If a heavy duty pickup truck like the RAM 3500 HD and a hypercar like a Bugatti Chiron both have around 1000 lb-ft of torque, then why can’t the Bugatti tow as much weight as the RAM?

Question

If a heavy duty pickup truck like the RAM 3500 HD and a hypercar like a Bugatti Chiron both have around 1000 lb-ft of torque, then why can’t the Bugatti tow as much weight as the RAM?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

The torque does not, strictly speaking, dictate what can be towed. The most important factors are weight, gears, and horsepower. A hypercar is designed to be lightweight, and so it can only ever exert a limited amount of force before the tires slip. A pickup with twice the weight can exert roughly twice the force before the tires slip. Not only this, but trucks tend to have transmissions designed for lower speed higher torque applications, while supercars have transmissions for higher speed and (sometimes) lower torque applications.