High Horse Power Daily Drivers

[wicketdreams]

How many guys have high HP daily drivers I'm talkin 475whp and up, what kind of gas mileage do u get and how is the driveability?

 

[dsmvr4182]

as long as you or the perosn that put it all togeather done a good job its fine. all how you build your car. build it with good parts and such dont take short cuts.

driveablity depends on your setup and such .

gas miles i get about 22 or less depend on how i drive.

 

[rst95eclipse]

Normally with a DSM having that much power, you'll have a turbo that doesn't spool until 3500rpm (depending on your mods). As long as you don't mash on the gas, you should see fairly decent gas mileage. I've seen some people at 25mpg+. As for the driveability, it depends on a lot of things with the car (ex: removal of PS / your tune / your cam selection). Anything is driveable, if you ask me. It's the person that's doing the driving whose opinion matters. Some people want comfort out of a DD, others don't care.

 

[LordZed]

Normally with a DSM having that much power, you'll have a turbo that doesn't spool until 3500rpm (depending on your mods). As long as you don't mash on the gas, you should see fairly decent gas mileage. I've seen some people at 25mpg+. As for the driveability, it depends on a lot of things with the car (ex: removal of PS / your tune / your cam selection). Anything is driveable, if you ask me. It's the person that's doing the driving whose opinion matters. Some people want comfort out of a DD, others don't care.

Exactly! Most will have pretty laggy turbo's. But there are a few out there who run high hp and drive somewhat daily. Probably more like three times a week but hey. The beauty of a turbo car is the ability to set up two stages of tune. One mild one wild.

 

[mhuffman]

Dude, i would say 350 crank hp is a pretty high amount for a daily driver. 475 WHEEL hp?.... You trying to reverse the rotation of the earth?

I would imagine you're going to sacrifice driveability and gas mileage. I'm happy with my responsive 14b. Why would i want 475 whp on the street? Theres always going to be someone faster anyways. At that high power the risk of breaking something increases as well. The risk of killing yourself does too.

 

[pnishr]

Risk of killing yourself only increases if you're an idiot. Owning an inanimate object NEVER increases your personal risk... if you have a brain about it. I think 475 is totally reasonable. Vette's got it, but I haven't heard any big news story about all of the owners suddenly driving like morons...

 

[mhuffman]

Risk of killing yourself only increases if you're an idiot. Owning an inanimate object NEVER increases your personal risk... if you have a brain about it. I think 475 is totally reasonable. Vette's got it, but I haven't heard any big news story about all of the owners suddenly driving like morons...

475whp would get you past the speed limit pretty quick. So, if you greatly exceed the speed limit, i think the risk involved typically increases due to things like varying road conditions, the presence of animals, other drivers who might cut you off, ect... It doesnt have to do just with your intelligence or skill, its also the intelligence/skill (or lack of) of the other drivers on the street.

So, if you make 475whp and then choose not to use it, what was the point in the first place?

 

[c4uldr0n]

I would guess I'm 300+, I'm pretty hard on the gas pedal, I rarely see 20mpg... I think the low economy is a lot to do with the 15-20 degree weather, and having to warm my car up for 15 minutes in the morning. The snow and daily driving with AWD cannot be beat however! (as long as you don't have low profile tires)

 

[pnishr]

475whp would get you past the speed limit pretty quick. So, if you greatly exceed the speed limit, i think the risk involved typically increases due to things like varying road conditions, the presence of animals, other drivers who might cut you off, ect... It doesnt have to do just with your intelligence or skill, its also the intelligence/skill (or lack of) of the other drivers on the street.

So, if you make 475whp and then choose not to use it, what was the point in the first place?

No, I get that it also has to do with other drivers, but how does the HP of YOUR CAR impact the driving style of you or other drivers???? Again, when used correctly, legally, intelligently, no OBJECT is going to put you at any greater risk than any other OBJECT (forgoing the obvious, if you have safety equip removed for weight etc) I never do much above 5mph over the speed limit, whether I'm in a hyundai, or my buddy's vette... I'm not controlled by the car, it's the other way around. What if I just like to get on the Hwy fast. It'd certainly be more fun in a 475hp car than a 210hp car... doesn't mean I have to speed, or break the law, or do it unwisely?...

