Nice post but theres more to it than just horsepower. Its a fact that diesels have more torque especially low down.
Actually; that is not a FACT, that is a common misconception; check the power curves for ANY of the V8's from 120bhp carburated versions up to fuel injected 4.6's and you will find that ALL of them have more torque at ALL engines speeds than ANY of the oil burners.
Sorry I dont have the charts to hand, or available to add to the post; but in a similar thread on LRO a while back genuine LR power & torque curves along with RPI power & torque curves were found and posted to compare I think three varients of standard V8, two hi-po versions along side 300TDi & TD5, along side chipped TD5, and 'hi-torque' (is it 2.8?) 300TDi.
If you dont want to take my word for it; I'm sure that a little googling will turn them up for you to review for yourself.
There is more to engine characteristics than just BHP and CCs its a lot more complesx than that. Your ageing Rover V8 is best suited to playing on tarmac than serious 4x4 activity......
You are getting closer, but you are still somewaht widde of the mark.
Reason people believe that the oil burners have more low down torque is that they have a flatter torque curve; at tick-over, they are delivering a greater % of what they might make at peak.
% wise V8 is delivering far smaller portion of what it might at peak; but that smaller % is a damn site more than what the oil burner is giving at same revs.
As far as the actual delivery goes; completely correct; its not about the actual numbers but how its delivered.
Again though misconception that oil burners are better off road, comes down to that flat torque curve, added to a heavy fly wheel, and high reciprocating inertia.
Basically they dont rev up as easily; they are 'lazy' and unresponsive; and for a numpty on the throttle, that means that its a lot harder to apply too much power so quickly to the wheel that will break traction.
Far easier with a V8, with all that extra grunt, and the ability to loose it almost instantly to unleash it a bit sharp and break traction.
Doesn't mean that the Diesil has 'better' power delivery; just more easily managed power delivery. And that's a very different thing.
End of the day; the 'acid' test is what works, and not just what works in the minds of a driver; but in the mind of the clerke of course in an organised competition.
So; what is the engine of choice for..... Hill Rally....... that's off road, isn't it?
That's right. V8. OK, so its a speed test, they just 'blast' every where; not really appliciable is it?
Ok, lets have a look at 'extreme' challenge events; what's the preffered engine in them?
Hmmm, few diesils in the mix, but, well, look at the listings and FAR more V8's and FAR more V8's amongst the top finishers.
Ah, well that could be downb to the drivers and the winches; too many variables....
OK, so lets look at the ULTIMATE challenge of off-road ability; CCV Trials.
Slow speed; simple question how far can you get, with the traction you have.
And again; the trialers...... nearly ALL run V8's.
If V8's are so CRAP off road, explain to me, WHY competition, the REAL test of what works, doesn't support your arguments?
V8's dominate in off road sport, accross disciplines and in the most technical of them, trials.
If deseasils were; as you claim, so much 'better' then they wouldn't; they'd all be running oil burners in competition, not V8's.
ONLY comper's that elect diesils over V8's are desert racers; basically hill rally cars going a long way; and the ONLY reason that they use diesils over V8's has NOTHING to do with the power or power delivery, but the range between fuel stations on the event, and availability of and quality of available fuel.
It is PURE MYTH that Diesils have more torque, more low down torque or are 'better off road'.
They are NOT; and competition proves it.
Yet deseasil afficianado's STILL insist beyond reason or tenability on these things; and when you SHOW them the race results; you show them the power curves; they come back with; 'Ah, well, you cant wade a V8'!
No. That's why the winch boys run Rangies with water over thier bonets!
YES you CAN wade V8's if you prep them properly, and if you think you can wade a deseasil with impunity, and not come to any harm, you have obviousely never tried it or given much thought to what ELSE you have under the bonnet!
May not be 'fun' trying to dry out eight spark plug leads, but then its not much fun trying to drain half a gallon of water out of a deseasil's fuel injection system either!
Might be interesting to have a 'pull off' between a 2.5DSE and a 4.6 P38 on the same tyres, on tarmac and on a football field; wouldn't prtove very much apart from which had most motive force; and you'd still be arguing 'Well, in 'real' situations' etc'
Bottom line is; you can argue untill you are blue in the face; old paddock truismn; when the flag drops, the bull****e stops.
And competition shows that when and where it counts; whether blasting round at high speed; getting technical twixt the stix, or throwing them into the most horendouse holes to get to a punch......
The V8's work, and win. And win consistently; and THAT is a FACT you cannot argue with.
