Engines that have the ability to pull evenly and strongly through a wide RPM range are said to have flexibility . The Saab manufacturer, for example, makes cars that have engines that are known for being flexible right across the RPM range. Cars with flexibility are easy to drive because changing gears to gain strong acceleration need only be reserved for demanding driving. Vehicles that have flexibility in their engines are very suited to relaxed, everyday driving conditions.
An engine’s flexibility depends on how accessible the torque is. A big eight-cylinder motor has a long flat torque curve – even from low engine revs. Comparing an eight cylinder torque curve with that of a four-cylinder torque curve and it is easy to see that in most cases, the smaller four-cylinder engine will obtain its greater torque at higher engine revs. In the case of the four cylinder Saabs, a low pressure turbo has been added to function at low engine revs to give the four cylinder engine a lot more flexibility than it would have otherwise.We hope that helps answer the question ‘What is What is Flexibility?’!
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