I bet you're anti-gun because they magically kill people all by themselves too....

The point is, it's up to the INDIVIDUAL to decide what is DD and what is not, and to make intelligent, reasonable, responsible, LEGAL decisions on how to handle it.

- Done hijacking. Just want to point out that it's dumb to argue that more HP makes an unsafe car. The ONLY validity to that is IF you use it, and the rest of the car isn't built for it. i.e. breaking an axle, and losing controll on the road.

One more edit: what if he only has one car? want's to run it on the strip on weekends, but has to work during the week??? Should he not build it up for his responsible use of it on the weekend because all of the sudden it becomes "unsafe?" just a thought.

 

[wvturbo2]

I've got 2 friend with 2 different setups making nice power i wouldn't know for sure they haven't been to a dyno, but recently they both have picked up civic's for daily drivers. ONe has a 30r and 288 cams and he had problems with an occasional stalling at a light of something, but other than that no problems except making people blow their load if he drove by. Other friend has a 60-1 and im not sure what cams, 4 inch exhaust. Both have built motors and all the supporting goodies. The 60-1 car pulls so damn hard. They both still need tuned more, running to rich and didn't have good gas mileage, but DAMN the idled fine pretty loud, but fine . I say stay out of boost and you will be fine on gas mileage. IF you don't drive like an idiot it's not going to be different than driving a 100 hp car you can speed in any car so hp doesn't matter. Good luck with car if you relize its to much for dd use then pick up a civic hatch or coupe for cheap.
ps you might break a few axles

 

[HondaStylez]

If you're worried about gas mileage then you can't afford to make a 475hp car, let alone drive one.

 

[LordZed]

While I compleatly agree that it's not the car that makes the wreck, I'd like to entertain another thought. Having driven high powered cars I will say this.
I believe, although not really the cars fault, a high hp car is easier to get away from you...even if your not driving to agressivly. Ask any Vette or Viper owner (Kelsie Grammer flipped his Viper in his driveway just because his foot slipped from the brake and hit the gas too hard) and 9 out of 10 times they will tell you that if you don't drive the car like it has the power of the god's to kill you, then it will bite you in the ass. With a AWD vehicle, you have a much lower chance of tooling through a 30mph sweeper and tapping the throttle just a bit hard and that back end comming around to kiss you.
But like I said, I think it's all the driver, but the higher the HP the more likely something out of your control can happen. I mean, if you "accidently" pop the clutch in you Ford Festive, you stall. Do that in your Z06, and you write your name in cursive with tire rubber.

Bottom line:High HP means greater respect for the car, control, and attention. Treat the gas pedal like a loaded gun.

 

[Rob10_99]

so I need to get a license for my right foot now?
no really though, 475+ is lucky to be more than a weekend car,

 

[1999silverGSX]

The snow and daily driving with AWD cannot be beat however! (as long as you don't have low profile tires)

... i have 18's and pirelli pzero's ... put 2 nd 2 together nd snow is a nightmare

 

[LordZed]

so I need to get a license for my right foot now?
no really though, 475+ is lucky to be more than a weekend car,

Well technically…yes. But at least you don’t have a crappy waiting period like you do for a gun. Background checks are good I suppose…but that’s another topic for another time. I would not mind seeing the drivers licensing process kicked up a notch actually. I often wonder if they have licenses in vending machines these days as poorly as some people drive.

 

[eldiabloz13]

They dont make boost controllers for nothing. I plain on running 400awhp. When i race. When im putting around, im going to turn that way down. If even boost at all. My 50 trim might not be happy but ohh well. Drive in moderation.

