What does 600bhp feel like?

[theone8181]

I've not googled recently, but don't rs3s have the cheaper 4wd system compared to the 4s and above. I don't know if its still Hardres but that might be why? Also taking a car beyond what it was designed with and then somehow it struggling with grip shouldn't really surprise anyone. Do the 4wd 3/4/5 series and merc equivalents have staggered setups or do they send 25% to each wheel?

 

[NVP]

All depends on the type of car and how it's set up. I was in a Polestar 1 a month or so back and it was a bit "meh" compared with, say, an AMG GT S.

 

[The Running Man]

Having driven an m3 comp with 444bhp and a Camaro zl1 650bhp on the roads outside Vegas I can say yes, you really do feel the extra bhp.

 

[zuludawn]

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

Torque wins races, BHP sells cars

So do I win 640Nm 404 Bhp though not sure about racing it

 

[MrRockliffe]

I was surprised to find it scrambling for grip in many scenarios when going wide open throttle

Ive driven a C63s in the wet, on a track and had no trouble putting all 612 BHP down - were you just planting your foot?

 

[Coowhan]

A 600bhp E63 is very quick. Sensation of speed is what your talking about. An E63 is a luxury big saloon car, it wont feel as fast as something lighter with less power but it is.

Can confirm I took my uncle's 2015 E63 out for a spin and he looked a bit offended when I told him my car FELT faster, he didn't believe me. Then he came out in mine and he did actually agree Guaranteed it wouldn't be as fast as the E63 but the sensation of speed in the seat was greater. I'm guessing that's a lot to do with weight and the fact its an E series luxury barge. Although my car being down almost 100bhp it will be a large chunk lighter and not as well built/insulated.

 

[ianh]

This is just an opinion so may not have any factual basis whatsoever -

In the same car with the same weight and the same torque figure adding 200hp will feel little difference apart from the time it takes, once you're above 110mph, to reach your top speed.

I've had cars with high BHP figures "feel" slower (despite actually being faster) than less powerful but higher torque figure cars. So for example my older '03 RS6 was mapped to 500hp & 600lbs/ft and when I test driving the newer '08 RS6 which had over 70hp extra but only 480lbs/ft that lower torque figure made the more powerful car "feel" slower even though it was actually faster.

I had a similar experience going from 730hp to 900hp in the same car. Now technically I only added an extra 73lbs/ft of torque so the acceleration initially still felt fairly similar but previously that acceleration "feel" died off rapidly past 5000prm as the OEM turbos couldn't keep up, dropping the torque from 750lbs/ft to only 518lbs/ft by redline. Yet with aftermarket turbo's which could keep up, the torque (and therefore acceleration feel) was kept until the redline making for a 250+lbs/ft difference between the two figures at redline. That made the car "feel" much, MUCH faster even though the peak torque figures were only 73lbs/ft apart.

 

[Housey]

585ps and 700nm in my GTR and it keeps pulling. It throws you down the road and keeps pushing. You’d feel the difference over say an A45 I assure you.

 

[Bear]

Ive driven a C63s in the wet, on a track and had no trouble putting all 612 BHP down - were you just planting your foot?

Unless the C63S was tuned, they don’t make 612bhp

I have an E63S and it doesn’t have any trouble putting the power down. The power delivery isn’t really peaky so maybe that’s why the A45 feels as fast (although I don’t know what the power delivery is like on an A45). I haven’t driven it close to what it is capable of as I would end up in prison as it limited to 186mph but as fast as I have driven it, it doesn’t stop pulling fiercely. It is a really fast car (all things relative).

I had an E43 before this which was 400bhp and it’s night and day compared to the E63S, the E63S is savage

 

[The Running Man]

585ps and 700nm in my GTR and it keeps pulling. It throws you down the road and keeps pushing. You’d feel the difference over say an A45 I assure you.

To be fair the GTR hides its weight and has a super fast gearbox. The fact that it does 0-60 in 3 seconds and the AMG in like 4 seconds is like 30% faster.

 

[Simon]

0-100 are the real performance numbers.

 

[dacads]

Can only compare driving 600BHP F90 M5 , to a 260BHP bmw 130i

didn’t drive enough or have the roads to test out really but the M5 is obviously mind boggling quick , too much power really and too easy .

130i more useable power and enjoyable and connected drive. Ironically sold my 130i because got used to the power but around 350bhp would probably be perfect

 

[The Running Man]

Can only compare driving 600BHP F90 M5 , to a 260BHP bmw 130i

didn’t drive enough or have the roads to test out really but the M5 is obviously mind boggling quick , too much power really and too easy .

130i more useable power and enjoyable and connected drive. Ironically sold my 130i because got used to the power but around 350bhp would probably be perfect

Thats why I have a 125i mapped at 250bhp and a 3000gt pushing 320bhp+

 

[MrRockliffe]

Unless the C63S was tuned, they don’t make 612bhp

My bad - mis read his post as C63.

The 63 I drove was stock so I guess it was “only” 510 BHP. Nevertheless, no traction issues what so ever - very easy to be smooth on the power.

Later on, the same day, I drove a GT R Pro and still found it fine in the wet

 

[Housey]

To be fair the GTR hides its weight and has a super fast gearbox. The fact that it does 0-60 in 3 seconds and the AMG in like 4 seconds is like 30% faster.

Not sure what that has to do anything. Get into big speeds and THAT is where power shows itself. 0-60 is for kids, pubs and Top Trumps. My point is big power shows itself when into big numbers. 0-60 is about putting power down and 1 change

 

[Rroff]

585ps and 700nm in my GTR and it keeps pulling. It throws you down the road and keeps pushing. You’d feel the difference over say an A45 I assure you.

It is interesting with my truck 228hp/550nm and about the same weight as a GTR, puts down a fairly broad band of torque between ~1200 and 2500RPM but peak horse power comes in later.

Gets off the line pretty decently but if you get behind one of those 40 MPH everywhere people it can take what seems an age to get going for an overtake but around 60-90 is where peak horse power sits and it will go through those numbers scarily quick.

Going by YT videos once you are much above 90 it isn't particularly rapid up to its top speed from there as the horse power drops off and probably gearing too.

 

[The Running Man]

Not sure what that has to do anything. Get into big speeds and THAT is where power shows itself. 0-60 is for kids, pubs and Top Trumps. My point is big power shows itself when into big numbers. 0-60 is about putting power down and 1 change

0-100mph is 6.8 seconds GTR vs 10 seconds A45, does that help?

 

[Housey]

0-100mph is 6.8 seconds GTR vs 10 seconds A45, does that help?

Not really but I’ve just driven 345 miles after 4 days of driving so bushed and very slow on the uptake

 

[robj20]

Fastest car I've driven was a Mazda RX7 that had a huge single turbo conversion with a screamer pipe.
It was nuts, it would slam you back in the seat and pin you there, shot flames out the side of the number where the screamer pipe was.
The thing I remember was how it just hit high speeds in no time like silly speeds.
My friend who's cart it was didn't have it for long because of how much attention it drew, screamer pipe are silly loud. Cost a fortune in fuel as well.

Doubt I'll ever drive a faster car.

 

[Unisol Magic]

585ps and 700nm in my GTR and it keeps pulling. It throws you down the road and keeps pushing.

I concur. Mine is 670bhp (LM20). It’s absolutely ferocious and quite terrifying when you really go for it