Quote:
Originally Posted by Schnell_1
I'm not taking positions on the underpowered/overpowered debate, but the answer to your question is below. There are more reasons, but these are the main two:
1) Keep insurance premiums low(er). This is a fact, so please do not rebuke with the "If they can afford an M, they can afford the higher insurance" thesis. Not everyone driving a new or used M is a 1%'er bathing in money.
2) Liability issues. High horsepower rockets are headaches for automobile legal teams. In tort-euphoric, uber-frivleous legal systems, ANY protection from blood-sucking plaintiffs is welcomed. Remember when Paul Walker's camp tried to sue Porsche for fault? Though that lawsuit was quickly dismissed (i believe), the preceding example is a macrocosm for the legal climate for automobile manufacturers: OEM's need to protect themselves by any means necessary, for they are huge targets. Lowering stated horsepower a few percentage points may be nonsensical to a consumer, but in a global business landscape dicated by analytics, actuaries, and profit, NOTHING, not one choice or decision, is done whimsically. It's all tactical business decision-making by the smartest minds in the indsutry... If they can lower 'bark", but keep the 'bite', then they killed two birds with one stone. OK, enough of the euphemisms...
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What about the legal implications about lying, does that not mean anything any longer? I would think being honest about the numbers is the way to go and the customer would be making an informed decision.
I know about the insurance premiums, it might have been the case with the n54 and n55..... Maybe. I just don't see it as an insurance issue and I do not see insurance as a factor , especially considering these are 100k plus cars a slight % change in premiums won't make a diff. They are already forecasting a 600hp m5 next year and have a 575hp cp now. Losing track and getting carried away with outlandish theories only exacerbates the conspiracy some attempt to create.
I would hate to see what happens when the 707hp hellcat at 65k hits the road, I guess they were trying to keep insurance premiums low there too! Didn't they step all over hp numbers of the viper too.... Hmmm lots of genius decision making there. But just maybe they put that number there cause it's accurate, ya think.
I'm gonna let this one go, I believe the numbers are mostly accurate, but I may be wrong and my legal experience with such a large animal errs more towards being accurate than not.