Why do people want a fast car?

[zigzagz94]

Originally Posted by dro

I don't get it. The highest speed limit i have seen is 70 so you can push 80-85 and thats abt it.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...eed-limit.html




As of July 1st speed limits in parts of Idaho and Wyoming are 80mph. Also one highway in Texas has been 85mph for a while. People will routinely do 90-100mph.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

My dad is fond of saying that you buy a fast car so that you don't have to drive fast. The power is there when you need it. A slow car can only move slowly. When it's necessary to accelerate quickly, the slow car is limited, where the fast car isn't.

For example, I rented a Dodge Avenger that was a miserable dog of a car. It got me stuck in a left turn lane on the highway outside the Knoxville airport. The only gaps in oncoming traffic were too small to shoot with that piece of shit. If I had tried it, the car wouldn't have made it across in time, and I would have gotten smashed. So I was stuck there for almost ten minutes before there was finally a lull in traffic large enough to get across.

There are plenty of times when maneuverability or the ability to accelerate quickly can get you out of danger or just out of a jam. If you use that extra capability when you need it, you don't get caught up in everyone else's drama, so you still get where you need to go without having to drive fast the rest of the time.

What do you mean by "jam"?

My anemic 200hp gets me around left lane cruisers with ease and has got me in plenty of speeding trouble. Having three times the power is not going to get me to work faster or less trouble with the police.

What about all those countries where people are driving cars with double digit HP. Hell, they are starting to bring them here.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

What do you mean by "jam"?

Well, for instance...

Traffic in the right lane is going 65 MPH in a 70 MPH zone. Some asshole is in the left lane three cars up from you, matching the speed of the right lane and causing everyone behind him who wants to pass to wish him a violent and painful death. Why doesn't that prick just get over? There's a whole line of cars behind you waiting for this guy to die.

You're trapped in this traffic pattern until the entire group comes up on a truck going 60 in the right lane. There's a gap ahead of him that will close quickly, especially when the asshole blocking everyone floors it to keep anyone from going around him, then slows back down to 65 when he reaches the next car and nobody else can pass. When you reach that gap, you have two choices. You can wait in line impatiently like the other two people tailgating the leader, or you can floor it and go around all three of them in the right lane.

If you have a slow car, you stay in line and imagine you had rocket launchers on the roof.

If you have a fast car, you go for it. You might hit 95 or 100 miles per hour, but as soon as you're around him you slow back down to a reasonable 75 MPH. You're a half mile out ahead when the other two get around him, and they come flying past you at 90. You don't really care, because you've got nothing to prove.

Hence, if you have a fast car, you do not have to drive fast generally, because you have the power available to get out of jams without feeling a need to make up time. Those two back there who don't have fast cars feel like they need to floor it when the road is open to get past as many people as possible to avoid those situations.

The BRZ gets me out of jams like that all the time. It has just enough power, and it's nimble enough to use it. The 4.6L stroker in my Jeep has the straight line power, but the truck itself doesn't have the maneuverability. Drive two vehicles with such different capabilities regularly and you appreciate the ability to dance around jams the way the BRZ can.

Of course, where the Jeep excels is when the best way to avoid a problem on the road is just to leave the road altogether. The BRZ can't do that.

[chas3wba0]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Well, for instance...

Traffic in the right lane is going 65 MPH in a 70 MPH zone. Some asshole is in the left lane three cars up from you, matching the speed of the right lane and causing everyone behind him who wants to pass to wish him a violent and painful death. Why doesn't that prick just get over? There's a whole line of cars behind you waiting for this guy to die.

You're trapped in this traffic pattern until the entire group comes up on a truck going 60 in the right lane. There's a gap ahead of him that will close quickly, especially when the asshole blocking everyone floors it to keep anyone from going around him, then slows back down to 65 when he reaches the next car and nobody else can pass. When you reach that gap, you have two choices. You can wait in line impatiently like the other two people tailgating the leader, or you can floor it and go around all three of them in the right lane.

If you have a slow car, you stay in line and imagine you had rocket launchers on the roof.

If you have a fast car, you go for it. You might hit 95 or 100 miles per hour, but as soon as you're around him you slow back down to a reasonable 75 MPH. You're a half mile out ahead when the other two get around him, and they come flying past you at 90. You don't really care, because you've got nothing to prove.

Hence, if you have a fast car, you do not have to drive fast generally, because you have the power available to get out of jams without feeling a need to make up time. Those two back there who don't have fast cars feel like they need to floor it when the road is open to get past as many people as possible to avoid those situations.

The BRZ gets me out of jams like that all the time. It has just enough power, and it's nimble enough to use it. The 4.6L stroker in my Jeep has the straight line power, but the truck itself doesn't have the maneuverability. Drive two vehicles with such different capabilities regularly and you appreciate the ability to dance around jams the way the BRZ can.

