Quote:
Originally Posted by Tambohamilton
Steam engines produce maximum torque at 0rpm. Funny, but impractical.
My point is that torque is only meaningful at 0mph. After that power defines how fast you can accelerate, etc. Power itself is defined by torque and rpm, so it's not like torque ever leaves the picture, but power is what's important. My 330d makes 370ftlb...but only 230hp, so it's 'slow'.
Which leads me on to my answer which is 230hp is plenty, so long as handling feels good.
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This isn't 100% accurate though. HP may dictate the rate acceleration, but you feel torque. I've driven an e90 335d and it
felt fast as hell. Pulled like a freight train. I have an e92 M3 which has way less torque but way more power. Yeah, the M3 is much faster from a stop watch perspective, but the 335d felt much faster---particularly under 4k rpms.
There's a very old saying in US which is relevant here: HP wins races, but torque sells cars. So from a real life perspective, I would say that torque can be much more important than hp, since most people aren't out there "winning races".