What is torque?

Torque is a measure of twisting force – how much turning force your engine produces to rotate the wheels, or how strong it is. Think about opening a drinks bottle with a twist cap – your hand is the 'engine' and the torque is the force you use to rotate the cap to open the bottle. Torque is often informally referred to as 'pulling power', and high-torque engines are almost essential for towing heavy loads or for getting heavy vehicles moving. Diesel engines typically produce more torque than petrol engines, which is why diesel is still popular for large cars and commercial vehicles. Torque is commonly measured in Newton-metres (Nm), but sometimes you'll see torque measured in pound-feet (lb-ft).