[pbonsalb]

I have never had a car that is too fast for me. I have modded almost every car I have owned and as time has gone on and I have gotten older, my cars have gotten faster. I can’t use the speed all of the time but I like having it available for when I can. Daily driver for the past 3 years is a well modded F90 M5 and I had a modded E90 M3 for a decade before that. I still have an E36 M3 that I bought in 2005, supercharged in 2006, turbocharged in 2010 and it received a built shortblock in 2014 and a worked head in 2017. Suspensions also modded on all of those cars.

[10"]

Have put over 100k miles on my stock 1M now and it is still more than enough speed for me—-I don’t wish for any more speed.

For me cars are about how they feel not statistics and numbers.

I’d rather drive an E30 325i than a G8X M3/M4

[SteVTEC]

Originally Posted by 10"

Have put over 100k miles on my stock 1M now and it is still more than enough speed for me—-I don’t wish for any more speed.

For me cars are about how they feel not statistics and numbers.

I’d rather drive an E30 325i than a G8X M3/M4

1M is a sweet car!

A friend had an E30 325i when I was in high school. He let me drive it once and it was fantastic to drive. I know what you're saying.

[RM7]

There's a line where a car is way too much about high speed track, yes, but there's plenty of cross-over where some relatively high HP cars are still absolute hooligan fun around small courses. Part of it is learning to drive these cars with all the nannies off and controlling them.

[Germanauto]

I much prefer handling, lightness, analogue feel, steering feedback, etc. over acceleration and speed. Having both is wonderful, but the former provides me more enjoyment day-to-day.

How fast can you really go with speed limits, other drivers, hidden cops, etc.?

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by 10"

Have put over 100k miles on my stock 1M now and it is still more than enough speed for me—-I don’t wish for any more speed.

For me cars are about how they feel not statistics and numbers.

^This. After all my 30 or so years of modding cars, I've learned that feel, sound, and connection is far more important than all out speed. My Stage 2 M235 6MT that I've owned for 8.5 years is the quickest/fastest car I've ever owned. I could probably eek a lower/mid 12 second run out of it. However, after getting my 2011 Cayman Base (265hp) about 1.5 years ago, it made me realize just how much I love driving cars that are connected and have fun and useful street power. I have no desire to add more power to my Cayman. It's perfect street and B road driving.

Over the past year I've been dialing down the power on my M235 and last week I removed the tune completely and am just running a catted downpipe. The car is more enjoyable to drive in terms of throttle response and power delivery. It feels more natural, linear, useful, and is still plenty quick for the street plus the power is much more tractable in terms of traction. From 0-80mph, the acceleration feels just about the same if not better as I don't have manage so much wheel spin.

[Tambohamilton]

I have no use for more power than my rattly old 330d makes (nominal 230hp). It goes just fine between 20-60mph, and that's all I need to feel corners on twisty roads.

[SteVTEC]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

I have no use for more power than my rattly old 330d makes (nominal 230hp). It goes just fine between 20-60mph, and that's all I need to feel corners on twisty roads.

I had an E90 335d loaner once (US-spec 265hp/425tq), same engine as the E70 X5d we had at the time but 1600lbs less weight, and it was fantastic. I loved that car so much that if BMW had offered an F30 335d in the U.S. I'd have traded my E93 and bought one. Sadly the most we got here for the F30 was a 328d, but with a lower spec diesel engine out of I think a 320d with 180hp. Had one of those as a loaner once or twice, and just didn't do it for me at all. Power was just okay, but the character was completely missing. The mountains of torque for low and medium speed acceleration from a 330/335d is incredible, and far more useful and usable on a day to day basis than 300-400hp or more at the top-end.

[SteVTEC]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

^This. After all my 30 or so years of modding cars, I've learned that feel, sound, and connection is far more important than all out speed. My Stage 2 M235 6MT that I've owned for 8.5 years is the quickest/fastest car I've ever owned. I could probably eek a lower/mid 12 second run out of it. However, after getting my 2011 Cayman Base (265hp) about 1.5 years ago, it made me realize just how much I love driving cars that are connected and have fun and useful street power. I have no desire to add more power to my Cayman. It's perfect street and B road driving.

