HP Torque

Guard Dad

The comments are pretty-much spot on. The Z gives up a little low speed power for a BUNCH of high speed power. The Audi system allows a small engine to feel and drive like a big motor in most situations but for highway passing (or even drag racing) the Z just blows the Audi away. Your 7 speed auto puts the Z in the sweet spot of the power band where we have a 121 HP advantage over the Audi. No contest.

Also keep in mind that torque is a "raw" number of force whereas horsepower is a calculation incorporating the raw torque number and engine speed (Revolutions Per Minute-rpm). What this means is that 200 lb/ft of torque at 2500 rpm represents only half the power of the same 200 lb/ft of torque at 5000 rpm and only 1/3 the power of the same 200 lb/ft of torque at 7500 rpm. Ever notice how high on the tach the Z makes its power? That's because the Z is designed to breath at high engine speeds, revs are our friend. It's also why we have 6 and 7 speed transmissions which allow the engine to get into the high rpm range as quickly as possible.