Finally somebody who makes sense

Porsche GT division boss talking about the nonsensical HP war

 

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/indu...ower-arms-race/

 

"He suggests future GT and RS models would prioritise weight-saving over chasing horsepower.

 

‘I think it’s not my engineering target to get 50bhp more every generation, I’d rather turn it around and make the car lighter again, a specific horsepower per kilo. I think that makes more sense.’

 

‘If I were a customer and the next RS had 20bhp less, I would say, “hey, come on, what’s that?”’ he says. ‘But we have to be more concentrated on the overall package, not just horsepower. This is not a dragster, it’s a track car.

 

‘There are plenty of dragsters on the market, big V8, twin turbo – boom, off you go. But [they] don’t turn.’

 

He has strong views on the ongoing Nurburgring Nordschleife production car lap time crusades, too. He suggests that rather than designing a car capable of a headline-grabbing time in the hands of a professional driver, making the chassis confidence-inspiring and fun to drive for mere mortals should be more important.

 

‘For me it’s important that everyone has fun with the car, can drive fast for his own capabilities, and get better with it. Maybe we could make a 7min 15sec car – it would be relatively easy – but then it would be a dog on the street. It’s about compromise.’"

Porsche GT division boss talking about the nonsensical HP war

 

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/indu...ower-arms-race/

 

Why not the best of both worlds??? The HP wars continue in the luxury sedan class while the sports cars move towards a weight race?

When I drove Kisco TTG it all nonsense made sense. Till then I would also wounder why would anyone need all that horse power. In reality 500hp is plenty if its a light car, but when you experience the power 1000hp+ then you would understand. If you dont at that point then maybe I'm crazy like all the other horsepower addicts. But honestly theres nothing like the feeling when at full boost/wide open throttle, it really is hard to explain.

There is no denying big HP is fun and addictive but lightness is what does it for me, one of my most unforgettable experiences in a car was driving a Caterham R500 Superlight , I can not describe how phenomenal it was to drive that car.

There is no denying big HP is fun and addictive but lightness is what does it for me, one of my most unforgettable experiences in a car was driving a Caterham R500 Superlight , I can not describe how phenomenal it was to drive that car.

I've never had the privilege of driving one of them yet, seems like it would whole different driving experience, im sure it was a blast and crazy power band. What I did experience was my guts about to ditch my body when Fadi was driving lol.

I've never had the privilege of driving one of them yet, seems like it would whole different driving experience, im sure it was a blast and crazy power band. What I did experience was my guts about to ditch my body when Fadi was driving lol.

 

Haha I love that description.

 

The R500 felt like it was wired to my brain, that's the best way I can describe it, I will look up some specs on it.

 

Edit:

 

516 kg, 263 HP, 0-60 2.88 seconds, power to weight 520 HP per tone

 

"The Superlight R500 series is the latest of Caterham Motorsport's Superlight series of RSA Racing cars. Powered by a 2.0-litre Ford Duratec engine producing maximum horsepower (bhp/rpm) of 263 bhp @ 8500rpm and maximum torque (lb.ft/rpm) of 177 lb.ft @ 7200rpm. With a weight of 506 kg (516 kg) and a sequential gearbox, it is capable of 0-60 mph in 2.88 seconds and a staggering power-to-weight ratio of 520 bhp-per-tonne. Advertised top speed 150 mph. The R500 has been made Top Gear car of the year 2008. In another appearance earlier in the series, it placed fifth on the Power Lap board with a 1:17.9. This time beat the €1,100,000 (£899,000/$1,550,000), 1001 hp Bugatti Veyron."

Wow! I think it was in top gear once. looked liked jeremys face was about to come off when he was driving it lol

Wow! I think it was in top gear once. looked liked jeremys face was about to come off when he was driving it lol

 

I remember seeing photos of his twisted face haha I thought he was driving an Atom at the time.

You will be a fan of the new Ford GT. Same philosophy. Not a ton of HP, but a heavy priority on performance through weight saving.

You will be a fan of the new Ford GT. Same philosophy. Not a ton of HP, but a heavy priority on performance through weight saving.

 

I am sold on that car on looks alone, I'd love to be able to get one over here.

