RE: Towing With V8 (was: Boating with an S4)

["Paul Wilson" <pauldwilson@ne.mediaone.net>]

> According to the owner's manual of my 1990 V8Q, towing capacity is:
>
> Braked trailer	900 kg (2,000 lb.)
> Unbraked trailer	680 kg (1,499 lb.)
> Tongue load		75 kg (165 lb.)
>
> This car is rated at 240hp at 5800 rpm and 245 ft. lbs. torque at
> 4000 rpm.
> North American iron with this kind of power can tow at least double the
> weight. e.g. the Chevrolet Safari minivan with the 4.3l V6, an
> engine which
> has less horsepower and torque, can tow something around 5,800
> lbs. A 2,000
> lb. towing capacity is barely enough to tow a 21 ft. I/O boat and trailer.
> Is Audi being conservative in its ratings or is there some other
> reason why
> the V8 is rated so low?

There's more to towing than just HP and torque.

It has a lot to do with chassis setup.  The Safari minivan is a body on
frame so that probably helps as does the very mildly tuned 4.3L V6.

However, I'm sure Audi is being conservative with ratings.

Paul Wilson