Richard Konnen wrote:

 Paul,
  So if I understand the variable intake chart, you want the RPM to be at
max torque point and with the variable intake you can adjust for the
efficiency? If your shooting for max torque at 6K then why is max HP so
important? Such that it shows your making 600+ HP at 9Kbut the torque goes
away after 6K, so is the extra HP useful after that point. This is also why
I never undrstood  why drag racers would wind these engines up to 10 or 11K
if their torque peak was at 6 or 7K.
Tanks,
Richard Konnen

Max efficiency occurs at max torque all other things being equal.

Torque and RPM are related. Max torque at 6000 RPM is also max
HP at 6000 RPM. In the automotive world this is foreign to
conventional thinking as they would like max torque at the lowest
possible RPM with the max HP at say 6000 RPM.

Here is the simple formula  HP = RPM X torque / 5252
>From this RX8 torque curve you can calculate and plot the HP
curve. One Newton/Meter equals .737 foot pounds.

Acceleration has nothing to do with torque per se. 
All it has to do with is HP to weight ratio.

Force = Mass times Acceleration.

Acceleration = Force divided by Mass

The amount of force you can get and any speed is proportional
to the amount of HP you have at that speed. 

The same goes for airplanes. Airplane fly on HP and not 
torque.

The rest is gearing.

This will take a bit of thinking out side the box
for most automotive types as we tend to acquire an
emotional belief system. We think we know something to be true
for a very long time and this causes our brains to block
any new way of looking at the subject. I have no answer
for this except to try and forget everything you think you
know about the subject and start over from the very basic 
fundamentals :)

Vance, do you have an electronic copy of that article you
wrote on this subject for alternative engines? I would like to have 
it and republish it here from time to time. I can OCR it too
if you can loan me a printed copy.

Paul Lamar
 
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