i think i figured out where this negativegeforce guy is fucking up. i know it sounds like an elementary mistake, but he's confusing velocity for acceleration. as simple as it sounds, it's the same problem people learning basic calc make when they have to take the second derivative of an equation...

a car can move faster at one rpm range than another, and still be accelerating at the same rate. which is why, in hybridss's hypothetical example, the car will accelerate at the same rate between 4000-5000 and 6000-7000rpm since it'll make the same amount of torque in both those ranges, but (depending on the power band), it most likely won't be moving at anywhere near the same speed in one as the other.

i wish i understood this stuff better.