How Much Horsepower Is A Lot Today?

"MtrRider Just Wants Doritos" (MtrRider) 11/07/2013 at 15:48 • Filed to: None

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We live in a time where 400hp isn't really that much. We have sedans and wagons with power numbers that 20 years ago would have seemed impossible in any car. Now, we have Mustangs with Mclaren F1 power levels available at 5 Series prices. Speed is cheaper than it has ever been in the past. How much power does a car need to have to seem insane?

Party-vi > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 15:52

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400hp is really that much. It's just easier to get your hands on it today than it was a decade ago, and 50-60 years ago it was really east to get your hands on that much power (well, for us Americans anyway). I think it depends on the car instead of the horsepower number. 200hp in a Miata? Ok that's fine. 300hp in a Miata? Jesus tap-dancing Christ!

JustWaitingForAMate > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 15:53

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Goshen, formerly Darkcode > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 15:53

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Nothing. Horsepower became meaningless. As has performance, I'm afraid.

1337HPMustang > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 15:55

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This is my definition of the most insane.

dinobot666 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 15:57

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HP numbers always win, because it's the easiest way to win at bench racing on the internet. That's why the Toyoburu twins are the worst cars ever made and are an epic failure.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Party-vi 11/07/2013 at 15:58

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Try over 500 hp. That's an LS7.

Mikeado > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 16:00

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700 is the new 500, if you ask me. A crazy car needs to be north of there, although to an extent it depends what it is. A 4 or 5-door car with 600+ would be pretty mental.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > dinobot666 11/07/2013 at 16:01

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They don't have to be the worst, they just have to give in to their animal instincts.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 11/07/2013 at 16:02

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04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches. > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 16:04

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Honestly I don't even find 1000hp insane at this point. I'm a big follower of the car building community and often when I see a 1000hp Vette or Mustang it's kind of like "meh" in my head. Now that doesn't mean its not a lot in regards to driving something with 1000hp, but reading about it doesn't really strike me like it once did.

So I'd definitely have to say in the realm of ultima-cars and the outrageous custom builds 1000+hp is mandatory nowadays.

I'm humbly okay with anything 600-700 and below. You know, Group B territory. :]

Chteelers > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 16:06

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250hp - Normal power.

350hp - Respectable power.

450hp - Serious power.

550hp - Whoa nelly power!

650hp - Supercar territory.

750hp+ You've got your helmet, roll cage, and on a racetrack, right?

Realistically, I think anything over 400 hp is plenty enough to bite you if you're not paying enough attention at WOT. So I say, on a streetcar, anything over 400 hp is a lot.

SpeedSix > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 16:11

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It depends. If you have 400 hp in this,

then it's considered a lot. If it's in this,

that's just almost normal.

Scott Keelan > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 16:14

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I think a car might have too much horsepower when the power-to-weight ratio dips below 10lbs/hp. A 3,000 pound car with 300 horsepower is plenty powerful. A 3,000 pound car with 400 horsepower is getting a little unnecessary.

The reality is that most consumers wouldn't get excited if the next generation Corvette/M/AMG/911 was released with the same horsepower as the outgoing model. Car makers are then forced to release new cars with more and more horsepower. Could you imagine if Chevy debuted the new Stingray and it had the same or even less horsepower than the previous Corvette? Just like MPGs and 0-60 times, horsepower figures sell cars and more is better. Right?

dinobot666 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 16:27

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No turbo? Pfft. Epic fail there too. It's gotta have at least 900 hp to win internet bench races. ;)

Z_Stig > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 11/07/2013 at 16:37

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I am afraid you are correct on both counts. The days of the the performance car are dead.

PS9 > 1337HPMustang 11/07/2013 at 16:37

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I don't understand how the transaxle just doesn't say, "2200HP? BITCH YOU CROSSED DAH LINE!", turn red and detonate.

A3R0 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 16:41

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Anything that has 500+ hp is a lot to me. Depends on the car though, you wouldn't say a se7en with 300 hp is to little, you would say that's crazy!

