faster due to the reduced weight.
#7
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Knebworth, Herts
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lets focus just on the engine. If I take a 200bhp engine, fit lightened parts (lighter, but same spec, so not designed to increase power, just be a lighter version of the OEM part)
Does it remain at 200bhp? I am assuming so, as I am not adding anything. Just saving weight and increasing efficiency.
Trending Topics
#8
How much can be saved has been detailed by owners in the past, such as below (taken from another forum):
http://www.iwsti.com/forums/gd-membe...bs-2598-a.html
Saving weight makes the car so much more responsive and allows the revs to build more quickly - I notice a huge difference between having my mate (100kgs) and not in the car. 100kgs is the sort of weight saving Ferrari and Porsche achieve in their special edition lightweight vehicles!
http://www.iwsti.com/forums/gd-membe...bs-2598-a.html
Saving weight makes the car so much more responsive and allows the revs to build more quickly - I notice a huge difference between having my mate (100kgs) and not in the car. 100kgs is the sort of weight saving Ferrari and Porsche achieve in their special edition lightweight vehicles!
#10
Thanks mate you are right of course.
Lets focus just on the engine. If I take a 200bhp engine, fit lightened parts (lighter, but same spec, so not designed to increase power, just be a lighter version of the OEM part)
Does it remain at 200bhp? I am assuming so, as I am not adding anything. Just saving weight and increasing efficiency.
Lets focus just on the engine. If I take a 200bhp engine, fit lightened parts (lighter, but same spec, so not designed to increase power, just be a lighter version of the OEM part)
Does it remain at 200bhp? I am assuming so, as I am not adding anything. Just saving weight and increasing efficiency.
#11
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Carlisle
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is so true. I remember when I first got my car I took my mate out in it full of gusto about how quick it accelerated... Suddenly it felt increadibly slow with him in it compared to not having him in!
#12
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Knebworth, Herts
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Stock internals on engine of 200bhp vs upgraded internals on engine of 200bhp. Surely the latter leads to a faster car? Same power output. Better efficiency. faster.
Last edited by Jazzy Jefferson; 11 February 2014 at 10:06 AM.
#14
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Knebworth, Herts
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes. My wording may be terrible, but It's not vehicle weight that I'm questioning.
I understand lighter vehicles can be faster. I'm not that retarded
Can engine output be increased via saving weight on components and improving engine efficiency. Ie, if it has to work less, surely it can use the power "saved" to propel the car.
I understand lighter vehicles can be faster. I'm not that retarded
Can engine output be increased via saving weight on components and improving engine efficiency. Ie, if it has to work less, surely it can use the power "saved" to propel the car.
#15
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Carlisle
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Would that then be, but on a much smaller scale obviously, similar to the effect of using air con etc. anything that drains fuel economy due to making the engine work harder?
#17
Yes. My wording may be terrible, but It's not vehicle weight that I'm questioning.
I understand lighter vehicles can be faster. I'm not that retarded
Can engine output be increased via saving weight on components and improving engine efficiency. Ie, if it has to work less, surely it can use the power "saved" to propel the car.
I understand lighter vehicles can be faster. I'm not that retarded
Can engine output be increased via saving weight on components and improving engine efficiency. Ie, if it has to work less, surely it can use the power "saved" to propel the car.
Lighter engine components allow the car to rev faster and higher, and there is a correlation between revs and power, however as the revs build there becomes a greater demand on other components and auxiliaries being able to satisfy the engines requirements.
In your example question it would only be the moving parts that would make a difference, having a lighter block/manifold etc etc wouldn't change the output. So you would need lighter cranks and pistons etc, however changing these would only make a minimal difference on performance, and changing the minor moving components such as pulleys for lightweight versions would have almost no impact on their own.
If you changed everything in the engine bay for a lightweight equivalent you may start to get a real difference, but we aren't talking about a big jump in power, maybe an extra 10 or 20 bhp max. Nonetheless there would be an increase in power that would be unavoidable purely because, as you originally thought, the engine is working more efficiently.
However, the cost of gaining this extra power would be significant (read cost more than the car) and completely pointless, having about the same impact as removing the spare wheel and installing light weight seats.
