Is torque more important than power for overtaking?

Is torque more important than power when it comes to overtaking? My 1.4 Astra petrol has 100hp, but is not good for overtaking. What should I look for to get more oomph when needing to overtake?

F D (Dublin)

Jan 2014 Filed under: performance

---

Expert answer

Hi F D,

As a general rule of thumb, torque is important for acceleration and power is what determines the top speed of a car (all other things, like aerodynamics, etc. being equal). In the case of your car, it has no turbocharger so its power and torque are produced quite high up the rev range. To improve overtaking, make sure you select a low gear early in the manoeuvre and get up to speed before you are alongside the car you're overtaking so you have less time 'exposed to danger'.

In terms of replacing the car with one with more oomph it sounds to me like you'd enjoy something turbocharged. Opel does a turbocharged version of that engine. 

 

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser
@Shane_O_D