A valid anecdote, anyone who does long freeway commutes would deal with this almost daily. And I agree, the BRZ has plenty enough spunk to accomplish the task, UNLESS a 3.5 SE Altima CVT or equivalent is racing you for that gap... then it's down to reaction time and guts

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by chas3wba0

A valid anecdote, anyone who does long freeway commutes would deal with this almost daily. And I agree, the BRZ has plenty enough spunk to accomplish the task, UNLESS a 3.5 SE Altima CVT or equivalent is racing you for that gap... then it's down to reaction time and guts

But that's what's great about the maneuverability of this car. Your reaction time is going to be faster because you can sling the car into the other lane and it just giggles. To the guy in the Altima, you were just behind him, and suddenly you appeared beside him. Did you just teleport? WTF?

[shiumai]

Originally Posted by Jawnathin

Frankly I think most people that are horny for power haven't really had anything with big power. Power isn't everything.

of course power isn't everything. but, in this context, i think we're using it to equate to 'acceleration', and i'd love to have a bit more of that from my BRZ. i don't care about top end speed at all.

while i haven't owned a car with big power, i've been riding sportbikes for the past 20 years. and it's mainly because i'm used to having that acceleration that driving a car feels so sluggish.

when passing slower vehicles legally while canyon driving, i've always found it safer to minimize the time spent in oncoming traffic lane. having a vehicle that can accelerate quickly helps in that regard.

but, i do find the question "why do people want a fast car?" to be strange, as people who buy this car buy it for its ability to take curves FAST. isn't that what 'handling' means? when you say a car handles well, it doesn't mean 'there's no body roll at 5mph in the parking lot'. it means that you want a car that can handle corners at a greater speed than a lesser-handling car. why do you want to take corners faster? because it's fun. all of us love speed, whether it's in a straight line or in corners, so really, why ask the question when you already have the answer? the question might as well be 'why do people want a car that handles well?' so people can respond: "why are you driving fast enough to need a better handling car? why not just take corners slower?"

[suaveflooder]

Drive a car with 500rwhp (or more) just once and you'll know why. The power is addicting…..it really is. I try to borrow my friends (multiple) cobra's when I can and give them a good beating (with the owner's blessing, of course). It's andrenaline rush for sure!

[SkevoX]

Originally Posted by Jawnathin

Interesting thread...

Currently owning both an 86 and different pretty powerful car, I might be able to give an interesting perspective.

In short, I think people overrate power. I always thought faster was better. I got faster and more powerful cars as I switched around. But when I got something pretty fast, it was at a point where its just too much to use for the street. I can rarely WOT or rev it out. It wants a lot of room to stretch its legs. Its too much for autocross, I can only really push it during track days.

For the street and everyday driving, the 86 is great and better to drive. Its just easy to hop in and go, floor it everywhere, have fun. Now I'm not saying the 86 is perfect or it couldn't be more fun if it were more powerful, but it certainly isn't wrong answer or setup that some people think it is. 200hp in a 2700lb car is plenty quick enough for the street.

No saying having power isn't fun or exciting, it can be, but the novelty and experience wears off after a while. 600hp isn't 3x more fun than 200hp. Frankly I think most people that are horny for power haven't really had anything with big power. Power isn't everything.

600hp isn't 3x the fun... It's about 100x the fun. I will agree you have to be a lot more aware of the space you have for run down after a pull in a higher hp car

And horny for power I agree. But why not. No matter what you build you will always one day wounder "what if it made another 100hp" or "why didn't I get a bigger turbo" it's the underlying reason we all keep modding cars and pushing to get that little bit more out of them. Without that drive for wanting more there wouldn't be an aftermarket




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[Levi]

Why do poeple want to live happy?

[regal]

My screen name is the fastest car of American in 1986, the trubo Regal. A big industructable V6 with turbo, EFI, and intercooler. Mine was freakin brown, a true 13 second sleeper.


It was faster than an 1986 corvet, $5 and a trip to the hardware stor and it was faster than anything on th road. A sleeper fast car is a bit thrilling but a flashy corvette isn't as thrilling.


Our cars will be sleeper in a decade, everyone knows they aren't fast but buy then we will have inexpensive turbo kit without the $900 tuning tax. That extra 60 whp will be thrilling.

[strat61caster]

I'd be perfectly happy if this is the most powerful car I ever own aside from a towing vehicle, so many fun 'slow' cars out there from early RX-7s to Miatas to hot hatches (old GTI's, mini's, Mazda3/Protoge, current Abarth), Prelude, Integra/RSX, CRX, early Supra's, Porsche 924/944/914/912/early 911, Alfa Romeos and on and on.

[LSxJunkie]

Because you will never giggle harder than when you whack the throttle in 3rd gear and blow the tires off at 60mph.

[STV3]

Originally Posted by LSxJunkie

Because you will never giggle harder than when you whack the throttle in 3rd gear and blow the tires off at 60mph.

Ehhh it gets old after a while lol. FWD FTL

[Jawnathin]

Originally Posted by LSxJunkie

Because you will never giggle harder than when you whack the throttle in 3rd gear and blow the tires off at 60mph.

Yup, getting on the throttle and lighting up the tires from a roll at 60mph can be quite entertaining

Except when you're actually trying to put power down

Originally Posted by STV3

Ehhh it gets old after a while lol. FWD FTL

Torque steer FTW!