Just put my name down for one of these:-

[The_Dark_Side]

you also need to factor into things how easy the car is to drive.
look at the audi quattro, huge power but you had to be gifted to really press on, whereas less powerful but easier to drive cars could be more successful.

 

[Cassius Clarke]

you also need to factor into things how easy the car is to drive.
look at the audi quattro, huge power but you had to be gifted to really press on, whereas less powerful but easier to drive cars could be more successful.

and there you have it, part one of our OCuK usable power tutorial. stay tuned for our next installment.

 

[NickK]

That's got some nice curves. Best retro-muscle car yet I've seen.

Best to get to see it in the flesh though

 

[JRS]

basically (screens cleaned now thanks dark side) we where talking about usable power, you know, the kinda thing where a 300 bhp car will kill a 450bhp car in a straight line, or on a quater mile, its all down to design layout and geometry, along with deliverance of power. If your into american cars I prolly lost you after the first open bracket.

I do love the whole "useable power" argument. It's especially fun when delivered in a condescending tone face-to-face though. Shame I can't get that over the internet.

Never could work out what wasn't "useable" about a pushrod V8, considering it's low-down-in-the-rpm-range torque and power characteristics that are easy to match up to a half-decent chassis setup, but then I'm just a simple bumpkin who only knows how to operate blunt instruments such as American engines.

Now, the smaller displacement VTEC stuff - that's only barely useable power IMO, got to poke it some to get to the good stuff up high in the revs . Small displacement engines with large turbos - definitely unuseable power, got to wait for it to spool the turbo, and that can take an Ice Age.. Simple, Honest-to-God pushrod V8 - perfectly useable. Just plant your foot in the Challenger I posted the pics of, and it takes off. Got an auto, so you don't even have to wiggle the stick about to keep it moving, just have to leave your foot buried in the carpet.

 

[Cassius Clarke]

Never could work out what wasn't "useable"

my point exactly, im here to help, dont worry its free

Now, the smaller displacement VTEC stuff - that's only barely useable power IMO, got to poke it some to get to the good stuff up high in the revs . Small displacement engines with large turbos - definitely unuseable power, got to wait for it to spool the turbo, and that can take an Ice Age.. Simple, Honest-to-God pushrod V8 - perfectly useable. Just plant your foot in the Challenger I posted the pics of, and it takes off. Got an auto, so you don't even have to wiggle the stick about to keep it moving, just have to leave your foot buried in the carpet.

I agree what your saying about the smaller vtec stuff, anything over 250bhp at the front wheels is unusable round corners my friend has a type R (has to be said in a pirate voice) thats had loads spent on it and it shows exactly what you said, its barely usable.

your only in coventry, mabe I should take you out in the gemballa one day and you can see what usable power is all about?

then we can stop being ****'s arguing on the internet?

wadayafink

 

[JRS]

my point exactly, im here to help, dont worry its free

I've got a friend who you'd quite like, he makes cute little jokes like that.

I agree what your saying about the smaller vtec stuff

Good Lord, we agree on something. And there was me thinking that Satan would be heading out for work on a snowmobile the day that happened.

my friend has a type R (has to be said in a pirate voice) thats had loads spent on it and it shows exactly what you said, its barely usable.

You would definitely like my friend. Any time that we see a Type R on the roads he has to refer to it as a Type "AAARRRRRRRRRR"....

your only in coventry, mabe I should take you out in the gemballa one day and you can see what usable power is all about?

then we can stop being ****'s arguing on the internet?

wadayafink

Not in Coventry at the moment. Will be in a few weeks though if you really want to meet.

I'd still love to know what could be more useable than pushrod V8 power. Leaving aside the mega-exotic stuff like the 528ci Hemi in a mate's Daytona that will rev to 9000rpm, nearly all of the Mopar V8s will make full power below 6000rpm. And they're hugely reliable - hell, I know someone who pulled a Mopar 318ci small block motor out of a field where it had been sat for a decade. That motor is currently sat in his car making the best part of 280hp, and he didn't even rebuild it. All he did was slap a 4bbl Holley on top and plonk some headers either side.

Whatever. I should know by now not to try and argue the case for American cars on this forum. Too much unfounded bias to try and wade through

 

[Cassius Clarke]

ill give you a shout next time im near by (sister in law lives in lem, its on the way) hopefully ill show you what european thought out power is all about

(although ive been told its like a speed tardis, dont feel as fast as it is etc, find somone with 500bhp or more and ill show you them loosing )

 

[merlin]

anything over 250bhp at the front wheels is unusable round corners my friend has a type R (has to be said in a pirate voice) thats had loads spent on it and it shows exactly what you said, its barely usable.

Rubbish.

 

[JRS]

Rubbish.

Now now merlin, don't go opening that can of worms

 

[Cassius Clarke]

Rubbish.

ok you got me

 

[Simon]

Rubbish.

Agreed.

No doubt this 'Type R' is a civic with no limited slip diff.

 

[Cassius Clarke]

Agreed.

No doubt this 'Type R' is a civic with no limited slip diff.

strangly enough he has one of them too, spent 30 grand on upgrades but I dont agree with that sort of thing, although he did pretty much the same to his clio cup before moving on, apart from the supercharger.

 

[Cassius Clarke]

I will admit though I had trouble with this yesterday

 

[Simon]

strangly enough he has one of them too, spent 30 grand on upgrades but I dont agree with that sort of thing, although he did pretty much the same to his clio cup before moving on, apart from the supercharger.

Odd then as should have been fine

 

[Cassius Clarke]

Odd then as should have been fine

lesson two in the OCuK official usable power tutorial, nope its not, goes well fast too but on corners suffers from major understeer.

im yet to see a FWD car over 250bhp to be "usable" through corners without cornering difficulties.

 

[Zip]

lesson two in the OCuK official usable power tutorial, nope its not, goes well fast too but on corners suffers from major understeer.

im yet to see a FWD car over 250bhp to be "usable" through corners without cornering difficulties.

Maybe hes taking the wrong lines?

IIRC Simons rover has 265BHP(I think ) and is FWD

 

[Simon]

Maybe hes taking the wrong lines?

IIRC Simons rover has 265BHP(I think ) and is FWD

Exactly, in the dry it is fine. The differential make it drive more like a rear wheel drive. Obviously it struggles a bit in the wet, but once into 3rd there are no issues.

 

[Cassius Clarke]

Maybe hes taking the wrong lines?

IIRC Simons rover has 265BHP(I think ) and is FWD

and im here to help, as I said, its free

 

[Raymond Lin]

One side of me thinks, bad purchase, there are better cars for the money, the yanks can't built cars like they don't know where Austrilia is. Another side of me thinks its a musle car, and you like it, who cares what others think.

I am going to go with the latter, if we all be sensible, we'll all be driving BMW M3's.

 

[ScoobyDoo69]

You don't need any more than 250 bhp in a front wheel drive car. Trust me - after being in merlin's Integra, it doesn't NEED (he wants ) anymore power, but I seriously doubt it would even flinch at more power, it goes to show just how competant a FWD car can be if done properly.
Lightweight, strong high revving engine, great chassis = WIN