PP

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thiartc

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Hi guys.

Am i correct by saying Power Points and just actually a power to weight ratio calculation? So 2 different cars with 550 PP should do exactly the same speed over a 1km drag race?

I know there are other factors not included in PP like aerodynamics and handling but if you took the new Toyota (550PP) and a totally maxed (for example) Focus ST (550 PP) they should do the exact same time and have the same top speed at the end of the run?

Thanks

P.S. Like i said, ignore aerodynamics and handling.
 
thiartc
I know there are other factors not included in PP like aerodynamics and handling but if you took the new Toyota (550PP) and a totally maxed (for example) Focus ST (550 PP) they should do the exact same time and have the same top speed at the end of the run?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily.

Handling is actually catered for in the PP calculations. On some cars if you add full ballast and move it from front to back, as the weight balance changes the PP also changes, and this is of course affected by handling.

Plus, different drivetrains of the two you mentioned play an important factor.

I don't know a lot about this, I'm no drag racer, but I know for a fact that different cars at the same PP levels are never equal, track or drag or drift.
 
thiartc
Then a fully tuned Focus ST should beat a Toyota FT1?
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Or might be viceversa :D

If both cars got PP550 as you said ,that doesn't mean they got same acceleration ,handling ,aerodynamics ,top speed .... It just mean that they are somehow equal when racing on some ideal track that suits both cars. If one got better handling it will do better on some short track with lots of turns ,but if other got better end speed it will rule tracks with lots of straights. Then you need to take in account also other factors like good setup. PP is not absolute measure , it just tells you approximate information where car stands related to some other car.
 
thiartc
Hi guys.

Am i correct by saying Power Points and just actually a power to weight ratio calculation?
So 2 different cars with 550 PP should do exactly the same speed over a 1km drag race?
Click to expand...

No, you would be very wrong. PP stands for Perfomance Points and is based on many other things than P/W ratio.
Even if it were a P/W ratio the results would be different.

Equal P/W ratio does not mean equal acceleration/top speed.
Weight, or rather mass, has little effect on top speed.
Peak power does not determines how fast a car will go down the quarter mile.

There are other critical factors at play here; gear ratios, powerband, traction, shift times etc.
 
I'm comparing cars of the same PP on Brands Hatch and I can say there are relatively big differences among some. Differences between lap times of some cars are as big as 5 seconds.
 
PP is great, but very limited and shouldn't be viewed as the complete guide to performance. Putting SH tyres instead of CS on allowed my standard NSX to lap Silverstone GP circuit in 10 sec less in the first couple of laps after lapping for about an hour on the CS, but didn't change the PP.
 
IMHO, I just completely ignore the PP rating. I think it's badly calculated and badly managed. I usually just drive a car on the Nurb, and just rate it myself.
 
Handling and aero are clearly included in PP. Add a flat floor (aero) and watch your car gain 20pp or so. How the calculate handling is anyone's guess. My guess-they figure in the COF, COG, and have a set factor for each drivetrain layout.

It's not just power to weight, although that's a big part of the equation. Argument's sake, a 500PP AWD Mitsu Evo with AYC has noticeably less power and straight line speed than something like a 500PP RR Ruf RGT, but makes up for it in cornering ability and stability. Go around a fast course, and the RGT pulls away. Take on something technical, the Evo can pull away. They're damn close performance wise, considering how drastically different the two cars are.

Tuning and settings have no effect (unless weight or power is changed). LSD, suspension, transmission, nos, brake, and aero tuning make no difference. Adding/removing aero does, depending on the vehicle/part.

Carbon driveshaft, clutch/flywheel upgrades, have no effect although they theoretically lower lap times. Tires are the same thing.


Depending on the car and track, something as simple as tuning the transmission can knock a few seconds off of a laptime. In my experience, it's the single biggest and easiest change. Zujca, I'd bet that the drastically different ratios, number of gears, and top speeds of those cars had more of an effect on laptime than the PP. Set the vehicles with the same ratios and see what happens.
 

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