5 Reasons You Shouldn't Care About Horsepower (As Much)

[Sasquachulator]

Everyone wants MOAR POWERS until you drive around and realize you cant even use most of it.

You're either trying to maximize power use on a track (if you go to one), or you're using around 100hp in everyday driving (with the occasional 1 second burst to over 200 just to overtake someone)

[Joveen]

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken

Says kiddie who has no clue how to drive.
Pay for a track day. Pay for a clue

You say whatever you want. But if the car never needed more power. Most on her wouldn't try to get more out it doing modifications, whether bolt ons or FI. The car is slow and I don't need a track to tell me that. Fricking Priuses zipping pass while I'm going 75 is enough to tell me that.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[86prime]

Are some of you saying that headers and tune don't make for a better feeling car? You prefer less power and crappy torque? Even the original had a 4AGZE option.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Joveen

You say whatever you want. But if the car never needed more power. Most on her wouldn't try to get more out it doing modifications, whether bolt ons or FI. The car is slow and I don't need a track to tell me that. Fricking Priuses zipping pass while I'm going 75 is enough to tell me that.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

The car could have 300HP and people would say it isn't enough and mod it for 600.
Are you trying to blame power for cars passing at 75mph? Is that the top speed you can get? Would more power help at all when doing 75? You do have a shift lever or paddles right?
DRIVE THE FUCKING THING!

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by 86prime

Are some of you saying that headers and tune don't make for a better feeling car? You prefer less power and crappy torque? Even the original had a 4AGZE option.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk

I am perfectly happy with the feel of my car without mods thank you very much. I didn't buy it as a dragster.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken

How are you getting point by from a mustang? You catch up on the turn but you can't pass in the turn, so at the straight, he leaves you behind again. Little car passes going into the turn with later braking and carrying more speed. Are you racing or doing DE?

It's called "a better driver"

[fang_gt86]

Originally Posted by 86prime

Are some of you saying that headers and tune don't make for a better feeling car? You prefer less power and crappy torque? Even the original had a 4AGZE option.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk

How much power needed for a perfect 86/BRZ is subjective.. A header and tune makes the car comes alive more. But then what about boost? It'll make the car even better. But what about LS or 2JZ swap? It'll make it even better and more reliable than boosting the stock engine...

[Tcoat]

And the award for yet another stupid fucking thread with no purpose and just a rehash of the same old debates goes to...

[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

Everyone wants MOAR POWERS until you drive around and realize you cant even use most of it.

You're either trying to maximize power use on a track (if you go to one), or you're using around 100hp in everyday driving (with the occasional 1 second burst to over 200 just to overtake someone)

Not true in a lot of cases. I'd rather have it and not need it then not have it.


I loved commuting in cars that had 400+ hp, and then driving them at the track too. Never had an issue driving around normally..... actually cruising in some of them was BETTER since they were spinning idle rpm for the most part.

[extrashaky]

Personally, I think point #4 about response vs. power is quite relevant to this car and not something we've talked a lot about, at least not in the same framing he used.

My old Triumph was a blast to drive in part because when you pushed the accelerator, that little 160 horse 6 cylinder would instantly respond. When you let off the accelerator, engine compression would instantly toss you forward against the seat belt. That gave it the feel of being a little hornet, able to dart from one state to another with almost no transition.

It would jump off the line from a standstill. It could burn the tires from 30 mph. I could come up behind someone on the freeway, instantly match their speed, instantly dart forward 20 yards and instantly match their speed again, drop back and match again, just like a hornet buzzing around them. I had a lot of torque available all throughout the RPM range.

My BRZ, although a "faster" car that out-handles that TR6 in every way, feels a lot more sluggish at the pedal in comparison. The transitions are a lot more gentle. That's a positive in one sense, in that it's a lot more predictable and less likely to just cut the rear end loose unexpectedly if you don't know what you're doing. But for a driver accustomed to driving RWD vehicles, this car would be even more fun with faster transitions, more instant torque and less rev hang.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken

How are you getting point by from a mustang? You catch up on the turn but you can't pass in the turn, so at the straight, he leaves you behind again. Little car passes going into the turn with later braking and carrying more speed. Are you racing or doing DE?

How are you not? A good track day organization and polite HPDE drivers will note slower cars that are quicker over the overall lap. So the guy either points you buy, or gets blue flagged. If they are slow to get the hint just drive closer to them.

[86prime]

How much more is subjective. But people with sensible mods aren't saying oh I totally ruined the feel. Happy is fine. Happier is better. Anyway, someone should've looked at the torque curve on day one and said no way this is going into production, we can do better.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk

[JesseG]

Originally Posted by why?

Stripping my interior brought me a bigger smile. Being able to get over 40 mpg on longer trips brings me a bigger smile. Figuring out what is the lightest exhaust I can buy and mounting it will give me a bigger smile. Only thing I'd wish for is a higher red line. Like 9k.

I agree that making your car lighter is always going to help. The FR-S is already pretty darn light, but there are certain areas like the exhaust, and wheels, that can be much lighter when you go aftermarket. Like if you switch to Enkei RPF1’s and a titanium exhaust it will be a noticeable difference. Other than that I think the twins are on the edge of how light can a car be before it becomes unusable for everyday driving. Like a Lotus Elise for example, or the Alfa 4C. Nobody wants to drive those everyday, unless you are a masochist. Lol

For the 9K redline you will need to switch to a Honda F20C

*I should add for this price range. Lighter more exotic materials start costing a lot more.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by 86prime

How much more is subjective. But people with sensible mods aren't saying oh I totally ruined the feel. Happy is fine. Happier is better. Anyway, someone should've looked at the torque curve on day one and said no way this is going into production, we can do better.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk

And how would you "do better"? Think they just gave up and said "meh good enough" (in Japanese of course).


That 10% dip for a tenth of a second is the worst excuse for people not being able or willing to actually drive the car that I have ever heard.