It’s pretty easy to walk into a car dealer and come out with a bucket load of power these days. Hyundai will sell you a Velsoter N that pushes 275 horses and Toyota’s GR Corolla puts out 300 hp. Lamborghini just announced its bonkers 1,001 hp hybrid hypercar and Dodge unveiled a 1,025 hp Challenger. We had to ask, is all of that power necessary?
So, we asked you to tell us how much power is too much power. Here are some of the top responses.
“The Camry with the 300 hp V6. Subjectively, it’s just too much. Just seems... wrong.”
Does a family sedan need precisely 301 horsepower, or does this poster have a point?
Suggested by: hangovergrenade
“All sports and muscle cars with over 500 hp. That’s about the limit for public roads.
“Same with most EVs. They all don’t have to be performance machines. We need more normal EVs with a lower price, more range, and like 250 hp.”
A few different people batted a few different numbers around for exactly what constituted “too much power.” Is 500 hp the point where there’s too much of a good thing?
Suggested by: @IAmGaroott (Twitter)
“It’s a given to mention most performance cars today, but if you ask me, anything that can absolutely pummel through anything at high speed. That’s the big performance SUVs and trucks like the Ford Raptor, Ram TRX, G63 AMG, etc.
“But one thing I’m particularly concerned about is the Hummer EV, which is pretty impressively specced. 1,000 horsepower, zero-60 in three seconds, off-road capabilities. But you know what the craziest spec is? The fact that this thing weighs in at FOUR TONS. And the hood is too damn big to see anything behind the wheel.
“Now imagine you’re crossing a street at a stop sign, and someone rolls up driving one of these. They mash the accelerator (because it’s not a gas pedal anymore) to try out that instant acceleration and you’re right there in front of the hood. I suppose if the 9,000 lbs doesn’t kill you with all that brute force, when you go under, you’ll be the most suspension travel that dudebro gets behind the wheel.”
The Hummer EV is a ridiculous car by all accounts. But does it’s three electric motors that kick out a combined 1,000 hp take it a step too far?
Suggested by: eachua3
“I think anything from Dodge over the standard Hellcat (Redeye, Jailbreak etc.) is objectively too much power.
“You simply can’t hook the car under most circumstances - there’s a reason the Demon needs drag slicks and a prepped strip to do what it does.
“A lot of hot crossover SUVs are also just too much. The Alfa Stelvio Quad is a mad man with everything turned off.”
The Dodge Durango SRT that you see here packs in 710 horsepower in a family SUV, who needs that?
Suggested by: Chris D’alessandro (Facebook)
“Any 4G63T Lancer Evo that we got legally. Sure, it was AWD, but it had (for its time), stupid power that could be unlocked to stupider power, either aftermarket or through one of the 11,284 special editions. It’s power was so stupid that Mitsu lied about it to maintain their gentlemen’s agreement on power (though I think we all know everyone cheated).
“It made a driver feel like Tommi, until it didn’t.
“Tommi had a roll cage.
“Normal US driver had a souped up tin shitbox with all the structural rigidity of a slap bracelet.
“So, maybe it had to much power AND it seemed a little bit too much like it just rolled off the WRC circuit, when it had not, in fact, done so.”
The 4G63T debuted in 1987, when it produced 244 hp. It lasted with the Lancer Evolution for nine years and three generations of the formidable racer.
Suggested by: krymdog
“Any Tesla. They’re not performance cars yet have insane power figures.”
The entry-level Tesla Model 3 produces a humble 271 horsepower, but this quickly rises all the way up to the 1,020 horsepower you get from the Model S Plaid.
Suggested by: @zaddy_not_daddy (Twitter)
“The Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. 303 hp 5.3 L V-8 driving the front wheels that regularly caused transmission failure at ~50K miles.
“Plus with all that weight in the front, they handled like shit from what I’ve read.”
This chunk of early 2000s American metal manages zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds thanks to its 5.3-liter V8, which kicked our 303 hp in its day.
Suggested by: earthbound-misfit-i
“Hear me out..... Chrysler 200.
“Before the redesign, 2011, when Sebring was rebranded as 200; the 3.6 created so much torque steer, wheel hop, and chassis flex that it was pretty ridiculous.”
Usually anyone that starts with “hear me out,” already knows they’re wrong. But, what do you think about this take?
Suggested by: Patrick O’Donnell (Facebook)
“Tough question because most modern cars have the systems in place - traction control, torque vectoring, transmissions with a million gears - to help even a novice driver manage massive power.
“The answer is probably something like the original RUF CTR Yellowbird. 473 hp isn’t huge by today’s standards. But, it was one of the ‘dentist killer’ 911s that would wrap an inattentive driver into a tree.
“It’s also my all-time favorite car and I do terrible things to own one.”
A well-reasoned breakdown of what makes the RUF from 1987 a little too much. Do you agree?
Suggested by: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy
“Most EVs. These are vehicles often ending up in the hands of people who have no need or experience for the level of power/acceleration they’re capable of. Combine that with a bunch of driving tech, shitty “it’s the future!!” controls, and often ego- it’s not a good time.”
The percentage of EVs that make over 1,000 hp seems much higher than the percentage of gas-powered cars that manage this feat.
Suggested by: @El_Grump0 (Twitter)
“The Ferrari 812 Superfast. I was involved with a group test of front engine V12 Ferrari’s over the years for the now defunct Enzo magazine a few years back.
“When we were driving back to the hotel in the evening it was bitterly cold and the 800hp Superfast was struggling to stay with the 500ish hp Ferrari 550 as it just could not put its power down as well, without the traction control having to intervene.”
With a name like “Superfast” you kind of need a ridiculous amount of power to live up to the hype, don’t you?
Suggested by: 365daytonafan01
“Definitely the Ford Mustang and pony cars in general, particularly special edition or Shelby versions. Normal people can’t handle that much power going to the rear wheels judging by videos at car meets everywhere.
“If you buy a car like this it should come with a driver’s training course so both you and the automaker can be reasonably sure you’re not going to wreck it right after driving it off the lot, or worse: actually kill someone with your hooning ways.”
The base Mustang today makes 310 hp, which can rise all the way up to 760 hp in the slightly bonkers Shelby GT500.
Suggested by: Ishtar Hernandez (Facebook)
“The Mitsubishi Mirage, it has just enough power to get you out onto a road where you will get run over by a new GMC Hummer EV, the Mirage needs a bit less power so it can’t leave a golf course or gated community.”
I guess that’s one way to look at it.
Suggested by: citronc
“When I got my ‘87 5.0 Mustang, everyone was convinced it was too much power and too much speed for a teenager. It had 205 hp. My answer? Everything. The Japanese had the right idea: 276 hp is enough.”
Another entry in the list of horsepower figures that are actually enough.” Is 276 hp actually the sweet spot?
Suggested by: @Volvojo1 (Twitter)
“Trucks. Trucks don’t need 400+ hp for 99% of applications.”
I’m curious, what is the one percent of applications where a 400 hp truck would be necessary?
Suggested by: squirmish
