Do we need the horsepower?

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Midcow2

Midcow2

Banned
Cold-Air Intake

Sheep said:
Ah, you have an S2000. :cool: Now you need an Intake for it.

SheepStar
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I once had a 1995 Acura Integra GSR, put an exhaust and air intake on it. i got hydro lock and bought a new engine :mad: :mad: . Replaced the engine and this time put a bypass valve. Upgrade the stereo, put in alarm and door locks. I sold the car, because the insurance was going to be so, so high , if my son was allowed to drive over $5,200 per year. It was a very,very fast fun car! Not to be sexist, but a woman was driving the Mustang Cobra it beat once :D I was either a very,very good driver or they were a very,very bad driver.

Anyway where I live now, it is flat as a pancake and we get flash floods all the time and the S2000 is very fast and nimble just on its own. And I still have bad memories of my wife hydro-locking the Integra!
 
Davemcc

Davemcc

Audioholic Spartan
Horsepower and fuel economy are not mutually exclusive and mass has a great deal to do with it, as Annunaki has already mentioned. The last review I saw showed that the Corvette had a higher highway fuel economy rating than the Honda Accord Hybrid. Weight has a great deal to do with that but a highly efficient engine in just as important. At the very least, I don't have to take any abuse from the environmentalists for driving a sports car.
 
Midcow2

Midcow2

Banned
Bad Ford experience!

aberkowitz said:
Check out this article and scroll down about 60% to read an interesting take on modern cars and horsepower- http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/080909&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1.

While I cannot speak to the accuracy of everything, I did find it interesting some of the statistics quoted and the relationship of horsepower to gasoline usage. Is it really necessary for a Ford Taurus to go from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds?? Even more amazing- that's the same quoted speed as a 1968 corvette!! :eek::eek:

I personally love a fast/sporty car, but does anybody actually ever use all 480 horses in the Nissan GTR? Is it really necessary to go 0-60 in 3.8 seconds? (which I guess begs the question, is it really necessary to spend thousands of dollars on home theater :D, but I digress). I guess my point is- would you sacrifice horsepower for gas savings and how much would it have to be.

If any car enthuisiasts/experts can weigh in on the accuracy of this I'd appreciate it as well.
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Aberkowitz,

I had that Taurus :rolleyes: and it was a sweet car 1990 5-speed Taurus SHO with a 220 Hp 3.0 Yamaha engine and a redline at 7,600 RPM. The first two years were pure heaven and then things started to fail, luckily on this car I had ourchased an extended warranty that even include loaner cars. From an HT standpoint it sucked. One of the speaers in the back was partially defective, would only
lay at low volume; Ford would replace or fix. Then one other incident with Ford Customer service; was on vacation for a week in Florida and with a Ford Taurus that I had inhereted from my Aunt. The transmission atarted going out. Took car in on Sunday rented a car and they said they would fix it Thursday for $1,000. I said okay; Thursday comes and they tell me I have non-standard plugs and that they have to replace plugs and run engine diagnostics for $268; I tell them that isn't the problem. But in order to work on car, they demand replacing plugs and running engine diagnostics. Replace plugs on Friday and tell me yes it is a transmission problem but I am not first in the queue anymore and they can schedule me next week ( I am on vacation and goling back Saturday). it will now $2,000 , but they will provide me a rental car the next week. I say no thanks, go an find, finance and buy a car in 2 hours, Toyota Avalon.Customer servcie about the $268 engine diagnostic charege an they woulnd't budge. I have not and will not ever buy another Ford porduct again!
 
S

sploo

Full Audioholic
Davemcc said:
Horsepower and fuel economy are not mutually exclusive and mass has a great deal to do with it, as Annunaki has already mentioned. The last review I saw showed that the Corvette had a higher highway fuel economy rating than the Honda Accord Hybrid. Weight has a great deal to do with that but a highly efficient engine in just as important. At the very least, I don't have to take any abuse from the environmentalists for driving a sports car.
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Yea, that is the problem with the hybrids. As far as I'm aware, they're all small petrol + electric units, so it's pretty good for low mileage start/stop town driving (electric motor only). For highway use, you're basically running a small petrol unit, plus carrying the weight of an unused electric motor and batteries. Frankly, most people would probably be better off with a small Diesel.

As for the 'vette - remember that at constant speed, mass is less of an issue (aerodynamics is more important). Also, the 'vette would probably be chugging along with low engine revs, but the hamster in the hybrid would be spinning that wheel real fast :D.

The BBC's Top Gear program did an interesting, if not particularly useful, comparison - drive a hybrid as fast as possible round a track, and follow it with a BMW M3. The M3 returned better mileage.
 
Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
Davemcc said:
Horsepower and fuel economy are not mutually exclusive and mass has a great deal to do with it, as Annunaki has already mentioned. The last review I saw showed that the Corvette had a higher highway fuel economy rating than the Honda Accord Hybrid. Weight has a great deal to do with that but a highly efficient engine in just as important. At the very least, I don't have to take any abuse from the environmentalists for driving a sports car.
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Top gear is know for being a bit over the top, but they did a cool experiment that makes a HUGE point.


