OK, I know I'm a noob, but can someone explain to me how this works?

GM says a 2.2L gives 145hp. But you guys DYNO-test and get something much lower at the wheels. If there is only so much at the wheels, what the hell happened to the rest?...lol

And if we're only getting around 125hp, anyone know what the other cars, such as the lower model Civics, & Tiburons are giving?

 

145hp would be crank hp, not at the wheels....so the rest of the 20hp is lost threw the drivetrain

 

Right, by the time the power makes it to the ground you have lost 17% from the crank horsepower.

 

This might help

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/tec...5/article.html

as for other cars google "car" dyno

 

Ok, so I got that down. But why do car manufacturers list this as their official HP then? How much of a difference is there between this car and any other when it comes to that?

 

Wow, thanks...that pretty much sums its up huh?

 

There are many things that need to be taken into account when dealing with measured HP such as elavation and temperature but dynoing is more accurate than companies. Using the manufactuers #'s are garbage and lucky for the 2.0L guys they are underrated when 90% of the time companies over rate their cars.......STI 300hp ...........more like 240-250