What is engine torque and how do you get more of it?

You’ve probably heard of engine torque. It’s that thing that has something to do with power. But what is it exactly? And how do you design an engine to have more of it?
Torque is rotational force. It’s what allows engines to overcome resistance, like towing a heavy load. It’s also a key factor in engine power, which largely dictates how fast something will go.
Think of torque like a linear force. If something is hard to push in a straight line, then you need more force to get it moving. It’s just like that with an engine, except we are dealing with a rotational force driving a crankshaft. This rotational force finds its way to the wheels of the car to provide movement.
To explain how we get more torque, let’s first dig a little deeper into it.