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Originally Posted By: Burt
Another random thought: Doesn't it seem that 300 hp is about the most that typical drivers can handle and if it gets above that people suffer loss of control?


I've always thought that 300 hp was the magic number for fun in a street car.
 
89 mazda 323 82 hp
82 cadillac cimarron 85 hp
92 ciera 3300 160 hp and tons of torques
varius sohc saturns 100 hp
91 dodge dakota 2.5 100 hp and decent torque
91 volvo turbo wagon 162 hp and tons of torques
83 mercedes 240d 67 hp and thankfully a stick shift
2003 jeep liberty 2.4 150 hp but was probably the slowest of anything given its overweight weight.
2007 HHR 2.2 147 hp and "overly perky" DBW
 
Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Horse power was rated differently 30 years ago. Ratings were at the flywheel back then; now the net rating is at the wheels.


NET is not at the wheels. The standard for how it is measured has simply been revised. Engines are measured now "as installed in the car", right down to the air silencers and full exhaust. THAT is the difference.

Prior to the SAE NET standard, SAE GROSS was used. This had no correction factor built in and can be as high as 30% greater than the SAE NET rating for the same engine.
 
1974 Olds Cutlass Supreme - 180HP
1986 Olds Custom Cruiser - 140HP
1987 Ford Mustang GT - 325HP (not stock)
1988 Ford F-250 - 225HP (302HO swap)
1989 Lincoln Town Car - 245HP (roughly... modified 302HO swap)
2001 BMW M5 - 400HP
 
2001 Neon R/T - 150HP
2002 Altima 3.5SE - 240HP
1997 Saturn SL1 - 100HP
1996 Saturn SL2 - 124HP
2000 Saturn SW2 - 124HP
2002 Maxima SE - 255HP
2011 Civic SE - 140HP

All manual trans.
I think I miss my 96 SL2 the most out of any...
 
1979 Datsun Pickup-1.8L I4 105HP
1990 Isuzu PU I4 2.3L 96hp
1995 Chevy Pickup- V8 5.7L 255hp
1997 Dodge Ram Cummins I6 5.9- 190HP
1990 Acura Legend LS Coupe V6 2.5L 191HP "Fast and fun car!"
2004 Toyota Tundra 4.7L 245HP
2007 Toyota Tundra 5.7L 381 HP

Not counting the wife's cars
 
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Originally Posted By: Mykl
I've always thought that 300 hp was the magic number for fun in a street car.


Exactly. The A6 was a fun car when we bought it with the rated 250hp, but now that it's closer to 350hp it's a whole different car.

And no, if one actually knows how to drive a vehicle large amounts of hp do not cause any loss of control. It's the idjits that are also trying to talk on their phone while eating a cheeseburger and go to pass on a two lane road that cause the problems in the motoring world. They can cause equal amounts of carnage with 65hp and they can with 465hp.
 
'94 Sunbird - 96 hp
'99 Cougar - 150 hp
'98 Bravada - 190 hp

I have been moving up, but it bothers me that I have only owned 3 cars in 16 years - 2 of which I still drive....
 
Nobody really needs much more than 130-140 HP to drive absolutely safely on any road in the USA. Some people may not be compentent to merge safely, or may choose to have more for other reasons, but for a regular car driving down the highway at the speed limit, it is more than adequate.

Why people think they need 0-60 in 6 seconds in a daily driver is beyond me. I love driving my 67 HP 240D.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Nobody really needs much more than 130-140 HP to drive absolutely safely on any road in the USA. Some people may not be compentent to merge safely, or may choose to have more for other reasons, but for a regular car driving down the highway at the speed limit, it is more than adequate.

Why people think they need 0-60 in 6 seconds in a daily driver is beyond me. I love driving my 67 HP 240D.


Because it's fun. I would be bored to tears in a 67 horsepower car.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Why people think they need 0-60 in 6 seconds in a daily driver is beyond me.

