• The latest Mercedes-Benz advert for the 1733 tractor which
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appeared in last week's Commercial Motor raises two questions in the Hawk's inquiring mind: firstly, how much did the company have to pay Frank Bruno and Barry McGuigan to stand in the same pair of boxing shorts; and secondly, how long will Mercedes persist with its latest marketing gimmick — the flat torque curve?
Of course, any HGV benefits from a decent spread of torque, and Mercedes is undoubtedly right in its attempt to tune its engine for useful torque rather than for peak power. But come on chaps, drawing a torque 'curve' with a ruler really isn't playing the game.
As any driver will tell you, no real engine can put out exactly the same torque over a 600rprn band, so unless the German giant (normally so fastidious about its technical information) can show the Hawk an engine on a dynamometer which does just that, could it
please put its ruler away and concentrate on more practical matters?