Well said Griffs...

There are a lot of cars out there that will outperform an Abarth with less Torque...
In the end power (which is nothing else than a mathematical derivate from power)and gear ratio make the "race".

like your hypermotard corsa (still awaiting pics  )  much more torque from a big 1100 2 valve twin than say a 600cc jap 4 cylinder rice rocket but it revs a lot lower and therefore produces less power - because its greater torque is more than offset buy the ability of the jap bike to rev the jap bike can use much lower gearing which (in a straight line at least) make up for its torque deficiency - its not just how much torque is produced but at what revs its produced at - torque is a product of how much air fuel can be burnt at a time - more can but burnt in one rotation of a crank in a 1100cc motor but a jap 4 can rev higher meaning although it burns less it burns slightly less a lot faster which is why it produces more power - does more work - i've not read back through it and given ive only hard an hour or 2's sleep i hope ive managed to somewhat convey a fairly abstract and somewhat subtle subject - i think im trying to say that power not torque is a better marker for gauging the ability of a vehicle to accelerate

My personal view is that I prefer in gear acceleration, 0-60/62 times are meaningless in real world situations. Give me a torquey engine anyday!

Haing said that Griffs point is valid, a well balanced engine (torque and peak power) would be ideal. As a Ducati owner myself I still prefer the torquey end of the scale though 

exactly - there are as many different opinions on what constitutes a good road engine as there are people - the term 'area under the curve' is used as general advice towards the best compromise for a road engine. Usable spread over a peak number in other words. I personally dont really have a preference, its whatever mood i find myself in - some days i find myself enjoying thrashing a 2 stroke other days its  more satisfying to waft along on a wave of turbo torque. Although yes if you have just the one mode of transport then a spread is best. I was in a 600 hp evo IX the other day and while off boost performance wouldnt trouble to skin of a rice pudding and made for a few frustrating incidences, there is something addictivly perverse just cruising round off boost but then to have the ability to knock the world off its axis just a down shift away.

The best road engine i have ever used though was a 1100 monster - air cooled 2 valve twin that was tuned upto about 100 wheel hp - standard being 85ish - 2 valve dukes always pull hard off the bottom but to then have it still going hard past 8k towards the redline was incredibly satisfying - much more so than most jap stuff that would still ultimately be quicker - for me though that was an is the ultimate ROAD engine - What duke do you have t3scn

i've already had a shower tonight to prepare for going out but after those pics i might be back in for a cold one - stunning - i do think for the 749/999 the styling went a little arye- but there is no doubting the pedigree sunk into it - i think the 998R will be the ultimate development of maybe not the engine with the advent of the 1098/1198 ect but certainly the package - looks ect - i mourn to this day that ducati never made a road going supermono -