Quote:
Originally Posted by GenXer
What is the reasonable amount of power to propel a 3000 pound sedan to 60MPH (100KPH)?
200HP, 500HP, 1000HP ?
Response time of
5 seconds, 3 seconds, 1 second?
I know it's probably a blasphemy in a BMW enthusiat forum to say that acceleration time does not matter in the real world. Everyone is limited by law and traffic. Yet most vehicles are measured by their response time instead of how practical or efficient they are or how enjoyable they are to drive.
That being said, my 440i xdrive is a lot more enjoyable to drive than my C7 Corvette. It's a lot slower but it's more forgiving, more predictable, less delicate and much roomier. The C7 tried to kill me once or twice and it almost succeeded one time.
I never have to worry about bad roads or bottoming out in a 440i. I know they're not in the same league but people cross shop for vehicles in the same price range all the time.
Isn't it about time for a more practical matrix to measure performance than just power?
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Your post leads up to the old saw: it is more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow.
There are so many variables. When I was buying my 530e (250 HP) I cross shopped a Volvo XC60 with 400 HP. The BMW felt faster. What is the weight of the car? How is it tuned, especially the transmission? Is it a hybrid (faster initial acceleration, slower late acceleration)? And, most importantly, are you going to track your car?