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Past a certain point (like, not being able to maintain highway speed limit up a modest grade), I am not sure this extra horsepower is such a good thing. The th

Past a certain point (like, not being able to maintain highway speed limit up a modest grade), I am not sure this extra horsepower is such a good thing. The thing I really notice when driving lower usable power-to-weight vehicles like a heavy truck or an unpowered bicycle or a car with a dying clutch or is this: they force you to think further ahead, work harder at predicting the possible movements of all other road users and in short, be a better, safer, more aware driver. I actually find them more fun (except on the track or an empty parking lot of course) too for this reason. Is it possible excessive horsepower is making us shittier drivers?

wiredfool 9y ago
It is much more fun driving a lower powered car at the limit than an overpowered on at 25%. (source -- owner of 1990 miata. 120hp, 2000lbs. Steer the front with the wheel, the back with the throttle.)
- stupidhn 9y ago
  >It is much more fun driving a lower powered car at the limit than an overpowered on at 25%. Motorcycle enthusiasts understand this concept. Driving an overpowered (for your experience) bike isn't fun compared to throwing a smaller bike around.
- gambiting 9y ago
  Yep. I think I made a slight mistake in buying my last car as I wanted to prioritize power, so I got an AMG with 381bhp - and yeah, the car is a monster, it does 0-60 in 4 seconds, but I very quickly found out that when going on some twisting mountain roads it's just too much power to really have fun - you get out on a straight, and are instantly doing 80mph+, on a 60mph-limit road, so you just end up cruising until the next turn which is neither interesting nor fun. In a lower powered car, on a sufficiently technical road it's hard to stay at the speed limit, so you end up working the car and having loads of fun(like I am sure you do in your Miata). In a super powerful car that part is gone, and the drive becomes slightly less enjoyable because of it.

wiredfool 9y ago

It is much more fun driving a lower powered car at the limit than an overpowered on at 25%. (source -- owner of 1990 miata. 120hp, 2000lbs. Steer the front with the wheel, the back with the throttle.)

stupidhn 9y ago
>It is much more fun driving a lower powered car at the limit than an overpowered on at 25%. Motorcycle enthusiasts understand this concept. Driving an overpowered (for your experience) bike isn't fun compared to throwing a smaller bike around.
gambiting 9y ago
Yep. I think I made a slight mistake in buying my last car as I wanted to prioritize power, so I got an AMG with 381bhp - and yeah, the car is a monster, it does 0-60 in 4 seconds, but I very quickly found out that when going on some twisting mountain roads it's just too much power to really have fun - you get out on a straight, and are instantly doing 80mph+, on a 60mph-limit road, so you just end up cruising until the next turn which is neither interesting nor fun. In a lower powered car, on a sufficiently technical road it's hard to stay at the speed limit, so you end up working the car and having loads of fun(like I am sure you do in your Miata). In a super powerful car that part is gone, and the drive becomes slightly less enjoyable because of it.