How much HP is enough??????

[John McIntire]

We all know the answer that there really never is enough horsepower, but for a nice all around driveable car, how much is enough? 350? 400? 450? I've been thinking about this, maybe just building a plane jane stock looking car with a few "upgrades" to bring it up to par, such as better brakes and a little more power.
So basically the question is, how much power is enough for the street in a real world situation?

[nekkidhillbilly]

350 rwhp

which hp is just a number

350 rw tq would be more of my thing

[bigvegan]

What do you mean by real world?

A significant number of the V-8 musclecars of days gone by left the factory with less than 250hp. (The base 1975 Corvette put out 165hp, the upgraded engine had 210.)

Most stock 4 cylinder 100-120hp econoboxes these days can go 100-110mph no problem.

1 hp per cubic inch used to be the standard to strive for, now it seems to be 100hp per liter or more.

It all depends on your goals, but to have a classic that you won't be embarrassed in, 250rwhp is probably enough to get you started.

More is always better though.

[Boyd]

I really don't have an informed answer for you, but I like the question. It's sort of in the same vein as the "what is the best wheel size for all-around performance" question. (Which I think most of us agreed was 17".)

IMO, I'd say between 350-400 rwhp/tq is plenty for "everyday performance".

[70bird]

A better question may be: How much is too much?

I personaly don't know the answer to that one, but I can tell you I have had a couple motors with over 450 at the crank and they felt real fast at first, but later left me looking for more!

Hmmm, I just realized I may have a problem.

Seriously, good all around street motor, 450 lbs/ft @ 3500 will feel real good and have nice street manners.
JMHO

[pist0lpete]

I think for a street car 500 rwhp is reaching the limit of what is truly useable on the street. Of course there are different variations of this. A Kenne Bell blower on an LS1 that makes 450 ft/lbs rwtq at 2300 rpms with a max of 540 ft/lbs rwtq is going to be much less streetable than a naturally aspirated small block 406 that has to rev to 6000 to make 500 ft/lbs rwtq. Also the same power is different on cars that weigh differently and have room for more or less tire. I think 500 is a workable number though. That doesn't mean more isn't alot of fun...

[RSX302]

I agree with all the answers. You can get in a lot of trouble with just a few hundred horsepower let alone 500. It's all about the right foot, how often it's used and where you use it. Mr Police man can care less about horsepower. Weather it's 10mph over the speed limit or 110. Ticket or Jail Time...

On the 'I'll get away with it on the street' side of the coin, I personally feel 500hp-500ft/lbs flywheel for a street car is about the most you want to go with. Provided you've done your homework and spent the money to ensure your stuff holds together your tires will hate you. Cus your gonna use it!

I had 400 rwft/lbs in a 93 Mustang with pretty good hookup and it did 0 to the speed limit fast enough for a cop to notice and chase me down. (no tire spin either) Boy was he pissed. (I didn’t get a ticket) I think he was waiting for me to fess up to it…

[Larry Callahan]

I agree with all the answers. You can get in a lot of trouble with just a few hundred horsepower let alone 500. It's all about the right foot, how often it's used and where you use it. Mr Police man can care less about horsepower. Weather it's 10mph over the speed limit or 110. Ticket or Jail Time...

On the 'I'll get away with it on the street' side of the coin, I personally feel 500hp-500ft/lbs flywheel for a street car is about the most you want to go with. Provided you've done your homework and spent the money to ensure your stuff holds together your tires will hate you. Cus your gonna use it!

I had 400 rwft/lbs in a 93 Mustang with pretty good hookup and it did 0 to the speed limit fast enough for a cop to notice and chase me down. (no tire spin either) Boy was he pissed. (I didn’t get a ticket) I think he was waiting for me to fess up to it…

Uh, Ron... I have been in your car. It has enough HP to scare the %^&%$ out of me. LOL!

[cheapthrillz]

I really dont think that this question is appropriate. When you have 200hp in a sloppy car versus 500hp in a sloppy car, then it is still a sloppy car! I think we can all agree that hp is not the main objective of pro-touring. A 250hp car can outrun a 500hp if it is set up correctly, granted you aren't drag racing, which still this idea could apply.

