The video claims that people who brag about horsepower don't know what they're talking about, because torque is more important. What I find disturbing is that the video is sponsored by SAAB, a real company that employs real engineers with a real university education. They should be ashamed of this video, that is so wrong that Kate747 would flunk a high school science test, let alone get into an Engineering program. FYI, torque is included in the measure of horsepower, you must have been sleeping in class when that subject was covered. What else does SAAB make? Jet fighters? I'm not sure I would buy either at this point.
Now I don't brag about horsepower, but I do know that it's useful in determining the performance of a vehicle. I don't try to memorize torque numbers because by themselves, they are generally as useless as memorizing numerical gear ratios.
Robert!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize you were blogging ... then, again, perhaps you did tell me, late into one of our board meetings, and I simply forgot (dementia ... here we come!)
Yeah - I had a bit of problem with the Saab video - it confuses rather than clarifies. And I, too, sometimes really start to wonder about the quality of science education in North America :-(
The 'magic number' is '5252' ... the RPM where the torque and horsepower curves intersect. Then, again, what happens with something like my VW TDI, with a 'red line' at 4,500 ... where those curves never intersect?
Answer: 'monster' torque ... LOL! ;-)