What does this mean “261 lb-ft of torque” in a car

Question

I know torque means acceleration speed, but what does 261 lbs ft mean

In: Other

Answer 1

Courtesy of carwow

Imagine you’re tightening a nut with a spanner. Using a short spanner takes a lot of effort to tighten the nut. Using a longer spanner takes less effort to tighten the nut to the same extent. The longer spanner has more torque.

Let’s put that in car terms. You’re driving along at 40mph in top gear and put your foot down. A car with low torque – a short spanner – won’t accelerate quickly at that point. A car with high torque – a long spanner – will. To put it simply, the more torque you have, the more effortless the acceleration will feel.