Tuning the tdi

[gregozedobe]

This discussion can get very technical very quickly.

To be pedantic, you can have torque without any power at all - as long as there is no rotation there is no work being done. Think trying to undo a very tight large bolt - you can apply a lot of torque, but until it moves you haven't produced any power (despite what the sweat on your forehead is trying to tell you). So you can't have power without both torque and rotation (revs).

To actually make a car go faster (or up a hill) you must have power (power is the ability to do work, moving a car faster is work).

What most people mean when they talk torque vs power is either :

I like more low rev torque because it allows me to accelerate (or go up a hill) without needing to change gears.

I like more power because it allows me to accelerate faster.

There has been (and will continue to be) lots of discussion about the two preferences.