How much is too much?

I think 200-250bhp is enough to cover any and all situations where you might want to have a bit of fun as well as every day overtaking/joining motorways.

Depends on weight, so maybe 0-60 is a better measure. My current car is relatively heavy so with 270~bhp that only equates to 6.2s.
 
The 252ps A4 I had was plenty quick enough for me (5.9 0-60), but my current 150bhp 2.0 TDI does a fine job of getting me around and up to speed without ringing it's neck

My next car has the 252ps engine and that will be plenty considering its a heavier car.

In general I'd like at least 200bhp.
 
Another criteria are the passengers - if you have 250Kg of passengers even a meagre 150bhp car seems tardy and handling degrades;
I don't know what weight they are typically considering for usual 50-70, 0-60 measures
 
jpaul said:
Another criteria are the passengers - if you have 250Kg of passengers even a meagre 150bhp car seems tardy and handling degrades;
I don't know what weight they are typically considering for usual 50-70, 0-60 measures
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presumably an average weight driver, or just whoever they have that does the testing.

passengers do make a difference, although probably more of a perception issue if you're used to driving with just yourself
 
With a few modifications my Octavia was around 150 bhp / ton and that was plenty quick enough for me. My MX-5 is around 130 bhp / ton and is easier to explore it's potential on the road. It also helps that it magnifies the sense of speed.

On the flip side the 70 bhp \ ton of my Passat often feels out gunned in daily use.
 
The cars I've had most fun in have been 140-200hp, light, RWD.

A heavier car, but with more power doesn't usually feel better to drive or handle as well. Weight is more important than power.

Also you can improve an engine's power quite easily and cheaply. But it's hard to make a chassis better.
 
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Having gone from 140hp/tonne to 280hp/tonne somewhere in the middle (200hp/tonne) is the sweet spot

140hp/tonne was still "slow" enough that gear selection/planning was needed for B road overtakes, whereas the other end of the spectrum makes it far too easy to be doing well north of speed limits
 
Have 326, moved up from 100bhp, and not once have i really wanted any more than 326 :) I always wanted more than 100 though.

I do often use the words 'stupid fast' to describe the 340i though, and it has scared me two or three times when I've booted it off a roundabout in Sport mode in second and it's actually been able to get the power down without slip.
 
DAIR said:
Couldn't give two poops about mpg.

As for your question. I think it depends on the following

1. The weight of the car - 250bhp in a car weighing around 1000kg or less is more than enough.

2. The wheels being driven - FWD, AWD or RWD
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Which cars weight 1000kg or less and has 250bhp ? :confused:
 
Frozennova said:
Give a little leniency to the weight and a good majority of MK1/MK2 MX5 meets the criteria. Mine was 1060kg with just over half a tank of fuel at Ti Motorsport
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But they have no where near 250bhp without real major tuning or turbo charging , Fitting different engine etc
 
chaparral said:
But they have no where near 250bhp without real major tuning or turbo charging etc
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Nobody said anything about it not being modified.

Plenty of stuff that'll you find at that weight and power that has been modified.

20VT swapped MK1/2 golfs
Turbo Mx5s
B18 Minis
MK1/2/3/4 Escorts with tunes CVHs/YBs
 
chaparral said:
Which cars weight 1000kg or less and has 250bhp ? :confused:
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Perhaps I should've said "circa 250bhp". Either way it was just an extreme example.

And to answer your question. Something like the caterham 620R weighs in at well under 1000kg and has well over 250bhp.
 
BHP per ton is a useful metric, but the nature of the engine is important, i.e. forced versus natural aspiration. My car has 160bhp/ton and it has plenty of effortless shove in most scenarios when on the move, but it would be very different if, say, a Honda S2000 engine (same displacement and peak power output) was placed in a car weighing the same (~1.5t).
 
It's funny - the OP posts about the question of whether we are becoming power snobs, and then DAIR comes in and starts talking about 250bhp in a 1000kg car. Point proven methinks! :D
 
Lol you calling me a BHP snob?

Need i remind you. I ditched a M135i for a MINI GP.

I was just pointing out that a car's weight plays an important part in all this.
 
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