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neon4891
neon4891 Dork
8/2/08 3:40 p.m.

All my vehicles have been 2.0L I4's w/5spd.

geomiata
geomiata Reader
8/2/08 4:48 p.m.

55hp in teh geo (getting 42mpg on a regular basis) 110hp in 4wd camry.

Tim Baxter
Tim Baxter Online Editor
8/2/08 6:05 p.m.
billy3esq wrote: With the exception of a brief fling with an E36 M3, my wife's Mazda 6 wagon is the fastest (in a straight line) and most powerful car I've ever owned. I honestly believe that anything much over 200hp in a street car is a waste. All 3 of my current vehicles ('96 Miata, Focus SVT, and 3 litre Ranger) are sub-200hp.

I'll go a step further... I think for about 98% of the vehicles out there, anything more than 150 hp is probably a waste.

Luke
Luke Dork
8/2/08 8:57 p.m.

My Alfa was 130hp stock. I'd like to think it has 160 horses now. But probably closer to 150.

My Fiat has a factory quoted output of just 23hp. Can anyone go lower than 23?

93gsxturbo
93gsxturbo New Reader
8/4/08 9:19 a.m.

Lowest HP, 72 Fiat 850 Spyder Highest HP, 90 Eagle Talon TSi AWD (not stock, 420 horse on pump gas sick ass daily driver)

confuZion3
confuZion3 HalfDork
8/4/08 10:07 a.m.

My Mustang (1992) had about 240 HP when I was done with making it breathe better. It was fast enough to keep me happy and in all the years I owned it, and I never got a ticket.

Oddly enough, with each car I buy, I drop HP like it's a bad habit. 240 in the Mustang to 170 in the Z3 to 130 or whatever the Miata has.

I rode in a 650 HP 300ZX yesterday that was just nuts. The driver rolled into the throttle in second gear and the tires just burst into smoke. I want one.

Chris_V
Chris_V SuperDork
8/4/08 10:28 a.m.
Tim Baxter wrote:
billy3esq wrote: With the exception of a brief fling with an E36 M3, my wife's Mazda 6 wagon is the fastest (in a straight line) and most powerful car I've ever owned. I honestly believe that anything much over 200hp in a street car is a waste. All 3 of my current vehicles ('96 Miata, Focus SVT, and 3 litre Ranger) are sub-200hp.
I'll go a step further... I think for about 98% of the vehicles out there, anything more than 150 hp is probably a waste.

I disagree. I'd put that number at about half, not 98%. I've owned a street car with a mere 28 hp, and I've owned a few over 500 hp. My current daily has almost 300 hp, and anything less would feel way too weak (BMW 740iL). I lived with my 330 RWHP RX7 on the street for a number of years, and it always felt about perfect in it's 2700 lbs.

Yavuz
Yavuz New Reader
8/4/08 1:24 p.m.

Lowest hp: My old Geo Metro at around 55hp.

Highest hp: My current daily driver SRT4 with at least 350-375whp. I haven't had it on a dyno since the slew of upgrades I have put on it recently, but that's a solid estimate.

Highest hp I've ever driven: Benz SL55 AMG

confuZion3
confuZion3 HalfDork
8/4/08 1:34 p.m.

My next car must have at least 300 hp or or a power to weight ratio of at least 10 pounds per HP (10:1).

I'm tired of always going slow.

Salanis
Salanis Dork
8/4/08 1:38 p.m.

Click and Clack once suggested a 6% hp/weight ratio for street cars. Although they are hardly spirited drivers, I think that actually makes decent sense for a street car.

I believe the 3rd gen MR2 and the Mini Cooper S both come right in at the 6% mark.

For a 3500lbs car (I figure that's average for a sedan now), 6% would be 210hp.

Now that I'm not using the M for track duty, I kinda feel like 240hp is overkill, since I pretty much never tap it.

billy3esq
billy3esq Dork
8/4/08 2:26 p.m.
Salanis wrote: Click and Clack once suggested a 6% hp/weight ratio for street cars. Although they are hardly spirited drivers, I think that actually makes decent sense for a street car. ... Now that I'm not using the M for track duty, I kinda feel like 240hp is overkill, since I pretty much never tap it.

Seems pretty reasonable. My Miata comes in just under 6%, while the SVT Focus and my wife's 6 are just over.

Interestingly, my E36 M3 (i.e., my 1998 model M3) is what convinced me of my rough 200hp rule.

Chris_V
Chris_V SuperDork
8/4/08 2:33 p.m.

Hmm. my V8 RX7 was 12%, and my 740iL is about 7 percent. But it could stand to have an other hundred hp and be fun and still be a good daily driver, so...

Strizzo
Strizzo Dork
8/4/08 3:02 p.m.
billy3esq wrote: Interestingly, my E36 M3 is what convinced me of my rough 200hp rule.

took me a couple of reads to figure out how your poop convinced you of your 200hp rule

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/4/08 4:46 p.m.

The most powerful vehicle I've ever owned is the AE92, which would have put out 95hp on a good day when it was brand new.

billy3esq
billy3esq Dork
8/4/08 4:52 p.m.
Strizzo wrote:
billy3esq wrote: Interestingly, my E36 M3 is what convinced me of my rough 200hp rule.
took me a couple of reads to figure out how your poop convinced you of your 200hp rule

I edited it to make it clear that I was talking about a BMW and not a BM.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
8/4/08 5:06 p.m.
Strizzo wrote:
billy3esq wrote: Interestingly, my E36 M3 is what convinced me of my rough 200hp rule.
took me a couple of reads to figure out how your poop convinced you of your 200hp rule

that would all depend on what he ate the day before, non?

ignorant
ignorant SuperDork
8/4/08 6:16 p.m.

I've never owned a v8 or an engine over 150 horse.

MrJoshua
MrJoshua Dork
8/4/08 6:22 p.m.
ignorant wrote: I've never owned a v8 or an engine over 150 horse.

Which makes me take your-"we need to consume less" comments in other threads more seriously. No sarcasm intended-I respect the fact that you aren't an obvious hypocrite.

That said-man you are missing some fun cars!

Wait-youre a diesel guy right? Your 150hp could mean 400ft/lbs of torque. So maybe you arent missing out as much as I thought!

Volksroddin
Volksroddin Reader
8/4/08 6:58 p.m.

My wife's Focus wagon 140 I think? My beetle (1970) maybe 70ish there are still a couple of bolt-on I would like to thoe. BTW the beetle is still alot more fun to drive than the Focus..

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