Dear Truck Trend,
Nissan claims 317 hp for the Titan, but the seat of my pants tells a vastly different story when the pedal goes to the metal. Using a well-known formula that estimates rear-wheel horsepower based on vehicle weight in pounds (including driver and fuel) and speed at the end of the quarter mile in mph produces a figure of 313 hp at the rear wheels. If one assumes a 20-percent drivetrain power loss, the actual horsepower at the flywheel is 391. If one assumes a 25-percent loss, flywheel horsepower is 417.
Here are the numbers:
Formula HP = weight x (speed/234)3
Weight: 5431 lb*+185 lb for driver and fuel = 5616 lb
Speed: 89.4 mph*
*from the Titan article in Truck Trend, September/October 2012
Clearly, the Titan is a potent performer. And I continue to be amazed at how well my 2005 handles in the twisties.
Larry Peacock
Paso Robles, California
Dear Reader,
We know exactly what you're talking about! We've always thought the Titan feels faster than the 317-hp number suggests. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get it on the dyno. However, when our engineer gurus did the math, they came up with similar answers. Keep in mind that the vehicle weight of 5616 pounds was without the driver, and it was weighed with a full tank of fuel.
-Truck Trend
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