I recently saw an eBay ad that claimed that the 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 was the car with the most torque out of any American vehicle until the Viper.
This is untrue - here is why:
The 455 as installed in the GS was rated at 350 horsepower and 510 ft-lbs of torque. The Stage 1 was rated at another 10 horsepower. The torque was 10 more than any of the other 455s built by Oldsmobile and Pontiac, Chevy's 454, and any of the Mopars and Fords.
But what about Cadillac?
Cadillac introduced the 472 in 1968. It was rated at 375 horsepower and - get this - 525 ft-lbs of torque. But it gets better - the 500 that debuted in 1970 had up to 400 horsepower and 550 ft-lbs!
Buick who?
Additionally, the 2003 Viper SRT-10 received a new 8.3 V-10 rated at 500 horses and 525 ft-lbs of torque. Sure, it would appear that it was rated higher than Buick's 455, but the Buick's horsepower was measured in gross hosepower, not net, so it's an apples to orange comparison.
This is not the first time I've seen this claim, and I doubt it'll be the last.
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