brulaz wrote:
And Peak Torque and HP numbers are good info. But what I really want is the actual torque vs rpm curve. And even there, with all the sophisticated torque management built into today's engines, that doesn't tell the whole story.
Exactly. People get too hung up on peak rated HP/torque which cannot be applied all of the time.
In addition to the HP/torque curves across RPM you need vehicle road speed across RPM in all available gears. If you cannot put the peak power to the wheels in the gear you are in for a particular grade and road speed your engine is being under-utilized.
On that note: The more gears you have available, the less having a "peaky" engine matters since you will be able to more effectively keep the engine near its peak.
One more point that needs to be (re)stated with regard to torque "moving the load":
Rear axle torque is what moves the load which is dependent upon, but no where near the engine's torque output.