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Z_Stig 11/07/2013 at 16:47

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Wouldn't call them dead, more like meaningless, bland, oversanitized or something of the sort. Most übermegahypersuperultra high performance cars out there fail to stir emotions.

Casper > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 11/07/2013 at 16:54

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That sounds like what everyone said in the 70s.

Z_Stig > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 11/07/2013 at 16:58

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To me that's dead. Performance cars, and especially sports car have always been about stirring emotions and rousing the soul. Without those traits, they're as good as dead....

Barbarian772 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 17:07

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Apparently 5000....

http://jalopnik.com/the-devel-sixt…

Alex87f > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 17:10

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From a European standpoint, I'd say that it goes as follows:

-100hp is about our average hp

-150hp means the car can get out of its own way

-200hp means a rather quick car

-250hp starts being really quick

-300hp is fast

-400hp is a considerable amount of power

-450+hp is a LOT

Party-vi > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 18:03

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wat.

1337HPMustang > PS9 11/07/2013 at 18:53

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That's because Thor used his hammer to pound them out of a vibranium-adamantium alloy. Then his hammer was crafted into differential gears.

Vincenzo71 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 19:52

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Shit, considering a run-of-the-mill 6 banger Mustang or Camaro pushes over 300hp, I'd say a lot is over 500.... I can't believe i'm typing that right now....

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Alex87f 11/07/2013 at 20:12

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Man, Euroboxes are slow. In the US 100hp is about average for a motorcycle. 150 is slow, 200... well, you know peoples reaction to the Toyobaru.

KirkyV > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/08/2013 at 00:05

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Keep in mind that a lot of these cars are very small, nimble and light so you can still have a lot of fun with them. Just, twisty fun, instead of straighty fun. Not that there aren't American cars that can't have twisty fun.

My car had 59 horsepower when new, and is now 13 years old, so I imagine it can't be making much more than forty at this point. I've never felt it was too slow, though, and regularly have loads of fun with it on roads with plenty of corners. It certainly helps that it only weighs 700kg, and was widely praised in its day as having the best handling of any car in its product segment.

It'd certainly be nice to have more power, but the good thing about the average British back road - which no one's particularly far away from, with the size of the country - is that you really don't need any to have a good time. As long as it's a laugh around tight bends, you're in for a good time. Still, saying that, I am planning to get an actual 'hot' hatch for my next car. Maybe a Golf VR6.

Makoyouidiot > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/08/2013 at 00:11

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Since the most powerful car I've ever owned had just 200 hp...and the most powerful one I've ever driven had 360...I really don't even know how to conceptualize more than that. Now I am sad.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > KirkyV 11/08/2013 at 00:30

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You don't need power to have fun. But it's better to have more than you need than less, imo.

KirkyV > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/08/2013 at 00:41

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I won't disagree with you there. Still, having now been driving this car for over a year, I can say that, here at least, you really don't 'need' a lot. I've no trouble accelerating up to motorway speeds - limit's 70, most people go 80(MPH) - and have no trouble overtaking people. If my car were significantly heavier, I'd probably have more to complain about; with a full load of five people and luggage, it can feel a little sluggish.

Like I said, though, I am planning to get something with a little more power for my next car.

littleman > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 01/12/2015 at 05:45

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vau i'm love this cars, look a this pictures http://www.artsfon.com/44511-car-1965…

car_guru_girl > Alex87f 04/16/2015 at 23:45

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right?!?! My mom's car is at 250hp and it's an '04 Intrepid. Not the fastest car around. Takes at least 5.5 seconds to 60

Cruzie > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 04/12/2017 at 19:18

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i agree, my 2015 Honda accord sport has 202 HP and shes a little nippy (for me) I do have after market parts on it, but 202 HP is good for me for right now. I enjoy driving it even with the “low” HP, but soon in the next 3 years, i’ll pass that car down to younger brother and get a nice out of the box 300+ HP car.