Fact revisited: Torque wins the race!

[MASSIVE TYPE IV]

For those of you that weren't glued to speed for the last day (Beth and I were)

Thats right an engine that achieved max RPM @ 5,500 has won overall at the 24 hours of Leman. The beast makes 800 lb/ft of torque and is a Diesel!

This engine/ car was competing with other vehicles that have an 8,000 + RPM rev range with much more HP. The Audis with their diesel torque monster engines lead EVERY lap of the 24 hour race and at the end of the day they ended up beating the record of longest distance covered in 24 hours that was set by the Porsche 917 in 1971 that was making well over 1,000 HP...(of course the 917 was aircooled)

So next time someone says HP is more important than torque, ask them how they base their opinion because it certainly is not fact!

As a side note our neighbors at Panoz Motorsports (based in Braselton GA)were able to take first place podium for the first time at Leman as one of their cars was able to exceed Porsche for a first time GT2 class win at Leman. It's great to see a small U.S. breed excel on the oppositions turf....


BTW- The record for longest distance traveled still isn't official, they may have to count every inch because it's so close to the mark!

[MinamiKotaro]

Isn't HP just torque @ RPM, anyway? If you have the TORQUE, you'll have the HP, too.

[The Noof]

Isn't HP just torque @ RPM, anyway? If you have the TORQUE, you'll have the HP, too.

BHP= Torque X rpm / 5252.
For the record., it isn't as simple as Jake implies. The Audi's won for many reasosns, but the power characteristics were certainly one of them.

[MASSIVE TYPE IV]

The fact that I was stating is that an engine that makes MUCH more torque than HP and only revs to 5,500 RPM won the most demanding sports car race in the world....

I wasn't trying to make anything "sound simple" just using a current headline to yet again illustrate that torque wins the race.

[Roland]

Maybe you could break this news for the Formula 1 teams so they can make a engine whith more torque and less horsepower! And then win every race ahead of their high reving competitors...

[MASSIVE TYPE IV]

I knew that someone would bring that up... Or drag racing..

Put either of those vehicles on the track at Leman for 24 hours and see what happens...

Fact is that both of those applications also need torque, just no as much because they are sprint applications and utilize close ratio gears...

The Audis were running 5 speed trannys when everyone else had 6 speeds... Last year the Audi teams were running a 6 speed before the Diesel TDI program was being utilized...

There are all sorts of racing, some need HP more than others, but all of them need torque and most people just don't realize it. Utilizing that torque is the key....

[Stripped66]

Considering all of the torque that engine made (and across such a low RPM range), all you have to do is integrate the HP across the usable powerband dictated by the gearbox; I'd bet dollars to donuts that Audi's TDI had more 'area' under the HP curve across their powerband than their high-revving competitors.

[Santas Brother]

How did the displacement of the twin turbo
Audi "diesel" compare to their competition ?

[HAM Inc]

If the Audie sports car program had been as limited in displacement as the F1 designers are they would never have developed the diesel for their application. When working with a blank sheet in the design of a race car the engineers have a multitude of cross roads each with a unique set of compromises to make. When it comes to engine development it's either lots of revs and HP, but limited torque which means lots of gear changes, or more torque but with less revs and HP and consequently fewer gear changes.
If displacement is very limited (as it is F1) then the decision is made for the engineers. You can only get so much torque from a 2.0 V8.

While it's true that the formula for calculating HP indicates that spinning a torquey engine faster makes more HP, the reality is that an engine cammed and ported to make torque at high revs will not make torque at lower revs, meaning you can't have your cake and eat it too.

For the street (and most grass-roots racing classes) give me the torque!

[Arnolds64]

I was watching some of it too. This is really a revolutionary idea for the sport. This is a good example of the fact that torque gets you going out of the hole without as much power throttle an rpms in every day driving as well. Given the fact that there are allot of turns at Lemans it lended itself well to the fact that 800 lbs of torque just rocketed them out of the corners. With all that torque down low in comparison to the 9000 rpm competitors it apparently worked with their proper gearing. Also engine reliability would be better as well turning lower revs?

This is one thing that the new gen of kids do not understand because there are not the big inch motors out there for them anymore with the cost of insurance and all. When I was 20 I put a 396 in a 65 SS Chevelle ( I am now 49). It was a bull. Cruising around at 2000 in 2nd and then hammer it you were going sideways and smoking the tires. This was a stock 325hp motor with a 360hp Vette cam, headers and that was about it. Torque as probably like 470ft pounds though. With longer strokes and big torque you have large power band. Those Chevy Rat motors just push you into your seat from 1000r's clear through their rpm range. Small blocks with short strokes it was over earlier. Diesels with their broad torque range would serve you well in road racing. I guess Audi figured it out.

Clearly you are again implying the benefits of the Type 4 motor over the Type 1. There is an advantage. There is no substitiute for cubic inches.

[Plastermaster]

AND, not to mention, torque is more fun!

Ron

[Can Drive Soon]

This is one thing that the new gen of kids do not understand because there are not the big inch motors out there for them anymore with the cost of insurance and all.

If I don't get a bug, (one parent doesn't approve), I'm still looking at a 66' chevelle myself. I'll probably have to get more hours or get another job to pick up the extra gas and insurance cost over a bug.

When I was 20 I put a 396 in a 65 SS Chevelle ( I am now 49).

Don't get Jake started on "radiator laden pieces of junk."

This was a stock 325hp motor with a 360hp Vette cam, headers and that was about it. Torque as probably like 470ft pounds though. .

I love when stock or relatively stock motors smoke the tyres!

When I think torque it think big motor, big cylinder, long stroke, 8+ cylinders.

When I think high revs I think horsepower, small cylinders, over head cam(s), fuel injection, either V-12 or I-4. Also "how long ago did I pass my peak hp?"

[dstar5000]

RPM=Ruins People's Motors........

WHen you want it to last, it needs to make TORQUE at lower RPMS.

Don

[aircooledtechguy]

I watched as much of the coverage on Speed Channel as I was home for. What a great event!! I too was really excited to see Audi do so well with their TDI. Hopefully diesels will take off in this country more in small cars and not just trucks.

I too was also really happy to see Panoz catch a break FINALLY at Le Mans (even though it wasn't the factory entry; it still kicked @$$)!! It's always good to see a small (and American) car builder beat the highly financed snobs from the major car companies. Especially ones like Porsche, Ferrari and Jaguar!!!

Hurray for those that dare to be different and the little guys!!!

[Santas Brother]

I read in one of the British race magazines,
the "diesel" fuel that Audi uses,is actually made from Natural Gas.