Author: staff@jalopnik.com (Marko Mikulic)

Choja/Getty Images The necessity to measure mechanical power is older than the automotive itself. Back within the 18th century, mine owners measured how hard a horse could pull. Throughout the Industrial Revolution, engineers expanded on this idea, coming up with ways to exactly quantify the output of steam engines and other industrial machinery. Fast-forward to the fashionable era, and the challenge is not much different.  A automotive enthusiast bolts on a brand new turbo, remaps the engine control unit, and installs a freer-flowing exhaust — but how do they really know if any of it worked? Relating to a automotive’s…