Why such a emphasis on horse power in relation to how fast a car is.....

[Nicksemianiw]

You know I really don't know why I see so many posts about "what will this set up make" or I want xxx amount of power so my car can be quick. Horsepower is not the one factor on how fast a car is or feels. Should people not just base it on how the car feels? A high horse power car with s***ty wheels will just spin so a less powerful car that can hook up better would feel quicker, anyone see what I'm getting at? Go by how the car feels not the #'s it puts out.

[mbmbmb23]

Not everyone has a G meter, understands what torque is, or drag races....so people use HP numbers as the universal understanding of what an engine can do (and not necessarily a car). Basing "it" on how a car feels is impossible....because a car that feels fast to me might be average to you. When I was a kid my stepdad had a 5.0 mustang.....and I thought that thing was fast as hell.....then a few years ago I rode in a 500 hp SR S13 coupe with drag slicks and I literally feared for my life......so "feel" is all relative.

[Nicksemianiw]

Thats what I'm saying when you consider 400-500 hp car fast someone will think that's what they need, but really a 200whp car would be more then enough for them. You should mod the car and go from there and see how quick you feel it is, thats what im saying

[CakeEater]

Suspension will have a drastic affect on how "fast" a car feels. I put a stock suspesion on back on after have the coils on 4 years and wow does it feels "slow".

All the accecleration g's that were transferred to my body before now went to the rear suspension.

I would have to say that with so many people having experienced basically every possible hp #'s, the goal of X amount of hp can be used as a good base line for some because of others past experience as to what that "feels" like, as you state.

For the 75% of people a 300 whp s13 is all they will need because its pretty quick.

[float_6969]

I've told a friend of mine multiple times that I could take 2 of the exact same car, build one to make 400rwhp, and the other to make 350rwhp, and depending on how it was tuned, make the 350rwhp car walk all over the 400rwhp car.

It's about the area under the curve.

[The_Chosen_One]

We have no torque so we have to go by Horsepower :P