F1technical.net

How much is the HP of that Honda?

I think I read somewhere that the Honda V8 produces about 730 bhp.

On the honda website, its got their V8, the RA806E, as having over 700ps...this is roughly equivalent to about 690hp. Pretty small i reckon considering their v8 got to like over 800hp.

tried to find something on the cosworth but couldnt seem to get any... so ye, cant really compare.

It can have as much horsepower as you want it to have acer, cos they're never going to tell you how much it has!

I think Cosworth only mention there horsepower ratings because they want to be known as the best engine manufactuer in F1, I tend to think it is a marketing ploy to see if they can attract new customers. The other teams rarely mention there exact horsepower, just that it is higher then i.e 650 hp or over 700 hp.

I didnt think anyone mentioed power figures. The only power figure's I've ever come across are "estimates" based on acoustic analysis of the cars in winter testing.

Spencifer_Murphy wrote:I didnt think anyone mentioed power figures. The only power figure's I've ever come across are "estimates" based on acoustic analysis of the cars in winter testing.

Just a follow-up question. How, exactly, does one figure out the HP rating of an engine based on a sound it produces. I've heard some things on this subject, but nobody gave a clear explanation of how it is done. Any ideas?

f1.redbaron wrote:Just a follow-up question. How, exactly, does one figure out the HP rating of an engine based on a sound it produces. I've heard some things on this subject, but nobody gave a clear explanation of how it is done. Any ideas?

Obviously, technicians sit at the side of the track and with accurate sound recorders, record the sounds of the cars passing by. These sounds are analysed in the lab. Of course, RPM can be determined, that's a simple matter of counting. But the power levels are guessed at by analysis of the resonance. I know it's not an exact science yet, and I'm definitely not a sound expert. But this was mentioned in a past article of race tech magazine.
I'm sure that video analysis can also determine the car's acceleration, based in bit by bit analysis of each centimeter the car moves. It would take a lot of people and hard work, but with triangulation based on cameras and careful surveying, a lot of data can be learned.

Also fuel is heavily regulated these days, as well as the cylinder bore. This means you can more or less estimate the BMEP and hence torque of the engine. Add RPM/speed data from the trackside and you'll come up with the approximate power figure.