Numbers

I've made comments previously about my disdain for automotive performance numbers. That's probably why I don't have a lot of traffic on my blog, most people who would be interested in my statements are looking for figures (which I don't have). I realize that I've written about this topic already, but it hit me again this week how foolish it seems to me to define a car with a series of numbers.

A guy on Focaljet posted up his plans to build an all-motor Zetec (for an Escort) that would put out 210 wheel horsepower. Most people jumped the guy, since 180 HP is generally said to be the upper limit of a naturally aspirated Zetec engine. That's not exactly true, the British have been building insane Zetec engines for years, but for most of us, 180 HP is probably a reasonable limit. Anyhow, the guy continued to by stating that he would be disappointed if he ended up with less than 200 HP and that he's using the same cams that Focus Central used to make 213 HP in "Ketchup"(a claim that's never been verified, and the car/company has since been dismantled).

I think that the automotive community's obsession with numbers stems from the fact that it is predominantly populated by people with very mechanical, systematic thought processes (AKA mechanics and engineers). These people eat and sleep numbers and are always trying to maximize positive attributes and minimize negative attributes. Hence why we have "sport-tuned" suspension options, but also "touring" suspensions and combinations of both. Also the reason that we have direct port fuel injection, for the people who want their gas mileage and their power. When it comes to telling people why their car is better, its easier to just rattle off some numbers and say, "see...more power, more lateral grip, less weight = better". The crazy thing is, even the majority of enthusiasts don't care.

Why are there Ford/Chevy rivalries, or Ferrari/Lamboghini rivalries? Import/domestic battles? It seems to me that if one car had better numbers, and people were only interested in numbers, wouldn't people only buy the car that was numerically superior? Why then, do people buy Audis instead of BMWs? Because they're aesthetically pleasing! Obviously, this is an oversimplification, because cost plays a significant factor in car ownership, but ultimately, you're not going to own a car that you don't like the way it looks.

I've kind of dwelt upon factory performance numbers, but the same thing holds true with modifications. Turbochargers, without a doubt, offer the biggest performance increase in performance (nitrous is a cheaper alternative, but it runs out after a couple of sprays). So why does Porsche build a 911 Turbo, but offer a 911 GT3RS as their performance model(even though the GT3RS is down about 40HP on the Turbo)? Its all about balance and aesthetics...