Audi E-Tron all torque and no substance
Audi unveiled their new R8-based E-Tron electric concept supercar at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, claiming that it produces a whopping 3319 lb-ft of torque. It became big news because today’s supercars barely break 800 lb-ft on the spec sheet. But a magazine investigated further and found out it was all bullcrap.
According to Automobile magazine, Audi was quoting torque measured at the wheels, not at the output shaft. Torque at the output shaft is the industry standard, and used by every other manufacturer. Measuring torque at the wheels takes “the multiplication effect of the transmission and final drive gears into account.” The result of this are torque figures that are ten times of what they would be at the crank.
This would mean that cars like a 3.6L V6-powered Chevrolet Malibu also around 3315 lb-ft of torque. In reality, the magazine estimates that the E-Tron makes about 252 lb-ft of torque.
