pHEnomIC

iTrader: (14)

Ok this is advanced but makes me really wonder. Im just making up a fictional car for this question.


Lets say a car has a powerband that maxes out at 4k rpms and produces max hp from 4k to 6k rpms, lets just say the car can easily rev to 7k. Now say 1st and 2nd gear have different ratios.

Would this car accelerate the same rate in 1st and 2nd gear? This is at a consistant speed between gears. Lets say 1st its at 6k rpms and 2nd gear it is at 4k rpms. Would the acceleration rate be the same in both gears since they have the same power or would the gear ratios cause the car to accelerate more in one of the gears?

So basically, does gearing affect acceleration assuming power is the same or does it just affect speed?

P Mack

iTrader: (6)

Yes, gearing affects acceleration. Basically you want to shift at the point where your power has dropped to the point where you accelerate harder in the next gear than you would staying in the current gear. The acceleration you feel in each gear will follow the torque curve but will be proportionally smaller as the gear ratios decrease. If you feel 1.0 g's of peak acceleration in 1st gear at the torque peak, you may feel .75 in second, .5 in third, .33 in 4th, etc.