Why can small engines make high horsepower, but almost never high torque?

Question

So I am aware of the existence of high specific output engines like in the Honda S2000 or Ferraris, but one common criticism those cars tend to have is their lack of torque. Why does it seem so difficult for these engines to make more torque as well?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

torque is how powerful something is in one revolution of the engine. hp is how powerful it is over time. so, a small engine spins really fast to make that hp.

you can get small engines to rev really high and make a ton of hp, but they feel like a limp noodle until you reach the powerband.

motorcycles hit this point hard. my 650cc bike is slower than a 600cc supersport. the supersport revs almost twice as high and makes about the same torque, just way up in the revs. at those same revs it makes about 40% more hp though.