"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message 
news:4b4dd7fa$1@news.povray.org...
> I still find it quite impressive that a CAR, which is made of METAL and 
> powered by EXPLODING PETROL, can apparently be out-accelerated by a 
> cheetah, which is MADE OF MEAT. Then again, an adult cheetah probably 
> weighs significantly less than an Audi TT...

Of course, it's not what they're made of, or their mass, or what their fuel 
is, but the efficiency with which they convert their fuel to energy, and the 
efficiency with which they translate that thermal energy into mechanical 
energy. Hydraulic transfer systems can certainly be more efficient than 
complex mechanical linkages.

Of course, there are cars that can out-accelerate a cheetah. But, those cars 
have the same problem that the cheetah does... they need to stop and 
re-fuel. I expect there's a greater need for cars that keep chugging along 
without stopping, whatever speed they do it at and however long they take to 
reach that speed. :-)

--
Jack

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