I think the more torque you have and the sooner you have it, both the more exciting the car is to drive and the more responsive to the driver's wishes it becomes.
The following dyno tune was through the side pipes and the power was measured at the rear tire so you need to use a correction factor to get to flywheel power for an apples to apples comparison. Although I have heard of some relatively high drive train losses I believe around 15% is probably fair.
I can assure you that nearly 500 ft/lbs of torque at about 1500/1600 rpm at the tire when measured by your seat of the pants dyno will get your attention. The ability to hold that torque level out to 6000 rpm makes the car a very memorable experience in any gear.
This is what it looks like on a dyno session report.
Ed