Over the past year I've been dialing down the power on my M235 and last week I removed the tune completely and am just running a catted downpipe. The car is more enjoyable to drive in terms of throttle response and power delivery. It feels more natural, linear, useful, and is still plenty quick for the street plus the power is much more tractable in terms of traction. From 0-80mph, the acceleration feels just about the same if not better as I don't have manage so much wheel spin.

That Cayman sounds just about perfect to me.

265hp and 3000lbs is .

[Alfisti]

Oddly enough the 911 cab is only 300 lbs more but packs another 120HP. I quite like the kick in the pants here as our roads are truly ABYSMAL. DEAD straight.

[BlkGS]

The American car guy in me would like to add...

I'm not surprised there are a lot of people not into fast cars here. That's why they're buying German cars. Hahahahaha.

But seriously, speed freaks are more likely to buy a Corvette or Camaro or Mustang. The performance those offer for the money is insane. Youre spending like double to triple what they cost to match them in performance. I know someone is comment one day how their stage 46 turbo6 is faster, but we are talking stock.


My point is, people who value speed above all else are unlikely to be buying BMWs, or German cars in general. You end up here because you want the luxury and build quality too, and will pay for it. Or, like me, because German car depreciation makes them really attractive used vs the domestic you wanted.

[NWH83]

I've modded every car I've owned, before buying the F80 I daily drove a modded CTSV that had around 700rwhp. Admittedly, I think I was just chasing a horsepower number as I went a little overboard with the mods and it got to be too much car for the roads I use. I could only use the power about 5% of the time, and that was usually very early on sunday mornings. I must be getting old but honestly since getting the F80, it's really nice to just drive around on stock power. At least for now.

[tranquility]

We kinda touch upon this topic every now and then, that's why I always subscribe to handling because on the streets we can't use crazy hp cars legally/safely, not to mention EVs already generally destroy ICEs in acceleration. If one gets more car, it's just for prestige/ego, and that's cool and all, but it sucks only using like 20% of its potential.

[DanG]

I have an M2 with the engine and drive train not modified. It has more than enough power to keep me happy. Even on the track I wasnt looking for more HP. Car looks and handles great. Why would I chase more HP?

[RM7]

IMO, a lot of the higher HP cars come under-tired and with suspension that is not capable of maximizing the power. They do this because it's a way to cut cost. Like V8 mustangs with 255 rear tires. In no universe should that be a thing, unless it's some special drag-strip-special model that is intended to be stripped anyway. This isn't just american "muscle" cars though, it's european sports sedans with ridiculous 225 section front or front and rear tires and so on. AWD kind of clouds the issue, you always get the straight line acceleration, even with the skinny tires, but you miss out big time on the handling if you don't have the rubber width. So IME, it's not necessarily about low-HP cars, it's just having the rubber and suspension that supports the power, whatever that may be.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by SteVTEC

I had an E90 335d loaner once (US-spec 265hp/425tq), same engine as the E70 X5d we had at the time but 1600lbs less weight, and it was fantastic. I loved that car so much that if BMW had offered an F30 335d in the U.S. I'd have traded my E93 and bought one. Sadly the most we got here for the F30 was a 328d, but with a lower spec diesel engine out of I think a 320d with 180hp. Had one of those as a loaner once or twice, and just didn't do it for me at all. Power was just okay, but the character was completely missing. The mountains of torque for low and medium speed acceleration from a 330/335d is incredible, and far more useful and usable on a day to day basis than 300-400hp or more at the top-end.

Yeah, the 3L diesels are really nice engines. The 4cyl/2L diesels are tractor engines. I don't know how they're so different in character even when the figures aren't hugely dissimilar.

I'd love a 335d for the better low end response...that's all I'd want to improve on mine

[Donatello.]

