Sorry to be such a Numptie but what is Torque and BHP? I know they are something to do with power but what is the difference or is it just a measurement unit? If you increase BHP does Torque go down?
In simplest form, Torque is required to pull weight and how much bhp you have determins how quickly you accelerate. i.e. the more torque youu have the more weight you can pull, and the more bhp you have, the quicker you get that wight from 0-60.
i think the best way of thinking about torque is that with a lot of torque youll get a greater range in speed in one gear; it may not rev quickly but will still gain a lot of speed quickly. a car with a lot of torque feels limitless in its "muscle" if that doesnt sound too cheesey!
the old AM V8 Vantage is a fine example as is the holden monaro.
i always remember torque because of those strongman competitions where they pull buses and stuff - those guys have so much torque!
and the skinny guys that run the 100 metres, they have a fairly good bhp dont you think? they couldnt pull a bus but they can accelorate fast enough and keep a good constant speed, with a high top speed
Torque is what pushes you back into the seat in a rapidly accelerating car.
BHP is the power the engine can achive for a moment, i.e. you might have 500bhp, but it's at 6000rpm.
It's also worth noting that brake horsepower is the figure you get without the loss in power caused by the gearbox, water pump, etc. The power @ the wheels is less.