Unless you’re a car buff, you might find yourself clueless when salesmen try to sway you with high horsepower and torque numbers while buying used cars Dubai. Here’s the CarSwitch.com guide on what these mean and why they’re important when shopping for a new or used car in Dubai UAE.
Horsepower
Horsepower isn’t directly related to horses. In layman terms, it’s the time it takes to get work done, and in cars it’s the power its engine can produce. Three basic rules of physics: time, weight and distance play an important role in determining the power of a car. One horsepower is equal to 550 foot-pounds per second, the equivalent of almost 750 watts, which is why the fastest cars have powerful engines which produce higher horsepower.
Torque
Horsepower is the how much work can be delivered in a given time period, whereas torque is how much work an engine needs to function. It is the rotational force responsible for setting the car in motion/accelerate. Cars which pull a lot of weight usually have a higher level of torque and is represented by Nm/Lb-Ft/Kg.m.
How are they related?
Torque is the reason that the car accelerates to a certain or maximum speed whereas horsepower is what can keep the car running at that speed. Maintaining a balance of both is important to optimize the potential of your new or used car in Dubai.
Horsepower vs. torque
So, once we’re clear about the concepts behind these two words that car enthusiasts keep throwing around. We can now discuss what you as a buyer would require more in your car, horsepower or torque.
If you’re a fan of quick, fast-paced cars, higher horsepower is something you will most likely consider. This includes muscle cars, sports cars, fast-paced SUVs etc. such as 2018 Dodge Charger Hellcat with a 707 HP, Porsche 911 Turbo with 580 HP and Levante Trofeo which produces 590HP. Even though, many of these cars may have a high amount of torque as well, less effort is needed to move them forward.
On the other hand, in case Santa’s sleigh breaks down, he would prefer driving a car with more torque as he mostly travels on snow. This means that if you like hitting the UAE dunes every now and then, the best idea would be focus on a car with more torque in order to accelerate the car faster. More torque is more useful on wet, snowy or rugged terrains.
Nevertheless, torque is not limited to a certain type of car only. For example, one of the fastest cars, 2012 Bugatti Veyron pushes out a torque of 1106 ft-lb. The more the torque, the faster your car will reach its maximum speed. Though, it can be argued that torque gets more points for allowing cars to reach top speed and its ability to spin out easily on difficult terrains.
To conclude, the best idea would be to consider both before purchasing used cars Dubai. Coupled with other factors, this know-how might help you make a more informed decision and in case you’re looking to buy, hop on to CarSwitch.com, which has a wide array of new and used cars with different body types!
