General Motors announced today that the diesel engine in its 2011 Heavy-Duty pickup trucks will produce 30 pound-feet more torque than the diesel engine in the 2011 Ford Super Duty.
Well, technically, GM announced that its 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V8 produces 397 horsepower and 765 lb-ft of torque. But the significance of the torque number is lost on no one. The two heavy-weights in the heavy-duty pickup market have been engaging in a bit of you-show-me-your's-first. Ford, whose Super Duty goes on sale before the GM trucks, finally made its power ratings known in an announcement at the end of February.
GM's power and torque increases (up 32 hp and 105 lb-ft from last year's Duramax) come as a result of significant changes to the diesel V8 including a revised turbocharger oil circuit for increased pressure at the turbo, higher strength piston and connecting rod pin ends, a new piezo-actuated fuel injection system and other changes. GM notes that its diesel should be 11 percent more fuel efficient on the highway and allows for greater tow ratings. A Silverado 3500HD equipped with a fifth wheel hitch can tow up to 20,000 pounds.
Interestingly, GM says that a different version of the Duramax will power the chassis and box-delete models. It makes less horsepower (335) and torque (685 lb-ft) than the headline-grabbing version.
GM's 6.0-liter gas-fueled V8 makes 360 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque in pickup versions and 322 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque in chassis and bed-delete models. Both versions are less than the power figures of Ford's new 6.2-liter gas V8 (385 hp and 405 lb-ft).
And so, in this fashion both companies may lay claim to a win in the great pissing-match of 2011.
Read our First Drive of the 2011 Ford Super Duty.
throwback says:
07:37 AM, 03/10/10
You should also point out the still Ford tows and hauls more than the GM trucks. So what exactly does having more horsepower and torque mean if your truck is less capable?
cr_driver says:
08:34 AM, 03/10/10
^
Means that you have a bigger piss.
brn says:
08:36 AM, 03/10/10
Thank god. I don't know how those poor Ford owners are going to survive with a mere 735 ft/lbs of torque.
I like the graphic. This pissing contest is entertaining.
shadrach2 says:
06:01 PM, 03/10/10
Guys - I'm majorly appalled (not joking) that you're using that illegal Watterson image in your post. Watterson didn't license ANY of his material for any commercial use and for you to be using it here is really poor judgement, imho. Yes, various people have illegally used his work and it appears on all sorts of trucks and what not. That doesn't make it right.