Eh, I can see it both ways, and I guess a lot depends on the area you live in. If most of your driving is around the city, I would venture to say a 250hp mini-cooper is about the most damn fun you can have. But I also dearly love the obscene hp of turbo vipers and such.

 

They are just getting lazy, drop a couple hundred kilos AND add 50hp.

Eh, I can see it both ways, and I guess a lot depends on the area you live in. If most of your driving is around the city, I would venture to say a 250hp mini-cooper is about the most damn fun you can have. But I also dearly love the obscene hp of turbo vipers and such.

 

They are just getting lazy, drop a couple hundred kilos AND add 50hp.

 

Again on paper that sounds cool, but the reality is probably different.

 

You can never save enough weight or have enough braking, but too much hp is a realistic possibility.

 

Don't get me wrong, I too love ridiculous high HP machines in their own right but the guy is right, they're mostly one trick ponies past a certain point. A silly Hellcat is one thing, a GT3 RS something else.

 

And a turbo Viper is no longer a proper track beast compared to an NA one.

When I drove Kisco TTG it all nonsense made sense. Till then I would also wounder why would anyone need all that horse power. In reality 500hp is plenty if its a light car, but when you experience the power 1000hp+ then you would understand. If you dont at that point then maybe I'm crazy like all the other horsepower addicts. But honestly theres nothing like the feeling when at full boost/wide open throttle, it really is hard to explain.

 

 

There is no denying big HP is fun and addictive but lightness is what does it for me, one of my most unforgettable experiences in a car was driving a Caterham R500 Superlight , I can not describe how phenomenal it was to drive that car.

 

Two totally different experiences.

 

The reality is simple:

 

After living on earth for 35 years, I am beyond convinced there is no ONE car in the world that will satisfy all of your car craving needs. NONE.

 

If not, then I think you're lacking in your car craving stimuli.

 

And I think that's what makes the car passion so much fun. The Kisco TTG thrill ride in a straight line must be a lot of fun, and then the Caterham experience is something else. Or how about not flying quite as fast but tugging on a heavy steering wheel and banging through the shift gate of a Countach?

 

IMO, the lightness and handling purity of a Caterham has a much longer shelf life than simply stomping on the gas in a straight line. It's something that can take a lifetime to master (if ever), whereas you could with enough money be at the HP pinnacle within 1 or 2 years, less maybe. At that point, one should consider getting a funny car or a dragster and taking it to the next level.

 

Always a balance to the purity side of things. I love this handling thing like the next guy but need some level of motor underneath to make it exciting, otherwise we'd all be driving Miatas.

I am wondering when the limit to horsepower and torque will be reached in the pickup truck wars. They keep outdoing each other in terms of whose truck has the most horsepower, torque, and towing capability.

I am wondering when the limit to horsepower and torque will be reached in the pickup truck wars. They keep outdoing each other in terms of whose truck has the most horsepower, torque, and towing capability.

 

Rumor has it the upcoming diesel Dodge is coming with 1,000 ft. lbs. torque, stock.

 

 

Rumor has it the upcoming diesel Dodge is coming with 1,000 ft. lbs. torque, stock.

 

That's insane; if true, that's getting into 18 wheeler territory.

Always a balance to the purity side of things. I love this handling thing like the next guy but need some level of motor underneath to make it exciting, otherwise we'd all be driving Miatas.

 

There is a reason why the Mac F1 is regarded as one of if not the best sports car ever made, IMO it is because of its combination of power to weight ratio, once again IMO nothing gives you a more complete motoring experience than a car which is light and powerful enough to overcome with ease the braking and handling tasks.

 

My ideal formula would be 1000 kg pushed by 600 HP, a massive set of brakes, proper suspension and aero, when will Lambo, Ferrari, McLaren or Porsche build something like that for the masses? Probably never

 

Don't get me wrong, I too love ridiculous high HP machines in their own right but the guy is right, they're mostly one trick ponies past a certain point. A silly Hellcat is one thing, a GT3 RS something else.

 

I think its funny that the Hellcat does nothing for my muscle car friends... just seems like a waste with all that power in a big bulky car

Porsche GT division boss talking about the nonsensical HP war

 

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/indu...ower-arms-race/

 

"He suggests future GT and RS models would prioritise weight-saving over chasing horsepower.

