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I really wish people would forget they every heard about torque peak.
That is measured at wide open throttle. Who cruises on the highway at WOT?

Due to the laws of physics and fluid dynamics things change quite a bit at part throttle. Port velocity, vacuum signal to the carb, and a host of other things all change at part throttle.
What happens at full throttle is completely different.



Yes, things change considerably, however, to totally dismiss the power curves of an engine is akin to just taking shots in the dark. The power curves at least give a frame of reference to start with. Time on a chassis dyno, or seat tie on extended drives, can then be used to refine the results, if desired. I also think that since the stock mopar big block heads were undersized to feed a 440 from the get go, stock heads are going to be producing high velocity at lower rpm levels than most aftermarket or other make heads.

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Torque curve and efficiency have little to do with it unless you're towing or driving in hilly condition. Why do you think today's cars have over drive transmissions? My late model van turns 2000 rpm on the freeway at 70 mph, no where near it peak torque.



My reply stated my experience was with a truck, and since I live in Colorado, all my usage with towing is in hilly conditions. Some obviously bigger than others. I also had the chance to test out this operation on a trip from Denver to Phoenix and back. Not exactly flat there either.

I also think we would all agree that factory epa mileage estimates, warranty longevity vs customer claims, and driver perceptions mean that the OEMs may very well set cars up to cruise in a method that is not entirely optimal. Does that mean cruise rpm should all be cranked back up to 3500rpm by the OEMs, no. But perhaps engines should be built to produce more torque lower in the power band. To the average car buyer, torque means nothing. Except for heavier duty truck marketing (3/4 ton+), nearly all advertisements talk horsepower and/or mileage.