What is bhp in cars mean

The metric equivalent of a single horsepower, referred to as 1 PS, equals 4, kilogram-metres per minute, which rounds to 32, foot-pounds per minute, or 0. The horsepower rating of an engine is usually measured on a dynamometer, which is a form of mechanical brake used to apply variable loads to a running engine so that torque and power may be calculated at different engine revs — hence brake horsepower which is always quoted at a given RPM.

UK laws explained. Only engineers tend to talk about indicated horsepower, and then just amongst themselves. However, it is worth noting, that depending on who you speak to, wheel horsepower and BHP are often used interchangeably — again adding to the confusion. Brand loyalty evaporates as car demand hits all-time high.

Average speed cameras: how do they work? Tips and advice 23 Jul Best cars. Top 10 best car interiors Best cars 25 Jun Top 10 best electric cars Best cars 20 Oct Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars Best cars 10 Jun The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks.

Hot hatches 27 Oct Another common engine measurement to see is PS. This stands for the German word Pferdstarke which when translated means horse strength. This was an attempt at making hp metric. In this measurement 1 PS is the equivalent of Even though bhp is the most widely recognised measurement of engine power, in the European Union selected kilowatts kW as the official measure.

However, this tends to be a smaller number so many manufacturers stick to using bhp. For instance, the engine power of an Aston Martin DB9 can be expressed as bhp or kW … the bhp figure sounds much more impressive, but both represent the same amount of power. So, for hp, bhp, ps or kw the bigger the number, the more the power and so the higher the top speed.

Another force that is often quoted alongside bhp, or whichever measurement is used is torque. Torque is measured in either pound feet lb-f t or the metric Newton Metres Nm. It measures the amount of force that is required to twist an object. In terms of vehicles, it is the amount of twisting force available at the crankshaft.

The more torque you have the more pulling power the engine has, this is the force you feel when accelerating.