SAE re-defining horsepower

[nitroman]

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102870

The Society of Automotive Engineers has tightened standards for measuring horsepower, and the results are now showing up on spec charts across America. That’s good if you’re building Corvette Z06s, which went from 500 hp to 505, but it could be bad if you end up with a 197-hp (vs. a nice, round 200-hp) Civic. SAE periodically revises the thousands of standards it certifies; horsepower was revised in August 2004 to close loopholes for things like backpressure from exhaust systems, the use of super-lubricity oil in the engine, the number of accessories that must be hooked up during a test—all the things dynamometer monkeys think of to get a better power rating. SAE also added a requirement for an independent witness to certify the horsepower testing. –MARK VAUGHN