Because some people choose to only own one car, in which case this one car is not only their daily driver but also their fun car.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Why people think they need 0-60 in 6 seconds in a daily driver is beyond me.

Because some people choose to only own one car, in which case this one car is not only their daily driver but also their fun car.


Cause it's fun. Cause I like to take the mountain roads and do more than 40 screaming the whole way there. I did my time in the slow 2.3 Mustang with a 4 speed stick. Going up some mountains here at 30 was not fun, nor was getting passed by semis. And the fuel mileage was not great either as it was floored most of the time.

I'll take my 0-60 in 5.4, 365hp fire breather that can carry 4 or 5 in luxury and go up those hills faster than I dare.

If I lived in an urban area maybe a $hitbox would be fine but not around here where I can "get on it" from time to time and have fun.
 
92 Mazda Protege - 122 hp
98 Ford Ranger - 160 hp
03 Audi A4 - 170 hp
07 Mazda 3 - 160 hp
11 Ford Fusion - 240 hp
02 Honda Accord - 150 hp

Learned to drive in the Protege. Handed down to me from my sister with 120,000 miles. It was a manual. I was just happy to have a car.

My favorite to drive was the Audi. It was a POS though. Never seen so many parts fail on one car. The 3 was fun to drive, and well built too. Fusion was pretty quick (for me). Wish I still had it. My Accord isn't too bad only because its a manual. Its still a dog in the summer with the a/c on.

For me, I think 200 hp is where the fun starts. Thats probably the baseline for my next car.
 
Drivers:
1996 XR7 Cougar V8 - 205hp stock probably 270hp when sold
1999 Mercury Marquis - 200hp
2004 Ranger 4.0L - 207hp
2007 Silverado Z71 - 315hp
2006 Mercury Marquis - 239hp stock probably 275hp now

Toys:
2007 Mustang GT 300hp stock 340 at the wheels when sold
1990 Mustang - 225hp

Winter beaters:
1994 Mercury Marquis - 190hp
1992 Buick regal - 140hp

Not including the wifes cars
 
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First car: 1974 Monte Carlo 350 2V: 145 net hp
Current commuter: 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 with MS CAI: 287 net hp
Next car will likely have 300+ hp- I'm seriously bored...
 
hp does not indicate the fun had behind the wheel.

I have rented many vehicles. In all those years I've realised that the cars that were cheaper and with less hp, were the ones that were far more enjoyable to drive to it's limits (which are far less than a high hp car).

My daily driver is fun. I don't get any speeding tickets with it because sub compact cars from the last 10 years EASILY out perform it in straight line power and speed (not to mention they are far more fuel efficient).

I choose to have my fun going around corners and enjoying the handling and pushing it to it's primitive limits. Its fun, yet I'm able to keep the cops off my bumper
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'79 VW Rabbit 65hp
'80 VW Rabbit 65hp
'89 Nissan P/U 106hp
'92 Geo Storm GSI 140hp
'98 Ford Ranger 160hp
'98 Chevy Silverado 255hp
'99 S10 Blazer 190hp
'01 Chevy Silverado 340hp
'07 Dodge Ram 325hp
'07 Chevy Tahoe 315hp
'10 Jeep Wrangler 205hp
'11 Subaru Outback 170hp
'11 Chevy Silverado 397hp
'13 Honda CRV 185hp
 
Oh this is depressing

Among the many cars I have owned, (in 30 years I still have not owned a new car) the Mazda and PT Cruiser appear to have the most horsepower. 220. (rated...the Chrysler is widely believed to have a sandbagged number. It's probably actually closer to 250)

1996 Mustang GT : 215 hp
1965 Impala Turbo-Fire 283: 185 hp (felt like more)
1983 Oldsmobile 98 Regency: 140 hp (felt like less)
1996 Integra GS-R: 170 hp
2001 Eclipse GT: 200 hp

21.gif
when I wanted to go fast, I did it on two wheels.
 
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