Quote:
Originally Posted by Jawnathin
More power allows you to get away with more mistakes than a lower HP car and still be 'competitive'.
Low HP forces the car to carry more momentum if it wants to be fast. It is harder to gain back speed lost compared to a car with more power. A car with more power doesn't hurt as much, because it can regain that speed more easily.
It is a frequent occurrence in track days/HPDEs where a driver is really slow through a corner, holds everyone up, but has huge power and makes it impossible or nearly impossible to get a point by/pass on the straights. It happens all the time.
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You should not be worrying about cars that have the power to pull more power out of the corners. If you are "racing" against cars with 100 or more HP than you, you should be in a class racing system. The SCCA would not have a BRZ racing against a car with lots more HP, unless it is modified.
But if you are "racing the clock" or just "racing" against cars with much more HP, you should not be losing unless you are performing on a "fast course" that allows for HP to be more important than handling. Most autocross or gymakana courses are tight enough to give the advantage to the best handling car that also has some power, rather than the car that has lots of power but less handling. My experience also has shown me that it is true that high HP cars can blast by you on parts of the course, but the key is to find a way to pass them on the corners the are the slowest. If they block you then the rules are not being enforced. It can become a bit crazy, but in the long run, I have found that the more you pass them on the corners, it changes their frame of mind usually and then becomes a bit easier to pass them and them open a bit of space to hold them off when their power comes on. (Not always a sure thing, but it sure feels good when it pays off) Of course the more modified your car is, than you have to race in different classes that might not always seem totally comparable. I beat lots of Mustangs, BMW's and such running a Subaru 2.5RS (Cobb and Prodrive modified) on tight courses, but the higher speed the course allowed the less likely I was to win. (HP makes that difference). The only time that I have had to deal with cars that had much more HP in a competitive event, was when I ran in the Open or "Exhibition class) rather than compete in the class events. (That applies to both "Vintage" racing and SCCA rules for "track days".) Each region or local club can run different rules, but as far as "national" rules, this is the standard I have found. I have not raced for a few years, and was never a "professional", so I am sure someone will have a different opinion abut what they have come across. It would be great to hear what other's experiences are with the BRZ.
I say all this because I don't see the car getting much more "factory" HP unless they add a turbo or supercharger, and that seems unlikely for the forseable future. How does Subaru (it is their engine design) get more HP out of a non-turbo or super chareged engine? This is a 2.0L that gets 200HP. If you check all factory engines available today, I think you will find that this is an exceptional output for a non-aspirated engine. Yes, more can be had, but to expect it with a warranty is maybe expecting too much. So if they decide to boost the engine somehow with forced induction (turbo or superchareged) then you will have what you want. For them to get 250HP out of a 2.0 litre is a lot to expect from a factory car that is intended to sell for a base price of around 25K. This is the car they designed. It has fantastic qualities that are hard to match without spending a low more on a Lotus, or even the new Alfa Romeo 4C (carbon fiber chassis) coming out early next year. It will sell for $60.000.00 minimum or more. The question is and always will be...........what do you get for your money. If it is not enough, then you have to spend more, either by major aftermarket upgrades, or by buying an expensive low production car with no questionable reliablity prospects. Pay now, or pay later, but you always have to pay to get to the top (in automobile competition)...........