I personally define torque as how much the car actually pushes you back to the seat and hurts your neck if you try to resist it, whereas horsepower is how fast you actually will be going.

For example, an old pushrod 4.0 Ford Exploder...once you put your foot on the throttle, it rips the heck out of your spine, though you arent going very far very fast. Meanwhile, a car with a decent amount of horsepower but lacking a bit of torque will get going fast without you even noticing it or much force against you.

Theres always gear reduction though, as the first link pointed out. My MX5 for instance has a 4.1 or so rear end and 14" tires...it actually kicks you back pretty well until about 20-30 mph and it falls on its face. If you want more "horsepower" getting to the ground to go faster, put a rear end with a lower number and bigger wheels/tires on the car. If you want more "torque", get a higher number'd rear end and smaller wheels/tires.

 

Horsepower and torque numbers from dyno testing are next to useless in my opinion. NEVER had an engine that produced big dyno power numbers dominate competition. The only numbers to pay attention to are those that relate to recovery and acceleration capabilities. Horsepower is only a bragging number and it's really only applicable to steady-state engine operation. Engines running steady-state when idling or following the pace car, or boat racing, which is nothing but a goddamn egotrip for millioniars under 5'6.

 

I thought dyno testing/tuning was for powerband, which I find to be pretty useful.

 

what makes you slam back in your seat when you stomp on the gas

 

torque is what you build for, horsepower is what you lie to your friends about

either way, I <3 torque

 

+1, when I'm trying to get a little "go" out of the car, thats all thats on my mind, what does the powerband look like?

 

they are interrelated...you cant have one without the other. Tq does NOT mean low RPM power and HP does NOT mean high rpm power. Read some of the links in the first page...esecially the one Herhotrod posted.

Torque is what pushes you in the low rpm as well as mid rpm and its even the same thing that accelerates you at high rpm.

Peak acceleration comes at peak TQ in the engines powerband...wether that be in the low rpm range or high rpm range.

 

Torque = force(perpendicular to the radius and the axis of rotation) x distance (from the center of rotation that the force is applied).

 

Torque, the amount of pressure applied to the end of a morning wood required to raise one's heels three inches off the ground in order to take a leak.