[WRC] Arctic Rally 2021

[Rallyper]

Per, power is a value. It is a value made of torque multiplied by engine speed which means power is always a thing of high rews (high relatively to the used restrictor).

If I say I don't believe that there are big differences in power between the cars I mean they have roughly same value of peak power, which means they can all reach about the same top speed if they had the same drag coefficient and were not limited by gearing. That's simple physics.

However what is important the most is the work the engine can deliver over a certain used RPM range (energy delivered). If you know how power curve looks, this work (or delivered energy) is the area of the graph between the RPM-axis (X-axis) and the power curve in the given RPM range (it's really that simple).

Why is torque important? Because power is torque x engine speed, i.e. when RPM is +/- given by the regulations what you can work on is the torque to achieve as flat power curve as possible (because the largest achievable area is square - when power curve is parallel to the RPM-axis). The most difficult part on that is IMHO to keep the engine efficiency over wide range of RPM, hence why the difference isn't usually in the peak power but in the curve shape.

In simple words. If you put the cars on a drag track and shift ideally you will probably have nearly same finish time for all. But now do the same but shift from 3rd directly to 6th gear and you will see the diffrence between the cars.

On fast events the engine use is closer to the ideal drag track while with more and longer turns (especialy with uneven radius) it gets closer to the second scenario because you need to use much wider RPM range than the ideal one.

I hope it's understandable now.

I do understand what you say. It´s theory in its best.

Using power is actually something else. If you have massive torque at 4000rpm is it worth anything at 7000? You were talking about the curve (diagram), yes? I´ve been benching (drag track?) several Opel 2,0 liter NA rally engines and know what a skilled technician can do with Weber carburators, giving me torque very useful going out from junction or gearshifting everywhere. But having that slight diference in power on 6th gear and 7500 - 8000 revs will make the differnece that Sunine talks about not having. (Not old Opel engines at those revs, todays)

Why should teams bather develop engines having a fully good one at present...?