What Is the Right Amount of Horsepower?

[2002#3]

BAT poses an interesting question today:  What is the right amount of horsepower? 

WARNING:  Some of the answers might be disturbing and inappropriate for FAQers.

 

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[tzei]

Sounds about right.

[TobyB]

oh, dear.

 

That's like asking what's your favorite color.

And your favorite vacation spot.

 

Spoiler alert:

300 bhp in an E30 is really nice.

300 bhp in my Ferd Eff Free Fiddy is just... meh.

Unless it has 700 ft- lbs of torque.

 

wait- torques?  what are those?

 

t

thinks they asked the wrong question, 

and is a sucker for just the right shade of purple.

Edited February 17 by TobyB

[Dudeland]

If you keep stockish guts,  from what i can glean, the most you want to have is about 175 is to the wheels (say 225 at the crank).  I am learning and living vicariously through and from my track day friends.

 

After that hp stuff breaks and unless you re-think the driveline, brakes and suspension it will be a constant grind to keep things in working order, and handling correctly. 

 

With that amount of HP, you can keep up with a Camary... maybe. 

 

The goal, for me is have something that can be serviced after I am gone. 

 

 

 

 

[uai]

I think the right amount of horsepower is so that you're able to floor it in 50% of turns after the apex.

[tech71]

277.755 CDBHP

Edited February 17 by tech71

[Dudeland]

2 hours ago, TobyB said:

 

 

wait- torques?  what are those?

 

 

Torques=   American Toques 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Son of Marty]

Yeah Toby, now take off ya hoser.

[ray_]

5 hours ago, tech71 said:

277.755 CDBHP

If you take enough CDB, I think 7 is enough.

 

What? Oh...

 

[chargin]

Everyone knows the answer to the question is: N + 20hp

 

[TobyB]

dayumn, that is sexy...

 

Quote

with a Camary...

damn the 80s.  damn them to hell.

 

t

 

 

[Son of Marty]

The right amount of HP is what you can put down onto the asphalt plus 10hp, everything else is bullshit.

[Preyupy]

I think Mark Donahue had the right answer.  When asked if 1500 hp in his Porsche 917/30 Can Am car was “too much” he said “if you can spin the tires all the way from the apex of one corner to the braking point for the next corner, you have ENOUGH Horsepower. There is no such thing as too much”

[conkitchen]

Insert here something funny about Canadian woman, what's enough, men wanting more, and CBD oil plus a little neighbor's pool action.  

[tech71]

On 2/17/2024 at 5:45 PM, ray_ said:

If you take enough CDB, I think 7 is enough.

 

What? Oh...

 

Actually CDBHP stands for "Clydesdale Brake Horsepower" None of those wimpy Shetland ponies for me