GEAR RATIOS
Engineering
Gear ratios are effectively how much power and speed there is at the different stages of a cars acceleration.
This factor can be changed through shortening the gears to improve throttle response and acceleration, or lengthening them for an increased top speed but at the cost of reducing the cars acceleration.
It is important to have gear ratios that match engine RPM and torque so that the car will have a linear power map in order to maximise both acceleration and top speed.
This factor can be changed through shortening the gears to improve throttle response and acceleration, or lengthening them for an increased top speed but at the cost of reducing the cars acceleration.
It is important to have gear ratios that match engine RPM and torque so that the car will have a linear power map in order to maximise both acceleration and top speed.
Art
When you take a standard WRX Impreza '98 you can see that the gear ratios are partly focused on acceleration but mainly on top speed to reduce the wear on the engine as seen below.
I recommend shortening the gear ratios if you wish to maximise the performance of the car and shorten them again if you want to take the car rallying.