In theory, acceleration is “the rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time.” A process that depends on all forces acting on the object, as described by Isaac Newton's Second Law of physics. On the pages of Motor1.com UK, the term acceleration is often used in a reference to a car and its performance capabilities. And in a new video, BMW is trying to help us better understand the science behind the sprint from a standstill to 60 miles per hour.

Five are the most important factors that affect acceleration, according to BMW. And because we are talking about science here, there’s no second opinion – the aerodynamics, weight, power output, tyres, and assistance systems all contribute to acceleration times of modern vehicles. In the 3:34-minute-long clip, the Bavarian brand explains which of them are of greater importance and why it is important to have a good power-to-weight balance. You know, just a lot of horses under the bonnet are not enough.

A link at the video’s description takes us to a dedicated site where BMW explains different terms from automotive engineering and, in this particular case, it’s talking more about the ways to improve the acceleration times of your car. In four easy steps, the Germans briefly tell us how to be quick off the line in a BMW M4 with a manual gearbox. Obviously, the tricks are applicable to all modern cars with manual transmissions.

Want to learn more? Make sure to watch the video at the top of this page and check out the second source link below. It will take you to BMW’s webpage for enthusiast automotive engineers – just where we all belong.