Why no torque/power curves

sgiitk · 7th January 2011, 14:01

I fail to understand as to why the torque and power curves are not published, even in the motoring press. I did see them once in Overdrive (about 1" wide and 2" tall, though I would have preferred it the other way round - 2"wide). If these are published and /or made freely available many motorists will be better off in both driving as well in making decisions about their mounts.

Neilguy · 7th January 2011, 14:18

^^ +1 to that.

I too have been searching the Torque and Power curves for various car models that I wanted to TD, but did not find any. If not in the magazines (to save on newsprint) they should atleast be available online with their respective Test Reports.

SirAlec · 8th January 2011, 23:26

This is because most buyers are not on tbhp.

On a serious note, 90% who buys a car here in India they have a differentiate criteria for buying, majority being mileage.

Sn1p3r · 9th January 2011, 00:06

^agreed that it should be made available but many won't understand.

Most people don't take their cars or bikes half the revs it can do the disappointment will be paramount if the know the 100 bhp machine they bought only does 50 at 2000 rpm

dot · 9th January 2011, 11:14

Sometimes mags carry them, but at random. At least for the international models, such plots are available over the net. But then again, many Indian variants have detuned engines, so the curves for Indian variants will not match with the international ones.

goandude · 9th January 2011, 12:17

I too searched for this info but came up with a blank for the swift ddis engine but the graph from pete's site is here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...s-1-3-mjd.html

DerAlte · 9th January 2011, 20:25

Possibly because 99% of the car buyers do not care about it. Even technical people look at the gear ratios, etc. along with it, since the engine characteristics alone don't convey a complete picture.

Since all commercially available cars are for street use, what is of more interest is 'driveability' - low-end grunt, RPM band for optimum gear shifting (provided the car has a tachometer), 'at what speed can I shift to overdrive' etc. etc., apart from - as @SirAlec rightly mentioned - "kitna deti hai?". Most people don't even associate their driving habits with consumption, let alone have the curiosity about Torque / Engine RPM and BHP / Engine RPM graphs.

Graphs are available in limited circulation, one has to look hard for it. SAE is a good place to look provided one is a member. For Japanese cars, the difficulty is that all accessible sites for such info are in Japanese. For American and European cars, one can ask the car company politely and they usually share that info, unless they are downright suspicious of the motives.

What matter more to me are:
1. Will the car - when the situation demands in city driving - pick up speed easily in 2nd gear or do I need to get to 1st anyhow?
2. On the highway, will it accelerate from 40 to 100 in overdrive, when - for example - I have slowed down for the slower vehicle in front to give way and me to accelerate after passing it? Or will it jerk shut?

CPH · 10th January 2011, 03:42

Most of the manufacturer's graphs are smoothed so much that they do not represent the reality anymore and most do not give any low rpm figures. A lot of the factory supplied graphs do not resemble the reality when putting the cars on the dyno. This is my experience of thousands of graphs on various dynos.

Most manufacturers supply them somewhere with the brochures and definitively on demand.

However, the only way to get usable figures is when done on the dyno or with a g force metering device.

7th January 2011, 14:01	#1
sgiitk BANNED Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,969 Thanked: 4,788 Times	Why no torque/power curves I fail to understand as to why the torque and power curves are not published, even in the motoring press. I did see them once in Overdrive (about 1" wide and 2" tall, though I would have preferred it the other way round - 2"wide). If these are published and /or made freely available many motorists will be better off in both driving as well in making decisions about their mounts.
	() Thanks

7th January 2011, 14:18	#2
Neilguy BHPian Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 172 Thanked: 54 Times	Re: Why no torque/power curves ^^ +1 to that. I too have been searching the Torque and Power curves for various car models that I wanted to TD, but did not find any. If not in the magazines (to save on newsprint) they should atleast be available online with their respective Test Reports.
	() Thanks

8th January 2011, 23:26	#3
SirAlec Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: zxc Posts: 3,393 Thanked: 726 Times	Re: Why no torque/power curves This is because most buyers are not on tbhp. On a serious note, 90% who buys a car here in India they have a differentiate criteria for buying, majority being mileage.
	() Thanks

9th January 2011, 00:06	#4
Sn1p3r Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 1,022 Thanked: 231 Times View My Garage	Re: Why no torque/power curves ^agreed that it should be made available but many won't understand. Most people don't take their cars or bikes half the revs it can do the disappointment will be paramount if the know the 100 bhp machine they bought only does 50 at 2000 rpm
	() Thanks

9th January 2011, 11:14	#5
dot Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ban Chang Posts: 1,681 Thanked: 732 Times	Re: Why no torque/power curves Sometimes mags carry them, but at random. At least for the international models, such plots are available over the net. But then again, many Indian variants have detuned engines, so the curves for Indian variants will not match with the international ones. Last edited by dot : 9th January 2011 at 11:16.
	() Thanks

9th January 2011, 12:17	#6
goandude Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Mysuru Posts: 1,763 Thanked: 1,282 Times	Re: Why no torque/power curves I too searched for this info but came up with a blank for the swift ddis engine but the graph from pete's site is here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...s-1-3-mjd.html
	() Thanks

9th January 2011, 20:25	#7
DerAlte Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 8,069 Thanked: 2,919 Times	Re: Why no torque/power curves Possibly because 99% of the car buyers do not care about it. Even technical people look at the gear ratios, etc. along with it, since the engine characteristics alone don't convey a complete picture. Since all commercially available cars are for street use, what is of more interest is 'driveability' - low-end grunt, RPM band for optimum gear shifting (provided the car has a tachometer), 'at what speed can I shift to overdrive' etc. etc., apart from - as @SirAlec rightly mentioned - "kitna deti hai?". Most people don't even associate their driving habits with consumption, let alone have the curiosity about Torque / Engine RPM and BHP / Engine RPM graphs. Graphs are available in limited circulation, one has to look hard for it. SAE is a good place to look provided one is a member. For Japanese cars, the difficulty is that all accessible sites for such info are in Japanese. For American and European cars, one can ask the car company politely and they usually share that info, unless they are downright suspicious of the motives. What matter more to me are: 1. Will the car - when the situation demands in city driving - pick up speed easily in 2nd gear or do I need to get to 1st anyhow? 2. On the highway, will it accelerate from 40 to 100 in overdrive, when - for example - I have slowed down for the slower vehicle in front to give way and me to accelerate after passing it? Or will it jerk shut? Last edited by DerAlte : 9th January 2011 at 20:28.
	() Thanks

10th January 2011, 03:42	#8
CPH BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: London Posts: 579 Thanked: 35 Times	Re: Why no torque/power curves Most of the manufacturer's graphs are smoothed so much that they do not represent the reality anymore and most do not give any low rpm figures. A lot of the factory supplied graphs do not resemble the reality when putting the cars on the dyno. This is my experience of thousands of graphs on various dynos. Most manufacturers supply them somewhere with the brochures and definitively on demand. However, the only way to get usable figures is when done on the dyno or with a g force metering device.
	() Thanks