What does 600bhp feel like?

Dominic-Toretto · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:28

Title really, what does 600bhp feel like, say compared to a car that has 400bhp, is there a noticeable step in performance, does it push you back in the seat way harder? Is it worth it for a car that will only see road use? Or is it only useful for willy waving and pub talk?

I noticed a massive difference going from 340 to 400bhp, when will the noticeable effects from power increases start to tail off?

sovietspybob · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:32

Depends what its in i guess, an extreme example is a caterham or a lorry? Will make a fair bit of difference.

Dominic-Toretto · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:32

sovietspybob said:
Depends what its in i guess, an extreme example is a caterham or a lorry? Will make a fair bit of difference.

A 1600kg GT car

Lashout_UK · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:33

Depends on the person, too. Some perceive speed and acceleration in very different ways. Then there's the torque difference to consider, the rest of the powertrain, the method of engine aspiration, etc.

You'd certainly notice the difference in a 1600kg car, though, in any case. Look at it this way: that's a 50 per cent increase in power.

Shadowness · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:35

Similar to what I posted in the broken DSG thread. Having come from 230hp to 340hp, I really can't see why you'd need much more tbh (on our roads).

If you're on track then it's a different story, as long as you can actually drive and use that power without binning it.

LiE · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:35

AlphaMale1 said:
what does 600bhp feel like

Probably a bit like this..

sovietspybob · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:48

The most powerful i've driven is a 300~BHP car at about 1200kg and i found that too fast for the roads a lot of the time, i could see the argument for around 400 just about. Anything more is just silly for road use, track is a different thing (even though i don't really see the 'fun' in really big power cars on track for the most part) but i think it'd just tempt you in to driving in a dangerous manor on the road and doing overtakes that aren't really safe or necessary.

I found i'd pull back in after overtaking a car and you'd be doing a silly number so quickly, you really had to make a conscious effort to not go too fast everywhere.

crinkleshoes · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:49

Torque makes more of a difference to how acceleration feels than bhp. Especially in a heavyish GT car.

For example, despite being a lighter car, 500bhp in a Porsche 911 GT3 from its NA 4.0L flat 6 will feel slower than 500bhp in a Mercedes C63 from its 4.0L twin turbo v8.

glenimp617 · 20 Aug 2019 at 12:55

Fastest car I've owned has been 340bhp and if I'm honest, on UK roads....it's a waste.

I watched an M2 yesterday in traffic who put his foot down and went like a bat out of hell.....for 3 seconds till the lights changed to red and he had to hit the brakes.

Maybe I'm just getting old.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:00

crinkleshoes said:
Torque makes more of a difference to how acceleration feels than bhp. Especially in a heavyish GT car.

For example, despite being a lighter car, 500bhp in a Porsche 911 GT3 from its NA 4.0L flat 6 will feel slower than 500bhp in a Mercedes C63 from its 4.0L twin turbo v8.

Exactly, slam your foot down at peak Torque and slam your foot down at peak BHP

Torque wins races, BHP sells cars

theone8181 · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:05

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Exactly, slam your foot down at peak Torque and slam your foot down at peak BHP

Torque wins races, BHP sells cars

Altough i suspect a gt3 will be quicker round a race track than a C63

.

DereksDontRun · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:10

it kinda depends if you're after acceleration or top speed. Power really helps at the top end, when overcoming aerodynamic drag, but you don't necessarily need high power for quick acceleration, that's more power/weight instead of just high power numbers...

My M135i was about 325bhp - it was quick, especially with the ZF auto. But at 1.4 ton it's about 232bhp/ton

But, I've also built a Westfield Mega S2000 kitcar - that's 247bhp (Jap F20C) in approx 600kg... so approx 400bhp/ton... that's quick on a different level...

Top speed the M135i would have it, but off the line and round most tracks the Westfield would run rings.

Burned_Alive · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:14

I can only compare from a point of view of a 640hp sports car versus a 230hp run of the mill coupe. I daily drive a 330D, but have driven a McLaren 650s on public roads and nothing in between.

The only way I can describe it is that it felt like a spaceship compared to the BMW. It accelerated so fast, I forgot to change gear fast enough the first few times and bounced it off the limiter. Mind blowing performance. While the car itself was very driveable, the actual power level is completely unusable on a public road day to day, so a bit pointless. Getting back into my BMW after felt like driving a pedal car.

EDIT: Actually have driven an MP4-12C as well, but they're basically 600hp also.

ci_newman · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:18

BHP or torque / tonne is probably a better indicator.

200bhp in a Caterham would feel vastly different to 300bhp in a Porsche

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:21

Torque provides the acceleration, BHP the top speed

People forget BHP is a function of Torque.

Its really obvious if you ever drove an early high BHP turbo. They typically had low torque then a massive spike where the high power was. You needed to keep them in the high torque area or they were horrible.
Modern turbos have far flatter torque curves so the keeping it within the key area of the torque output from the engine is easier.

chaparral · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:35

AlphaMale1 said:
Title really, what does 600bhp feel like, say compared to a car that has 400bhp, is there a noticeable step in performance, does it push you back in the seat way harder? Is it worth it for a car that will only see road use? Or is it only useful for willy waving and pub talk?

I noticed a massive difference going from 340 to 400bhp, when will the noticeable effects from power increases start to tail off?

It can also feel really different due to where you're driving

Flooring on a huge open straight road compared to flooring it down a small narrow bumpy bendy lane

Chris1712 · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:38

Rest of the drivetrain is super important aswell. 600bhp with AWD and a dual clutch gearbox? Absolutely ballistic.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:40

Chris1712 said:
Rest of the drivetrain is super important aswell. 600bhp with AWD and a dual clutch gearbox? Absolutely ballistic.

No no no, its supposed to be RWD and a manual, thats the only way! do you not keep up with OCUK motors threads?

LiE · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:43

Chris1712 said:
Rest of the drivetrain is super important aswell. 600bhp with AWD and a dual clutch gearbox? Absolutely ballistic.

Even 400 in this setup is stupidly quick for the road.

video for fun - https://youtu.be/_6OEyl1pII0?t=125

Nasher · 20 Aug 2019 at 13:44

Eventually you will reach a point where the car just cant put the power down. That isnt a whole lot on UK roads...

600 in a Caterham would basically be suicidal.