SheepStar
 
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unreal.freak

unreal.freak

Senior Audioholic
This would be nice for those who live in the city.

in the video you can hear the Ferrari hitting the rev limit during the donut :eek:

 
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Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
sploo said:
Yea, that is the problem with the hybrids. As far as I'm aware, they're all small petrol + electric units, so it's pretty good for low mileage start/stop town driving (electric motor only). For highway use, you're basically running a small petrol unit, plus carrying the weight of an unused electric motor and batteries. Frankly, most people would probably be better off with a small Diesel.

As for the 'vette - remember that at constant speed, mass is less of an issue (aerodynamics is more important). Also, the 'vette would probably be chugging along with low engine revs, but the hamster in the hybrid would be spinning that wheel real fast :D.

The BBC's Top Gear program did an interesting, if not particularly useful, comparison - drive a hybrid as fast as possible round a track, and follow it with a BMW M3. The M3 returned better mileage.
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Ha, I didn't even see your post before I put the video up.

SheepStar
 
Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
unreal.freak said:
This would be nice for those who live in the city.

in the video you can hear the Ferrari hitting the rev limit during the donut :eek:

Click to expand...
Might as well buy an Ariel Atom. Same car, but with 4 cylinder gas engines. 500kg to boot.

SheepStar
 
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S

sploo

Full Audioholic
Sheep said:
Might as well buy an Ariel Atom. Same car, but with 4 cylinder gas engines. 500kg to boot.
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Ever noticed how us Brits keep coming out with insane ultra lightweight cars, with no doors or roof, and spotted the irony that in Blighty it's constantly raining? :D
 
annunaki

annunaki

Moderator
sploo said:
Ever noticed how us Brits keep coming out with insane ultra lightweight cars, with no doors or roof, and spotted the irony that in Blighty it's constantly raining? :D
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Quite right! Lol :)
 
Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
sploo said:
Ever noticed how us Brits keep coming out with insane ultra lightweight cars, with no doors or roof, and spotted the irony that in Blighty it's constantly raining? :D
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Cheery-O! Import me an Ariel Atom and I'll be your slave forever. As long as I get weekends off to drive! :)

SheepStar
 
Warpdrv

Warpdrv

Audioholic Ninja
Those Ariel Atom's are pretty cool.... but If I'm feeling the need for speed I just get on my bike.... 0-60 2.8, and still maintains the 45mpg.... And my bike is a tank, but it doesn't cost the kind of money for 0-60 in 3 sec it takes in a car...

As far as the new Accord I really love my new car and I am getting roughly the same mpg with the V6 as my last Accord with the 4cyl... 24-25mpg less if I drive like an @$$hole, which is about 50% of the time... so maybe that makes me Half@$$ed... ;)
 
Matt34

Matt34

Moderator
Warpdrv said:
Those Ariel Atom's are pretty cool.... but If I'm feeling the need for speed I just get on my bike.... 0-60 2.8, and still maintains the 45mpg.... And my bike is a tank, but it doesn't cost the kind of money for 0-60 in 3 sec it takes in a car...

As far as the new Accord I really love my new car and I am getting roughly the same mpg with the V6 as my last Accord with the 4cyl... 24-25mpg less if I drive like an @$$hole, which is about 50% of the time... so maybe that makes me Half@$$ed... ;)
Click to expand...

I didn't know you have a bike!??
 
Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
Warpdrv said:
Those Ariel Atom's are pretty cool.... but If I'm feeling the need for speed I just get on my bike.... 0-60 2.8, and still maintains the 45mpg.... And my bike is a tank, but it doesn't cost the kind of money for 0-60 in 3 sec it takes in a car...

As far as the new Accord I really love my new car and I am getting roughly the same mpg with the V6 as my last Accord with the 4cyl... 24-25mpg less if I drive like an @$$hole, which is about 50% of the time... so maybe that makes me Half@$$ed... ;)
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Cool, that is the same 0-60 as the Ariel Atom. So, why do you still want the bike? :p Ariel will out handle it, and out brake. Plus, it can stand there, and not fall over :D


SheepStar
 
Warpdrv

Warpdrv

Audioholic Ninja
Good one sheep...

If money was no object I would love to have one of those...

But as it sits, as you say, I have the same 0-60 and no payments !!!!
I can usually do a pretty good job of keeping it from tipping over... :)
 
Gimpy Ric

Gimpy Ric

Moderator
Sheep said:
Batteries and energy storage are what's letting down the electric motors.

I drive civics. My current civic has about 70BHP. My old Si with the VTEC swap had about 130BHP. I was totally content with the Si, but if I had my choice (with in reason) I'd go for an RSX Type S. Still good on gas, quick and sporty. I say keep the HP, and drop the displacement.

SheepStar
Click to expand...
A buddy of mine has an Acura RSX Type S with cold air intake, header, and a cat back. Pretty efficient and very quick. He's mentioned computer mods...
 
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