#18
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Knebworth, Herts
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"Sort of" is the answer.
Lighter engine components allow the car to rev faster and higher, and there is a correlation between revs and power, however as the revs build there becomes a greater demand on other components and auxiliaries being able to satisfy the engines requirements.
In your example question it would only be the moving parts that would make a difference, having a lighter block/manifold etc etc wouldn't change the output. So you would need lighter cranks and pistons etc, however changing these would only make a minimal difference on performance, and changing the minor moving components such as pulleys for lightweight versions would have almost no impact on their own.
If you changed everything in the engine bay for a lightweight equivalent you may start to get a real difference, but we aren't talking about a big jump in power, maybe an extra 10 or 20 bhp max. Nonetheless there would be an increase in power that would be unavoidable purely because, as you originally thought, the engine is working more efficiently.
However, the cost of gaining this extra power would be significant (read cost more than the car) and completely pointless, having about the same impact as removing the spare wheel and installing light weight seats.
Lighter engine components allow the car to rev faster and higher, and there is a correlation between revs and power, however as the revs build there becomes a greater demand on other components and auxiliaries being able to satisfy the engines requirements.
In your example question it would only be the moving parts that would make a difference, having a lighter block/manifold etc etc wouldn't change the output. So you would need lighter cranks and pistons etc, however changing these would only make a minimal difference on performance, and changing the minor moving components such as pulleys for lightweight versions would have almost no impact on their own.
If you changed everything in the engine bay for a lightweight equivalent you may start to get a real difference, but we aren't talking about a big jump in power, maybe an extra 10 or 20 bhp max. Nonetheless there would be an increase in power that would be unavoidable purely because, as you originally thought, the engine is working more efficiently.
However, the cost of gaining this extra power would be significant (read cost more than the car) and completely pointless, having about the same impact as removing the spare wheel and installing light weight seats.
10-20bhp gain, sure, that's not a lot, and definitely not worth it from a cost point of view. It'd be a great engine though
#19
Ah. Thanks man. Good reply. That's exactly what I was thinking, lighter cranks and what not. But I had no idea what the end result might be.
10-20bhp gain, sure, that's not a lot, and definitely not worth it from a cost point of view. It'd be a great engine though
10-20bhp gain, sure, that's not a lot, and definitely not worth it from a cost point of view. It'd be a great engine though
I don't know if any one actually makes parts light enough for an Impreza though!
It is essentially along the basis that a lighter engine can rev more quickly and get to peak revs sooner, allowing for more explosions per minute, hence more power.
That is why we see amazing naturally aspirated engines with huge rev limits like on the Ferrari 458 Italia and the old M5 V10.
#20
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (2)
If you want to start saving weight, then start with unsprung weight ie. wheels. I think every 1kg unsprung is worth 4kg of sprung weight. So in theory saving 25kg on a set of wheels would make up for giving a fat mate a lift. Then just tune your engine using upgraded lightweight parts as you go.
What's the idea behind not upgrading the power anyway? Or is it just purely hypothetical? Surely when modifying a car power is normally top of the list. Even if it's just a safe minor power hike to get the most out of your engine.
What's the idea behind not upgrading the power anyway? Or is it just purely hypothetical? Surely when modifying a car power is normally top of the list. Even if it's just a safe minor power hike to get the most out of your engine.
#22
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Knebworth, Herts
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you want to start saving weight, then start with unsprung weight ie. wheels. I think every 1kg unsprung is worth 4kg of sprung weight. So in theory saving 25kg on a set of wheels would make up for giving a fat mate a lift. Then just tune your engine using upgraded lightweight parts as you go.
What's the idea behind not upgrading the power anyway? Or is it just purely hypothetical? Surely when modifying a car power is normally top of the list. Even if it's just a safe minor power hike to get the most out of your engine.
What's the idea behind not upgrading the power anyway? Or is it just purely hypothetical? Surely when modifying a car power is normally top of the list. Even if it's just a safe minor power hike to get the most out of your engine.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
RobJenks
ScoobyNet General
1
09 June 2000 06:06 AM