A torque converter includes a coaxially mounted pump impeller, turbine, and stator, each of which includes an outer shell, an inner shell, and vanes extending between the outer shell and the inner shell having edges which define an inlet and outlet. The pump impeller outlet is proximate to the turbine inlet, the turbine outlet is proximate to the stator inlet, and the stator outlet is proximate to the pump impeller inlet. The outer and inner shells cooperate to define outer and inner toroidal surfaces, which together define a hollow toroidal hydraulic fluid circulation path. The ratio between the axial extent and the radical extent of a section of the outer toroidal surface is less than approximately 0.9. The axial distance between the general axial position of the edges of the stator vanes which define the stator inlet and the axial position of the edge of the stator inner shell in the direction of the stator inlet is substantially greater than zero, and the stator vanes which define the stator inlet extend more towards the direction of the turbine outlet than does the edge of the stator inner shell in the direction of the stator inlet.