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read it... learn.

"An engine's horsepower and torque values are two things that are often talked about in automotive circles, but may be misunderstood. In this article, I will be looking at how those numbers affect a car's ability to accelerate. Carroll Shelby once said: "Horsepower sells cars, torque wins races." Let's see if that is actually true."

http://craig.backfire.ca/pages/autos/horsepower

 
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skimmed it alot of good info but too much to read

 
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This article was very informative. I'm sure you left some things out to make this an apples to apples comparison, so don't take this as criticism, but just a very important added fact: the most important numbers in comparing side by side acceleration (besides HP/torque #s and gear ratios) are the HP/weight ratios of the competing vehicles.
Here's an example with made up #s just for giggles and grins: Car X (or ricer) puts out 200HP, but weighs a mere 2000 lbs. Car Y (or redneck) puts out 300HP but weighs 4000 lbs. Given that both cars have been designed with gear ratios that compensate for their torque curves and powerbands, car X should pull off the line harder than car Y based on its 10lbs. per HP ratio compared to car Ys 13.3 lbs per HP ratio. This explains why a 130 HP streetbike can smoke a 400 HP musclecar.

 
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sounds like common sense to me..and reality.