When you see that a car has like 140 bhp as in horsepower what does the bhp mean?

 

The bhp stands for base horse power at the flywheel.

 

damn ive been wondering this very same question for years..thanx

 

BHP
Brake horsepower. A measurement standard used by manufacturers to help consumers compare engines. NOTE: BHP is measured at the maximum operating RPM of the engine, which may not be the RPM level at which your engine will provide maximum life and consistent performance.

 

Bhp actually means Brake Horse Power, that is obtained on a engine dyno as the dyno is a brake trying to stop the engine and the force to do it is what ends up being the torque required and converted to horse power. The most common are water brakes, that add more and more water to a vane type housing ,to stop the motor, the required force is measured in pounds (US) newton-meters in other places. Others have huge electric motors and the amount of current required to slow the engine is measured and converted. Good Question

 

Thanks for the info I've alsways thought that they were just telling you base horsepower numbers.