yah im a newb to cars so sue me lol. but yah i was just wondering whats the difference between automatic and manual if the HP is the same. here's a cituation: lets say there are 2 lancer es's which are at 110 hp. Im using manual transmission and he/she is using automatic. if we raced 1/4 who would win? i mean we both have the same HP, but since im manual i know i would get off the line better and accelerate faster but since we both have the same HP would she/he be right behind me or be equal? ha it may sound kinda confusing, but do you get what i mean? lol. so yah any feedback would help me out, peace.

 

drivetrain loss, and different gearing.

 

If your both producing 110 HP at the crank, the manual driver will win cause he/she will be getting more power to the ground. Plus they can do a better launch and have more control over how high the revs go before the transmission shifts.

 

yea, 120 hp max is what the engine makes. same engine, same hp.

 

The engines meant to make 120, its like 103 at the wheels, so its like a 15% drivetrain lose, about right.

 

they dont wont put down the sma eto the floor, there is more loss with an auto isnt there?

 

bout 5 hp i estimate... cuz i pushed with a stock manual and he barely pulled on me.. then he missed a gear and i flew bbuyl.... to the next light lol...

 

He's correct. Manual can put more power to the ground.

Also, 3rd gear for auto tranny runs out of steam for the engine, because it dips below the peak powerband.

 

Generally speaking you can assume about a 10-12% drivetrain lose on a manual, and about 14-18% on a manual, although obviously that can change depending on car, drivetrain type, etc..

 

I'm a bit hawkish on the drivetrain.

Manual FWD = 15% max
Auto = approx 20%
AWD = 25%.

I never really figured out RWD drivetrain parasitic lost.

 

That seems a little high for AWD, but the general point gets across. Something to consider is also the type of drivetrain, while an AWD will have more parasitic lose, it won't experience wheel hop and wheel spin to the extent that a FWD car will, so you really have to watch out if you race something like a Subaru or Evo. RWD cars can have great launches, as the car actually "squishes" the back tires down, which increases the traction.

 

The difference: on a dyno, traction lost isn't really a big concern, unless putting 13 inch tires on a +500 HP Supra TT. It focuses on peak HP.

On the track, AWD will get under 2.0 sec for the 60' mark much easier than FWD. It focuses less on peak HP, more on traction and effective driving. You can have all the HP in the world, but it won't mean anything burning rubber at the line.

 

Yeah thats the main problem the SRT-4 will have, sure you can get it up to like 400 hp, but you'll just be sitting on the line burning your tires.

 

Don't forget weight. Automatic transmissions typically weigh more.

 

wow bahamut and ambystom01 have this question covered really well.

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