Brake snores power

Whilst searching for a replacement car, I have been confused by a proliferation of terms used to describe engine power. I have seen: Brake Horsepower, PS and Kilowatts. What is the relationship between these terms? Why is PS still used as I understood it was abolished by the EC in 1991? And why is there not a standard term used that we can understand and which would avoid confusion?

Asked on 21 March 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
PS and bhp are so close it makes no real difference. Only 1.5%. To convert PS to bhp, multiply the PS by 0.9863. PS is still used to describe power outputs of most cars built in Europe. For example, a Focus 1.6TDCI 110 refers to 110PS. kW is the official measure in mainland Europe and is PS x 0.7355. Torque is now most commonly measured in Nm. But the old British measure was lb ft. For Nm to lb ft multiply the Nm by 0.7376.
Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
    Select a few terms below
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