 

‘I think it’s not my engineering target to get 50bhp more every generation, I’d rather turn it around and make the car lighter again, a specific horsepower per kilo. I think that makes more sense.’

 

‘If I were a customer and the next RS had 20bhp less, I would say, “hey, come on, what’s that?”’ he says. ‘But we have to be more concentrated on the overall package, not just horsepower. This is not a dragster, it’s a track car.

 

‘There are plenty of dragsters on the market, big V8, twin turbo – boom, off you go. But [they] don’t turn.’

 

He has strong views on the ongoing Nurburgring Nordschleife production car lap time crusades, too. He suggests that rather than designing a car capable of a headline-grabbing time in the hands of a professional driver, making the chassis confidence-inspiring and fun to drive for mere mortals should be more important.

 

‘For me it’s important that everyone has fun with the car, can drive fast for his own capabilities, and get better with it. Maybe we could make a 7min 15sec car – it would be relatively easy – but then it would be a dog on the street. It’s about compromise.’"

 

 

 

here is my 2 cents:

 

 

hp is great for the boys in the marketing dept. makes cars more marketable

 

It is also my guess that less than 1% of the car buyers can drive good enough to tap into the car is capable of doing.

 

 

 

 

Two totally different experiences.

 

The reality is simple:

 

After living on earth for 35 years, I am beyond convinced there is no ONE car in the world that will satisfy all of your car craving needs. NONE.

 

 

 

Same for women, monogamy is overrated......had to be said.

Same for women, monogamy is overrated......had to be said.

 

I'm in the anti-monogamy camp!!!!! One Women, no thanks. Tried it twice, doesn't work. I was blessed with decent looks and natural ability to flirt with Women. Skills that shouldn't be wasted on one women!

 

Cars are the same. One car would be boring. We have a Caterham dealer on Vancouver Island. Seen them at the auto show, would love to drive one.

Highly disagree. You were unfortunate enough to meet the wrong woman.

Goats on the other hand ... are like cars. Interchangeable.

 

Highly disagree. You were unfortunate enough to meet the wrong woman.

Goats on the other hand ... are like cars. Interchangeable.

 

Several other reasons. The main one, I don't like children and teenagers are even worse. I don't need them, nor want one. The only reason for marriage and monogamy is children.

I see we went completely off topic so what the hell LOL

 

koenig928 it's not my business because it's your life and your decision so please don't take this to heart, your comment about children saddened me so I had to share my experience, at one point in my life I felt like you, I never wanted to have kids, not because I hate kids because I don't, I think I was just too young and I thought they would stand in the way of my quest of "taking over the world" when I think back I realize how naive I was.

 

After I got married I kept putting off having children, after few years my wife surprised me I felt some very strong emotions when she told me she was pregnant, I was happy but worried at the same time because I thought I wasn't ready. I was wrong, ohh so wrong!

 

Best thing ever happened to me is the birth of my children, now, I could not imagine life without them, same goes for my wife, she's an amazing woman and I think I am extremely lucky to have her, you know how I know she's amazing? She puts up with my crap

 

I've played around a lot before marriage, young, had few dollars, nice cars, of course I did but after a while I got sick of meaningless relationships, airheads and bimbos, honestly, I am definitely not interested in going back there but I can see how you would be interested if you were unfortunate enough to have to deal with few PITA wives, you only live once and you have the right not to be miserable, you always have to do what's right for you.

 

Back to my kids, when I come home and open my door and my baby son runs towards me screaming papa, there is no better feeling in the world, when I sit down with the iPad in my hand watching car videos and he hears the sound of a motor he drops whatever he's doing runs to me sits next to me puts his head on my shoulder and sits there with me watching car videos, he's obsessed with cars and he's not even 2, I will post some photos of his collection LOL, my heart melts, I can not believe I wanted to deprive myself of those feelings.

 

Anyway back on topic you should test drive the Caterham if you are a car nut I am sure you will like it

 

 

My ideal formula would be 1000 kg pushed by 600 HP, a massive set of brakes, proper suspension and aero, when will Lambo, Ferrari, McLaren or Porsche build something like that for the masses? Probably never sad.gif

 

Not going to happen in a legal road car with IC engine as all the environmental and safety equipment takes up a lot of the weight.