I'm a little confused:

 

In a car advertising 200PS.........

 

Q1. What does the `PS` mean?

Q2. Would the BHP figure on this car be higher or lower?

Q3. In Brake Horse Power, what does `Brake` mean exactly?

 

Many many thanks.

Regards

Mike.

 

PS is the shortened term for Horsepower in German. 1 PS is 0.9859 BHP so they are very close. Your 200 PS car will be 197.2BHP.

 

Wikipedia is your friend for what the unit means: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsepower

Now fully informed...(and no longer `confused`).

Many thanks for your help.

Regards

Mike.

Converter -

 

http://www.statman.info/conversions/power.html

I always call it the same thing, its so close and they are only stated figures.

PS stands for Pferdestärke. Which translates as Horse Strength.

 

Phil

As for why it is "brake" horsepower, the power is measured by applying a braking force to the engine output. Originally, this was a water-wheel, but now it's more likely to be a magnetic field.

As for why it is "brake" horsepower, the power is measured by applying a braking force to the engine output. Originally, this was a water-wheel, but now it's more likely to be a magnetic field.

Or magic

As i like to think

1 ps = 0.99 bhp

So they are more or less the same thing.

1 ps = 0.99 bhp

So they are more or less the same thing.

Agreed.

States figures anyway, so its fair to say theres less different between ps and bhp than their is between PS/BHP and real figures

I wonder if the difference is a propaganda thing that dates back to either of the 2 wars....

More likely it goes back to Grand Prix racing days to allow the Gerrys to squeeze a few more horses out for scrutineering.