Something that has baffled me for ages....please help !!

[RedHP]

How do the yanks only get 250bhp from a 3-4 litre engine (example, but you know what I mean).......?
Yet, the Ford RS in the UK has 300 bhp from a 2.5 litre engine. Bearing in mind that Ford is a US company, why the obvious difference....?

Red

[mkviken]

turbo

[Snoopy]

Also the yank Ford rs engine is a Volvo engine who's origins were bought by Volvo from Audi 5 cyl tdi unit and with the help of Audi redesigned for east west fitment. Then developed as a petrol unit by Volvo at a later time.

Emissions and torque is why us engines are the way they are.
Motorbike engines developed lots of bhp but little torque put a low torque unit in something with 3 tonne weight and it will be a dog to drive daily.

[Jimble]

Plus their available grades of fuel are sh!t..

[Radek]

Quite simply power = torque x revs. US cars are good on torque but do not rev as high as EU or Japanese cars.

[Big_Dave]

They're not made to the same tolerances...they should run for years compared to ours, even on the crap fuel they use.

They're just lazy, understressed engines. Bit like trucks, even the biggest 16 litre Volvo only has 750hp, but 3500nm of torque 

[Raffe]

Plus they have to emit less emission gasses than we do iirc.

[Big_Dave]

Plus they have to emit less emission gasses than we do iirc.

You're thinking of California...which isn't strictly true.

They don't sell diesel in California (or didn't a few years ago) as it produced soot and black smoke. Dumb politicians yet again, as modern diesels tend to be cleaner than petrol