What makes us want more POWER?

[Virdi]

Question:

What makes us want more power?

Do you think it’s the speed that is addictive?

…or the adrenalin rush we get with the acceleration

 

[Confused]

Boredom.

 

[shauncr91]

Because it's fun.

 

[paradigm]

Boredom.

First thing that came to my lips when I read the thread title.

However having owned a more powerful car (Leon Cupra R), and then buying a slightly less powerful car (noticably slower in a straight line), it became apparent that power is nothing without control. The 330d although down on power, is the better (and more fun) car.

I'm no longer purely addicted to power upgrades, and my next car will most likely still have less power than my LCR made.

 

[Phate]

…or the adrenalin rush we get with the acceleration

This, it's like anything. You get a buzz out of it...then the buzz wears off and you want it again.

 

[Virdi]

Boredom... as in you get bored with 'what you have'...?

...or just 'bored' in life?

 

[Peerzy]

It's acceleration for me. I can do 140mph~ in my car if I wanted, very few cars will do more than 155mph so not that much more, yet you can get much faster accelerating cars which makes all the difference.

 

[paradigm]

Boredom... as in you get bored with 'what you have'...?

This.

 

[degen]

It's because eventually you just get used to the acceleration of your current car and you want that feeling of fast acceleration back again.

It's acceleration for me. I can do 140mph~ in my car if I wanted, very few cars will do more than 155mph so not that much more, yet you can get much faster accelerating cars which makes all the difference.

140 in a Bravo? Bit realistic isn't it?

 

[Clarkey]

Just like a drug really, it's exciting to begin with but you become accustomed to it and need to increase the dosage to keep the same excitement.
In the same way as drugs, it's ultimately just a waste of money and detrimental to your health when you end up crashing.

 

[[TW]Fox]

140 in a Bravo? Bit realistic isn't it?

He thinks its some sort of super wicked tuned Bravo, leave him be

 

[metamorphpwner]

personally i like the acceleration, i drive a 1.4 which isn't bad, but when i get in my dads 2.0l turbo mondeo and i put my foot down it's so much better than mine. it's not about top speed because obviously i'd kill me/someone else or get arrested for it.
there's always a time/place to do it.

 

[Maccapacca]

Willy waving? very few use the power they have available for normal driving

 

[Witor]

Subjective question...and ignoring all other factors.

Personally, more power for more acceleration. Ultimate top end speed is not something im too bothered about.

 

[Moeks]

It makes up for my inadequacy in other areas of life ...I don't know really, I just like the feeling of power. I used to get quite a kick out of it, when I got my first 'proper' grown up car, which was a BMW 330CI (I had 3 cars before that but they were all 4 pots and 2 of them were diesel) ...but really since then it's just become normal. I've been fortunate enough to be around some very nice and very powerful cars in my life to date so I know that a 330CI while being a quick car isn't actually amazingly fast at all. I guess circa 3 litres and 200+ bhp seems normal to me rather than exceptional.

The most powerful car I have had myself was the BMW 540i which I just last week got rid of, it was quick no doubt, but I never found it's speed addictive, it just wasn't quick enough compared to cars I had already had to give me that buzz, I actually got more of a buzz in a strange sort of way from driving the less powerful and slower Jag I had before it and I do again from the even less powerful one I have now, although the Jag buzz is for a different reason, it just makes me feel happy ..it doesn't need to be fast.

I think to get me back into the power and speed 'buzz zone' (terrible phrase I know but it's the best I can come up with right now, even if it does sound like a committee catchphrase) I need to go over 330+ bhp ...sub 6 second 0-60 now. This is expensive to do with the kind of cars I like, I know it can be done with an Impreza or something like that, but I wouldn't want to drive a car like that normally as a day to day method of transport.

Really I would like to have 2 cars now, one luxury car for every day driving (the Jag) ...with 'enough' power but it doesn't need to be epic. And a 400bhp+ muscle car that can scare you silly going sideways while sounding like the coming of Ragnarok. Relaxation and practicality in one package, and entertainment in another. I can't afford to do this at the moment though of course, so I have to choose.

 

[Confused]

Boredom... as in you get bored with 'what you have'...?

Yup.

Luckily, I also have access to (and drive on a semi-regular basis) a mk1 MX-5, which is "only" a 130bhp 1.8, - but handles well - so when I jump in my ~280bhp twin-turbo, 4WD Legnum VR-4, I can experience that huge acceleration difference again (although, my VR-4 also handles very well due to it's electronic doohickery!)

This alone is probably enough for me to stay happy with my car as it is.

If I was driving it, and only it, every single day, then I imagine I'd get bored more easily of the level of power and acceleration.

 

[Vonhelmet]

That thing between your legs.

 

[Peerzy]

He thinks its some sort of super wicked tuned Bravo, leave him be

It is

In all seriousness in terms of cars it's not the best but it's not bad either. It's done me for 2 years, been cheap to run and insure, not lost much money and given me a fairly good introduction to 'warm hatches'. I've enjoyed all the toys with it and in terms of what else I could have got for the money and insured at 18/19 I'm still happy with it - I'm not 18/19 anymore though so am looking to change pretty sharpish.

Right now though I'm totally feeling the quicker I get out of it the better.

@degen - I've had 139mph out of it (GPS).

 

[ci_newman]

So I can be faster than you

 

[naefeart]

So that I don't have to prove I am better than you lot out on the road