Ideal Engine Power

[spoonza6]

When is too much power a waste and based on the engines we use what's an ideal number?

What are you people running and why?

I got a 4efte and just for big head reasons would want to get as much power out of it, but would taper it back for better use

That's just me though

[Shrike]

You need to state more info ie

Driver skill
Application
what car etc there is heaps of variations

Personally I like a car with low down Torque and a wide powerband with little lag if you go for a turbo setup

Also to much power in my mind is when you cant get it off the line or struggle to control it

[Lith]

When is too much power a waste and based on the engines we use what's an ideal number?

The point where you can't use it in any situation. Ie, if the clutch/gearbox will not hold it, or you can't transmit it to the ground realistically in any gear, or the turbo/cam/something setup is such that you can't keep pouring down. Beyond that, the power level etc is up to the owner

[BZG Wagon]

When you can't drive normally in the wet?

[Mr Ree]

I think it all comes down to whether you get the power to the ground easily, so as above, suspension, tyre size/quality, and driver skill come into it.

Wheelspinning everywhere might 'look' fast, but we know it isnt, and if wasting tyres is the only thing the power achieves, then its pointless.

Setting up a street car to have as much torque as possible will achieve far more grin than worrying about the peak power figure, but oddly enough, most people only focus on the latter as its a number that them and their mates understand.

[~SlideWays~]

When you can't drive normally in the wet?

That's as simple as cheap tyres vs's decent tyres.
LSD vs's open.

It depends on the environment too, take my AE92 GTZ turbo for example it makes 200kw+ and a bit of a violent delivery at WOT from slow speeds in 1st and 2nd gear (like on the street), but on the race track it feels like it could do with more power on the straights.

[dnalunchie]

300-350hp atw on a jap street car.

[~SlideWays~]

300-350hp atw on a jap street car.

350hp Honda City would be awesome

[Distrb]

my street car has 330hp and does all its business in the midrange, which is perfect for the street. i cant imagine having any more as it is it can get me into lose licence territory pretty quickly if i am heavy footed.

Even that on good wide tyres with an LSD is almost a non event in the wet. but who actually picks a wet day to drive their car to the maximum on the street and expects it to behave like it does in the dry?

[dnalunchie]

my street car has 330hp and does all its business in the midrange, which is perfect for the street. i cant imagine having any more as it is it can get me into lose licence territory pretty quickly if i am heavy footed.

Even that on good wide tyres with an LSD is almost a non event in the wet. but who actually picks a wet day to drive their car to the maximum on the street and expects it to behave like it does in the dry?

yeah man, I agree, even my corona is not much fun in the wet, the tires have TONS of tread but the thing has 0 grip and I just dont know why? even on light braking in the wet the other day it locked up and skidded to a halt

[Grrrrrrr!]

Depends what you are using it for.

a 500hp street car that has no torque until 5k rpm so you have to slip the clutch or spin the wheels everywhere = fail, but the same car as a circuit/drag car could be awesome.

[saft]

I find over 1000 and awd makes for a fun street car.

[Lith]

So what if someones idea of the perfect car is something that they can drive on the road regularly, but go to the drags and cut 9s 1/4 miles - and drive home, via a McDonalds drive through for sake of arguement. In this day and age it is quite possible to make something like that which is still streetable. You don't need to use the full amount of power on the road, but to do 9s 1/4 mile runs the car HAS to have the potential to make the power to do a 9 (ie, potentially >500kw @ wheels if not a stripped out drag car).

So, for that person - near 600kw @ wheels is the right level for a street car.

[1I1]

^ Such as an AMS built R35

[Lith]

Exactly A typical well developed 9s R35 GTR (>700kw @ wheels) probably would probably do wet driving, track driving, drag racing, pull harder from low rpm as well as drive generally "easier" than the cars belonging to most people in this thread. Just because some people can't, doesn't mean no one should.

[DRFTIN]

i'd say if you're sensible with turbo sizing on the 4E you'll never have "too much" power

getting to about 300rwkw in my silvia seemed to be the point where it now struggles to hold regular tyres on the road

[BZG Wagon]

When you can't drive normally in the wet?

That's as simple as cheap tyres vs's decent tyres.
LSD vs's open.

It depends on the environment too, take my AE92 GTZ turbo for example it makes 200kw+ and a bit of a violent delivery at WOT from slow speeds in 1st and 2nd gear (like on the street), but on the race track it feels like it could do with more power on the straights.

True; but lifting power should be in sequence with changing those things.

I've driven a few cars where no matter how sensible you are, the car / ute / van lights up in the wet. To me that's too much power for a daily and either the power should be dropped or the tyres / diff / suspension should be improved.

I thought we were talking about a daily here too.

[Mr Revhead]

According to some race drivers you don't have enough power until you can wheel spin everwhere in every situation

[iOnic]

Depends on the car and each individual's understanding of the concept. Some people don't want to drive anything with a heavier clutch or lower than stock etc. This is perfectly streetable in my mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ttCavbTJO0

[metric]

260hp was plenty in my datsun even in the dry.

Hoping for about 330hp this time now ive done all the camber adjustments
It will definatley put power down better. But I went to an e-boost this time so peg back the first to gears to save undergarments