Hi guys, here's a little math for you.
If you assume there is no slippage in the driveline, then the rotational speed of the engine can be directly converted to the rotational speed of the tire, which, knowing the diameter of the tire, gives distance per revolution. With some unit conversions, you can get speed from this. Regardless of aerodynamics and horsepower, if your engine is spinning at a given rpm, and the transmission, clutch/torque converter, rear end, and tires are not slipping (a reasonable assumption, especially for a manual transmission) then there is only one speed you can possibly be going. The equation that gives speed (in miles per hour) is this:
RPM*D*3.14/(T*R*1056) = Your Speed in MPH
Here is an example:
RPM=RPM (tach reading, like 6500)
T=Transmission gear ratio (whichever gear you are in, like 1.00 for top gear)
R= Rear end ratio (like 3.23)
D= Overall tire diameter in inches (like 28)
6500*28*3.14/(1*3.23*1056) = 167.55
So given this setup, your car will go 167.55 miles per hour at 6500 rpm.
The 3.14 in the equation is pi, as in circumference=pi*D
the 1056 is the lumped conversion factor that allows you to enter the numbers in all the convenient units, and have the speed come out in miles per hour and not inches per second or something like that.