OK, let me qualify the question:
How much HP (and torque for that matter) is "too much" for a car that could be used as a daily driver (i.e. not the track or strip)? And by "too much", I mean so much that the driver is likely to get him/herself into trouble due to the car's inability to handle said power well - due to lack of electronic aids capable of taking advantage of the power, the limits of current tire compound and suspension/frame technology?
OK, that's a big qualifier, but hopefully you get the gist. I believe the GT500 is probably at the upper limit. There is no way an average driver can actually take advantage of all that power without getting into serious trouble. And the car is so dang fast that it invites trouble, and doesn't feel particularly composed when not pointed straight down the road (relative to other high performance cars). Don't get me wrong, I love it. But I think it's at the limit. Perhaps the limit could be pushed with better suspension and more grip (e.g. AWD), but with the sheer HP/torque on tap, I still think it's close to maxed out.
700hp - with today's technological limitations - is probably about as much as a manufacturer can put out "stock" without creating an unusable monster. Yes, I realize weight etc. matters - but for a typical sports (or sporty luxury) car weighing let's say 3-4,000 lbs, I think that's pretty close to the max.
Am pretty sure plenty of European brands could easily churn out 700, 800 or even 900 hp in their high end cars (think Ferrari, Lamborghini, Merc AMG, BMW M, Porsche etc.), but I think they're purposefully holding back. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if we see HP numbers dialed back a but over time and greater focus placed on weight, handling and even - gulp - fuel consumption.
Thoughts?
How much HP (and torque for that matter) is "too much" for a car that could be used as a daily driver (i.e. not the track or strip)? And by "too much", I mean so much that the driver is likely to get him/herself into trouble due to the car's inability to handle said power well - due to lack of electronic aids capable of taking advantage of the power, the limits of current tire compound and suspension/frame technology?
OK, that's a big qualifier, but hopefully you get the gist. I believe the GT500 is probably at the upper limit. There is no way an average driver can actually take advantage of all that power without getting into serious trouble. And the car is so dang fast that it invites trouble, and doesn't feel particularly composed when not pointed straight down the road (relative to other high performance cars). Don't get me wrong, I love it. But I think it's at the limit. Perhaps the limit could be pushed with better suspension and more grip (e.g. AWD), but with the sheer HP/torque on tap, I still think it's close to maxed out.
700hp - with today's technological limitations - is probably about as much as a manufacturer can put out "stock" without creating an unusable monster. Yes, I realize weight etc. matters - but for a typical sports (or sporty luxury) car weighing let's say 3-4,000 lbs, I think that's pretty close to the max.
Am pretty sure plenty of European brands could easily churn out 700, 800 or even 900 hp in their high end cars (think Ferrari, Lamborghini, Merc AMG, BMW M, Porsche etc.), but I think they're purposefully holding back. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if we see HP numbers dialed back a but over time and greater focus placed on weight, handling and even - gulp - fuel consumption.
Thoughts?
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