How much horsepower does Andy's engine make?

Here's a story about what's considered the fastest road car ever, a modified Ariel Atom:

Edmund's Inside Line

The basic facts are 1345 lbs, 375 hp, 1/4 mile in 10.6 seconds. Assuming that Andy's creation weighs between 1900 and 2000 lbs, how much horsepower would that potent V-8 have to make to equal that time (which it did)? My guess is somewhere around 600 hp. The coolest thing is that the Atom costs $85K, and Andy equaled it for 2! Congrats again to the Nelson clan for another outstanding Challenge performance.

Assuming totally equal everything else, to match the power:weight ratio:

375hp/1345lbs = Xhp/2000lbs

X=557.6

Things like rolling resistance and aerodynamics would adjust that number slightly.

I would bet the number is closer to 400. Andy's secrets are also in the transmission and the launch....not the HP.

Pat's shadow actually had a higher trap speed.

Doesn't Ariel themselves make a faster car than that? The Atom 500. 2.4 litre 10,000 rpm V8. It has over 500bhp and only weighs slightly more than the Honda powered one. I don't know the 1/4 mile times, but the site says sub-3 second 0-60

http://www.arielatom.com/specs/atom-500-v8

Per Schroeder wrote: I would bet the number is closer to 400. Andy's secrets are also in the transmission and the launch....not the HP. Pat's shadow actually had a higher trap speed.

Beat me to it. Something i've always noticed about his cars. The trap looks "low," then you realize that, no, he's just doing it "right."

Me, i do it "wrong."

Per Schroeder wrote: I would bet the number is closer to 400. Andy's secrets are also in the transmission and the launch....not the HP. Pat's shadow actually had a higher trap speed.

You can't leave gear ratio out of the equation either. Andy's cars are specifically geared for the 1/4, I'm guessing an Atom isn't.

I think the Caterham Levante should be faster yet. Same engine specs as the Atom, but 50 years of race breeding to go with it.

how about dennis palatov's Atom? I bet THAT is faster!

very nice ,, but you would need 2 cars for yourself.

not exactly a daily driver in Minn. winters !!

then you lose the Grassroots idea.

Andy and Family on the News

I think he claims 417hp for his Stude in that video. I'm guessing his challenge cars are similar.

"413.6 at the rear wheels"

Pat's shadow actually had a higher trap speed.

(carson) I did not know that (carson)

IIRC, Andy told me his car weighed about 2300 with him in it. He probably was in the low 400's, but I'm sure he had a nice broad torque curve which helps a car ET much better than peak power and ET's win races.

I truly enjoy asking Andy what his estimates are. His idea of vague is any number that doesn't have a decimal point

When it was in the 260Z and I asked him about how much power it was making, he replied:

“I would expect it to make 453 horsepower at the rear wheels based on calculations from the miles per hour in the quarter mile."

Oh, and the story on that car ran in the August 2007 issue. Run to your shelves!

405RWHP was scary at first in my car which weighed twice as much. At around 1500lb, that is ridiculous.

"Andy told me his car weighed about 2300 with him in it." Wow, a 2,000 lb. car, great build!

fastclown wrote: "Andy told me his car weighed about 2300 with him in it." Wow, a 2,000 lb. car, great build!

No, you ve got that wrong.

"He probably was in the low 400's"

The car would be around 1900lbs by those numbers.

Did anyone else notice the ladder bars under that beautiful creation of his? Like 93celicaGT2 said "he's doing it right." His car hooks, and has all the torque it needs to move 2300lbs. Ever see he 10.5 tire Mustang guys launch? Those guys seem to know what it takes to hook up off the launch.