what the **** does torque mean?

Question

I had a Civic Coupe around 160 bhp. but now I have an Audi A4 1.8 turbo Quattro with 150 bhp, bot it's a lot faster and eats the road!!

Answer 1

Just had a look at the Civic engine specs and the most powerful only seems to come out at around 130 bhp, the Audi as a 4 x 4 and being a lighter car is bound to be a lot quicker.

Have fun.

Answer 2

Horsepower is not what gets the car moving. Torque is. The Audi is also a far superior car than a Honda will ever hope to be. Lets not forget All wheel drive compared to lousy front wheel drive.

Answer 3

Torque is twisting force, forcein a rotary direction (circular motion), like when you use a screwdriver (or in your case spin a drive shaft).

Kimchee's answer doesn't make any sense?

If you hit a wall all that matters is:

1. Your speed at the moment of impact.
2. Your mass (weight).

I'm not much of a car person but I'm constantly amazed at how people who think they know cars have the science of cars almost completely wrong.

Answer 4

You can never judge to different cars by numbers alone. Those numbers are max BHP. One car could have more power at lower RPMs than the other car. It could get its power faster or start off stronger. Also you have to take into account traction and weight. You can never go by numbers alone.

Answer 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque

Think of torque as pulling power, ie the ability of the engine to get its power to the wheels.

BHP is fine, and power to weight ratio is important, but the amount of torque available at any given point in the rev range is the thing. My mum's diesel Seat has the same torque as my old Impreza, but it all happens between 1800 and 3000 revs. Pulls like a train and is just as much fun to drive.

Answer 6

Torque is the amount of 'Grunt' it has to get a car moving from a dead stop. The more torque, the stronger grunt to get it moving quicker.
Horsepower is what keeps you moving at a constant speed.

150hp is not eating the road. LOL

Answer 7

horsepower is push, torque is pull. Two cars could have the same horsepower, but if one car has twice as much torque it can tow twice as much wieght. Cars are not faster just because of horsepower or torque, it's all about the transmission. Depending on how you gear a car you can make a honda civic as fast as an 8 cylinder race car with poor transmission.

Answer 8

basically its the ability of the car, or bike, to accellerate in any given gear, without having to change down, and floor it...

my mate had a 1500cc vulcan, his brother a genesis 1000... the vulcan has a top end of 110, the genesis around 170... but at 50mph the vee twin vulcan left the yamaha for dead... thats torque...

Answer 9

Torque is the amount of horsepower the engine produces that is transmitted to the road via the universal joints in the transmission axle and is often, higher than the HP of the engine.

Answer 10

Torque is the actual motivational force behind moving your vehicle. The difference you cite are probably due to different gearing in the two vehicles.