My opinion is just that having a car that handles and rides very well is much more fun to drive than a car that has a ton of body roll or just a plain sloppy suspension.

But then again, finding that happy medium between the suspension and the power of the car is the main objective. I had a '89 non-turbo Supra that had way less hp than my '86 camaro, but the Supra was so much more fun to drive because it handled so well.

If I had to put a number on it though, using street tires, I would say about 450 hp would be a great number for the street.

[RSX302]

Yea..and I feel it's to much for the street...

By the way...its got more horsepower now then when you rode in it last.. Too Damn Fun!!!

[RSX302]

You need another ride Larry!

[Larry Callahan]

I do and this I need to bring my video camera.

[cheapthrillz]

I think the more appropriate question to ask maybe is:

What is a good power to weight ratio?

For all intensive purposes, i think that this is the question that should be discussed.

[Boesch]

Take a Miata out to a track day and you'll have a ton of fun. There's not much HP there but the weight and handling sure make it fun. Take a new C6 corvette to the track day...also a lot of fun. If you know how to drive the corvette, it will run circles around the miata.

Personally I'd say it really depends on your budget. If you can hit 500HP then you'll have a car that definitely feels fast. Can you use more...sure, just make sure you don't skimp on the suspension and brakes though so you can take advantage of all your HP.

[monza]

545 rwhp is a good amount, yes even enough.

[Nine Ball]

I prefer my daily drivers to have about ~500 rwhp. Anything beyond that just becomes more effort to manage. Hard runs through the gears usually just end up as hazed tires beyond that, through the first three gears.

Drivability has nothing to do with HP however. My 550 rwhp GTO and the 670 rwhp Viper drive like they are 100% stock. That is the benefit of forced induction, you don't get the quirky manners of an overcammed engine with loud exhaust. I prefer them on the quiet side, without drivability issues, and fast. Loud SLOW cars annoy me.

Tony

[rohrt]

Your driving a 72 Chevelle so I would agree with the 450 HP at the crank would fit your criteria of an all around fun driver.

One thing to keep in mind is that getting 450hp from a sb350 is different then the 450hp from a 454. Lots of torque is what is fun and needed on the street.

My brothers 69 GTO conv has a 462 pont with 450+hp and 500ft-lb of torque and even with the 9" slicks has no problem burning the hides off the tires through first and second. Runs mid 12 with out NOS.

[fiorano]

this debate will never have an answer as opinion and ability limit the thinking.
usable, raceable, practical...
Can-Am had regularly 1100hp (and lord knows how much torque) porsche 917 (flat 12)
the current Audi r10 LMP has 800ft.lbs of torque at 1000rpm
crazy but these seem to go well

trans-am racers (GT1) run around 500-600 hp i think and are a hand ful and great racing when they were around.

street cars can get you in trouble with 100 hp
Touring car racers are avg. at 275-300 hp and 250ftlbs torque
Nascar is pushing on shorttracks 850hp and 450 ft lbs of torque
champ cars same thing (turbo cosworth V8 XFE!)

but classic racers and tough street car adn great fun always has at the 450 hp/torque numbers to 650 max anything more is not really a drivable car but a salt flat racer or 1/4 miler..

how fast do you want ot go? and do you plan on turning?
for every dime you put in the engine put 1/2 as muchinto braking-
and about as much into suspension.

[rohrt]

To me the debate is fun. Its about finding the gray area between a car being to slow to show off and to fast to meet the nice all around driveable car.
I don't think I would have as much fun just crusing the ave in a 700hp big block if I didn't have any vacume for the brakes and the car kept overheating.

[Damn True]

Seriously, the Audi R-8 that won Lemans multiple times had 520hp (I dunno what the R-10 has). That car runs large x huge gummy slicks, has tons of downforce and a vastly more sophisticated suspension than any of our cars AND none of us has the skills of a Tom Kristensen.