Ofcourse I know it's because of previous lawsuits & stuff, but why can't Ford put the Mustang on a dynopeg and give out the correct numbers? The Ford GT is STILL underrated. I mean, come on!

 

You need to back up your.. whatever... with some reasoning.
I would rather have an underrated car than an overrated one.
Besides, 300 hp sounds better than 304.284754 :-P

 

you got a point there

 

Obviously for insurance reasons you would want to keep the numbers down.

I am surprised insurance companies don't dyno sportscars to get the true rating... better they don't, they charge enough as it is.

 

I would imagine that it has to do with variables. Since no two cars are exactly the same. If you underrate them. And one car has 300hp one car has 305hp and one gets 307hp. Technically you got them all right. Since you only rated them at 300hp.

 

Definately under rate it. After I dyno it before making modifications I'd be upset if it was under 300

 

Far better to underpromise and overdeliver rather than the other way around, ala 1999 Cobras.

 

why complain about an underrated engine? isnt the best thing about buying a car is getting the factory freak that has 15hp more than stock for some reason? by underrating all of them, they all are factor freaks haha

 

Is that possible?? That there could be a difference from car to car, like one car has 303 and the other has 307 hp?

We should probably ask a scientist

 

yes. if one builder gets lucky and builds a better balanced engine than another engine it will put out more hp. unless they start to blue print and balance engines from the factory, there will always be a hp difference from car to car.

 

Ever hear of manufacturing tolerances? Although parts are interchangable, no 2 parts are truely identical. Everything has to be manufactured within a specified tolerance, but there always is variation.


On top of that, horsepower can vary quite a bit given the ambient air temperature, altitude, humidity, barometric pressure, the engine coolant temperature, the tank of gasoline, oil in the engine, etc. etc. etc. If you were to more "accurately" rate the HP #, say 309.4 HP, Ford would then have to add a disclaimer that gave all the exact test parameters to get that #. There is also variation from one dyno to the next and even one dyno run to the next with the same . There is NO such thing as an absolute measurement, there is ALWAYS measurement error and uncertainty.


The safe thing to do it under rate it. If Ford said it was 309 HP and some joker pulled his engine and measured 308.8 HP on a dyno, he'd be screaming bloody murder and get everyone on the internet all upset. The next thing you'd know some lawyers would be involved and there'd be a class action law suit filed. :notnice:


Why complain? You're going to get more that you paid for. You're the first person I've run into that appears to be dissappointed to be getting more thay you're paying for.

 

It wasn't really meant as a complain, more as a question.

I'll cope.

 

Just as an example of two "identical" machines performing differently. I purchased two motocross bikes both brand new and both the same model. These are mass produced motorcycles. With absolutely no tweaking or mods of any kind the two bikes ran very differently from each other. They even sounded different from each other. Don't know how to explain it other than what others in this thread have already said. I'm sure cars do the same thing.

 

What, in your opinion, is the best indicator that you have a rockin' motor, with well over 300hp, vs one that is just within tolerances?

Smoothness as soon as you get it? Sound? Do you have to wait until after the breakin period to tell if you have a really cherry motor?

 

Test drive 5 cars. Pick the one that rings your butt dyno the hardest.

 

lol your butt cant tell

 

You can never have too much horsepower that your insurance company doesnt know about

 

its about whether the car was made on monday, wensday,or friday
i dont want a car built by some one whose tired and has a hangover from a sunday barbaque or some one who is rushing trying to get home as soon as he/she can on a friday

 

Well said!

 

Can you put a supercharger in it without them taking notice? - A quiet one - :P