Definitely not me lol

I would add go fast stuff to my Hellcat is I raced it, but I don't and work from home so don't even drive it much anymore after I retired it from DD duty. So it's fast enough.

With that said, I do always want more speed because I am insane!

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by RM7

IMO, a lot of the higher HP cars come under-tired and with suspension that is not capable of maximizing the power. They do this because it's a way to cut cost. Like V8 mustangs with 255 rear tires. In no universe should that be a thing, unless it's some special drag-strip-special model that is intended to be stripped anyway. This isn't just american "muscle" cars though, it's european sports sedans with ridiculous 225 section front or front and rear tires and so on. AWD kind of clouds the issue, you always get the straight line acceleration, even with the skinny tires, but you miss out big time on the handling if you don't have the rubber width. So IME, it's not necessarily about low-HP cars, it's just having the rubber and suspension that supports the power, whatever that may be.

I always felt like the muscle cars with comically undersized tires were actually pretty brilliant customer understanding. You don't buy a mustang to brag about handling, you do it to rip smokey ass burnouts at will. Tires are expensive and doing big smokey burnouts wears them out faster. But tires that aren't as wide are cheaper, so that's a big win.

Then on the other side of the aisle you have the Z28 Camaro that had 305s all around.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

I always felt like the muscle cars with comically undersized tires were actually pretty brilliant customer understanding. You don't buy a mustang to brag about handling, you do it to rip smokey ass burnouts at will. Tires are expensive and doing big smokey burnouts wears them out faster. But tires that aren't as wide are cheaper, so that's a big win.

Then on the other side of the aisle you have the Z28 Camaro that had 305s all around.

My 1LE runs 305s in the rear and 295s up front (because I couldn't get the stock front 285s due to OEM BMW M2 sizes). When someone asks me to do a burnout, I ask them to buy me some new tires. Michelin PS4S are great all-around tires, I've autocrossed a bunch with them and while I've moved on there to more AutoX specific tires, the michelins are just so good for an every day high performacne tire. This is the car though that I felt had the right size rubber from the factory. This car is as fast around a track as the Z28...but with AC and a sound system, etc.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by RM7

My 1LE runs 305s in the rear and 295s up front (because I couldn't get the stock front 285s due to OEM BMW M2 sizes). When someone asks me to do a burnout, I ask them to buy me some new tires. Michelin PS4S are great all-around tires, I've autocrossed a bunch with them and while I've moved on there to more AutoX specific tires, the michelins are just so good for an every day high performacne tire. This is the car though that I felt had the right size rubber from the factory. This car is as fast around a track as the Z28...but with AC and a sound system, etc.

To be fair, the radio and AC were options you could get

Assuming you've got an SS 1LE? If so, not surprised, the 6th gen is lighter, and while it's circa 50hp to the Z28, advancements in driver aids and aero to the 6th generation make a huge difference. It's also the worst generation because it's too small, too "I want to be a sports car, and just not enough of a cheap fun car.

They're fast cars, just not what I want out of a Camaro. If I wanted a sports car I'd go Corvette (and did). Camaros should be for loud v8 sounds, big smokey burnouts, and general mayhem.

[baege]

for me, there is a line where a car is powerful enough so that I am happy with it and adding more power from that point on doesn't actually add to my enjoyment of the car, at least not in a significant way
the way we used to put it: the car has balls

in the last 15 years or so, I've only bought cars with balls

I have test driven cars without balls and knew I couldn't be happy with them

recent examples:
base 981 cayman
miata RF

but once a car has balls, adding more power doesn't matter that much in my enjoyment of the car

case in point, my GTS 4.0 is quite a bit more powerful than my 2016 Cayman S, but I wouldn't say that power difference makes a big difference in my enjoyment, the S was still fast enough with that sweet flat six howl

[Tejas1836]

Originally Posted by NYG

I like power but I'll take a stiffer chassis or lighter car over it.

This.
Low mass is everything for a sports car. Quicker acceleration and deceleration, better handling, faster apex entry/exit speeds, prolonged brakes...