Why the infatuation with 500 + RWHP ?

[2L82RUN]

Because it's FUN!!!!

[Darth_Emma]

Because I can!

[speedster]

Power is all relative on how you want to use it, intend to use it and what other modifications you have made or want to make to support it. With upgraded suspension and good tires you can hook a serious amount of horsepower.

One other thing to remember is power on-tap. Not as much for pure street as track, but in events like Maxton Mile, Silver State Classic Challenge and Open Track (road track) days a lot of people feel underpowered. Drag strips are a whole other venue that runs the gamut. Many 1/8 mile tracks have lax rules since top end is considerably slower that 1/4 mile.

Just depends on your personal tastes. There are no wrong answers. If people really LEARN how to drive their car including taking performance driving lessons for drag, road and autocross a lot of fun can be had.

Just another < .02

[mws444]

Wow, kind of like asking Warren Buffet why he still works, he cant spend what he has.
Or in other words as was said above "If you have to ask"
Sounds ike you should be driving a Cruze, as it is more "practical".

[jsharp]

I have street tires and 500 rwhp and I do fine on the street. Once you get the feel for the car and learn how to minimize wheel spin and use your power in upper gears you blow past people real good. But as far as lining up both cars most likely going to spin. Get a good set of DR's and learn the car 500-550 can make the perfect street car that can be impressive and beat alot of cars. At the track which I go to maybe once a year see what you run the get kicked out lol. No cage for me ever! I will just stay off the track

[madmaxx18]

Because Stock is for people who bought it for looks or people who want to collect. I personally bought it because I grew up loving muscle cars and have always dreamt of owning my own gen. brand new muscle car that I would be the only owner of so GM. built it and I bought my dream car. Its the only brand new car I will ever own and I will be its only driver. watch the documentry called "LOVE THE BEAST" then you will understand us better.

[2SSCAMARO]

Originally Posted by danhr

Tech differs from track to track. I've seen instances at my local track where they have let people make 9 second passes with only a helmet (no jacket, license, roll bar, etc).

Now that sounds like a track I would not care to race at. A guy that has that little regard for his own safety surely has no regard for the guy in the adjacent lane.

[bigsquirrel]

There's more to racing than the drag strip. For recreation I've never seen a road course that requires a cage. Solo x does not either.

[69 Hugger]

Originally Posted by y2k king

if ya gotta ask, ya wouldn't understand.

why would anyone want 400 hp...it's just a waste of gas when ya can do the speed limit with 100 hp or less.


i think it's called fun power, not horse power.

What He said

[BlissStreet]

Originally Posted by bigsquirrel

There's more to racing than the drag strip. For recreation I've never seen a road course that requires a cage. Solo x does not either.

QFT. Not everyone likes to limit their fun to a 1/4 mile at a time, nor constrain themselves to driving in a straight line.

[Kilo-9]

Originally Posted by danhr

...Some people find more joy out of building the car than actually racing it.

This sums it up for me...I enjoy the build most of all...

[CC Performance]

Originally Posted by 2L82RUN

Because it's FUN!!!!

Thats sums it up

[SSE 4 2SS]

Originally Posted by 2SSCAMARO

Now that sounds like a track I would not care to race at. A guy that has that little regard for his own safety surely has no regard for the guy in the adjacent lane.

I understand your point, but here's the deal as far as I am concerned... You can get killed walking down the sidewalk... happens more often than you think... Driving the public roadways of this country in most areas is a gamble. It's not a matter of will it happen, it's a matter of when it will... A very select few people get out of here without ever having suffered a wreck in an automobile, they are lucky in my opinion, rather than super skilled... Look at all the accidents where someone just pulls out in front of other people with no warning or indication... How do you avoid that... it isn't skill, it's luck...

25 years on the streets as a practicing paramedic taught me a few things...
1. Live Life... you never know when it's going to be over...
2. No regrets...
3. It doesn't matter what you're doing, when it's your time, you're gone...

I have a very high regard for the lives of others as well as my own... but I'm going to live...

I've made calls for people walking in their house that tripped or slipped on something and ended up a statistic. I made calls on wrecks where the roaches couldn't have survived, and the drivers and passengers were walking around trying to figure out how much it would cost to fix...

My point is... you never know,

As my signature says, I want to arrive at the pearly gates having lived life, not having worried every day if something was going to happen... Am I an adrenalin [sp?] junky, no, do certain things excite me, hell yes...

I don't jump out of perfectly good flying aircraft, but I do lots of other things the hand wringers would say is a lifestyle with a death wish...

If you drive onto a "racetrack," there is an implied risk... You, (all people) the individual need to understand that... Yes safety equipment saves some lives, but at the same time not having safety equipment on can and does periodically do the same thing...(Yes believe me I know the statistics, but refer to my life lesson # 3 above) The unfortunate part is that as property owners, the tracks are susceptible to law suits from people that fail to grasp that they have entered an area that some consider dangerous. Post fatality lawsuits have only cost lots of money and have never brought anyone back...

Is safety equipment going to keep you from running into the other car, or the wall, probably not; at the same time, not having safety equipment will not make you run into the other car or the wall either.

If you want an exciting and wild ride, without "too" much danger, sleep with someone that excites you... If you wanna know how bad your car is, take it to a track... Kicking cars off the track for a lack of safety equipment on the occasional weekend warrior racer pushes that performance need (read want/desire) onto the street, where it certainly isn't needed...

If the car does not pass muster, have the driver sign their life away in front of a notary and allow them to make solo passes...

Oh, and I'm starting my quest for substantially more than 500 HP in a few weeks... I'm looking for around 1000 at the crank... Twin Turbo's, 427 ci, etc..etc...etc...on a street legal mostly daily driver... Why... cause I can and it's mine...

Cheers...

[CamaroMiami]

For me, 0 to 60 (or 75) entering the expressway safely is very important to me.