I see now in the market alot of cars which have great performance. I currently have a 00 s2k and the performance is great. The thing i dont understand is for example. the dodge srt-4 has 230hp now and 2xx pounds of tourqe, plus it weights like 300 lbs less than us. Why are we able to out perform it in speed if we have 240hp but only 153lbs of torque. I understand why with the 350 we keep up and the g35 cause of the weight advantage the s has. The integra type r I kind of understand since it has only 200 hp. Is hp that important that the difference in torque doesnt matter. Also my friend got a srt-4 2004 and he wanted to go to a strip. If i would go, do you think i could take him with a good launch.

 

It would probably be tight in the quarter. The S is hard to launch, but he is going to have to spool up his turbo. Plus any wheel spin for him could be a problem with a FWD car. (hard to steer without traction.)

Now, for the hard question. Define "our perform it in speed." If you mean on a road track or auto-x event then the superior handling characteristics of an S2000 will be what allows you to win. If you mean on the drag strip, then see above.

Keep in mind that even HP and Torque are not clear indicators of who will win any race. Gearing is also a big factor. The S2000 is geared at 4.10 final drive and can rev to 9000RPM (at least your's and my cars can.) That means you can keep your car in the power band for a little longer on each shift. I have no idea what the final drive of and SRT-4 is. My guess would be more like 3.23 or 3.42.

 

I kinda guessed the gearing and mabey the 6 speed transmission helps out in those situations too. What is the best gain about the 9k.. In what way does that help us most. What would be the diff if it was 240hp but the max rev was 6k, not 9. Would the performance be the same??

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rikhemi
I kinda guessed the gearing and mabey the 6 speed transmission helps out in those situations too.

 

Basically, having a 9000 rpm rev capability lets Honda gear the final drive lower than other cars while still reaching about the same road speed in each gear (yes, maybe a little more).

In fact, there is a secondary reduction gear with a 1.16 ratio, giving an effective final drive ratio of 1.16x4.1=4.756.

When you multiply engine torque (actually, transmission output torque) by final drive ratio, you get torque at the rear wheels, which is the reason that the S2000 can out-accelerate some cars with more engine torque. Our rear-wheel torque is greater.

 

The S2K and SRT-4 would be a close match-up and would most likely depend on the drivers. You'd think the SRT-4 would be quicker, but I think it loses some performance due to the fact that it is front-wheel drive and it has trouble getting power to the wheels (and keeping it there). Off the line, the torque advantage is definitely in favor of the SRT-4, but our high-end horsepower can make up for that. Our 9K (or 8200) redline makes a big difference compared to a car that redlines at 6200 rpms.

From the numbers I've seen posted, the SRT-4 is slightly faster or about the same as the the S2K. So it's definitely going to be close.

It's an impressive car. I almost considered buying one. But I'd rather stick with Honda, and having a rear-wheel drive car is always better when it comes to a true sports car and handling. And you just can't beat the convertible top!!

 

I assume by "out perform" you mean best 0-60 or quarter mile time.

To first order, it all comes down to hp/weight. This is the single best number for estimating those two performance figures. I could go into the physics, but it has been done to death in this and every other enthusiast forum. For those who still don't get it, well what can I say?

A few other things:
The SRT-4 is actually heavier than the S2000. About 2900 lbs.

Second/third order terms that do come into play. And I'm guessing the rough order:
Driver.
Sample to sample variation.
Shape of the torque curve. The flatter for a given peak, the better.
Which wheels are driving.
Gearing.
Turbo lag.
Tires, track conditions ...

But calc a hp/weight and you can figure a 0-60 that probably fits within the wide range of test #'s you'll see for any given car.

Oh, torque does matter. But more for real world driving than for banzai 0-60 magazine test numbers.