 

[nightspeed87]

While I compleatly agree that it's not the car that makes the wreck, I'd like to entertain another thought. Having driven high powered cars I will say this.
I believe, although not really the cars fault, a high hp car is easier to get away from you...even if your not driving to agressivly. Ask any Vette or Viper owner (Kelsie Grammer flipped his Viper in his driveway just because his foot slipped from the brake and hit the gas too hard) and 9 out of 10 times they will tell you that if you don't drive the car like it has the power of the god's to kill you, then it will bite you in the ass. With a AWD vehicle, you have a much lower chance of tooling through a 30mph sweeper and tapping the throttle just a bit hard and that back end comming around to kiss you.
But like I said, I think it's all the driver, but the higher the HP the more likely something out of your control can happen. I mean, if you "accidently" pop the clutch in you Ford Festive, you stall. Do that in your Z06, and you write your name in cursive with tire rubber.

Bottom line:High HP means greater respect for the car, control, and attention. Treat the gas pedal like a loaded gun.

I agree, especially if you have fwd or rwd....
With power comes responsibilty ( spiderman )

 

[delta448]

Daily drivers need to be reliable cars. A LS7 equipped ZO6 with 475 whp is not the same as a 4G63 with the same power. Hmmm... 7 liters naturally aspirated or 2 liters pumping 27+psi... anybody giving odds on which one will break down first?

-Also, about the whole power vs responsibility argument, take a look at the type of people who own ZO6's and compare them to the type of people who own DSMs. I'm not saying we're all irresponsible, just that on average DSM owners are much younger than Vette owners. Younger people tend to be more umm... "accident prone". Plus if one of us paid that much for our car, sans modifications, we'd probably be a lot more cautious too, even if we were younger than 45.

 

[nightspeed87]

well at least there isnt too many 400 + hp honda guys on the road or it would be total choas ....

And by the way 475 on a 2800-3200 lbs dsm is a little different than in a vette just because
of the drive train isnt no were near as capable or even geared for that type of power.

 

[rabenne]

I was running 26 psi on my garrett 50 trim daily. I was seeing around 18-21 mpg. Tune can make a huge difference but also keep in mind that fuel pressure raises one psi for every psi of boost. That means when your laying on the boost @ 12psi your fuel pressure jumps from 38 psi to 50 psi. More pressure at the injectors means more flow during a pulsewidth and less gas mileage.

 

[pnishr]

Daily drivers need to be reliable cars. A LS7 equipped ZO6 with 475 whp is not the same as a 4G63 with the same power. Hmmm... 7 liters naturally aspirated or 2 liters pumping 27+psi... anybody giving odds on which one will break down first?

-Also, about the whole power vs responsibility argument, take a look at the type of people who own ZO6's and compare them to the type of people who own DSMs. I'm not saying we're all irresponsible, just that on average DSM owners are much younger than Vette owners. Younger people tend to be more umm... "accident prone". Plus if one of us paid that much for our car, sans modifications, we'd probably be a lot more cautious too, even if we were younger than 45.

A: Who will break down first? The one who's making/using/abusing power that his car is not built for. If he built the tranny/driveline/engine for that power, why would it break down any sooner?? my internals are built for more than 475whp. A Vette is built for the exact amount it comes from the manufacturer. That's how they save money on the assembly line. Limited tolerences give more room for error...

B: your AVERAGE DSMer also doesn't have a 475whp car.... I think your other logic is completely backwards. People that have the money to buy a Vette (regardless of age, since there are plenty of "kids" getting them from their rich parents) have the money to fix what the F-up. And may have a certain... "arrogance" to them (aka driving like dicks). Your average DSMer, at least the one who worked hard enough on his car to have a 475whp car, will have more respect/concern for it because HE did the work. It's more of a part of his person than some object he was able to buy cause he's got beaucoup bucks. (and the DSMer may be out of a car longer saving cash to fix it)

People buy what they can afford. Why would somebody with more money be more cautious of a more expensive car, as opposed to a poorer person buying a car that was "expensive" to them? That doesn't make sense.

Back to the original thouhgt: Yes, a 475whp car is totally safe and reliable, IF you choose to make it so. Build it to take the power, and drive it like you want to keep it. That's not that hard to do.

 

[ThingyNess]

I was running 26 psi on my garrett 50 trim daily. I was seeing around 18-21 mpg. Tune can make a huge difference but also keep in mind that fuel pressure raises one psi for every psi of boost. That means when your laying on the boost @ 12psi your fuel pressure jumps from 38 psi to 50 psi. More pressure at the injectors means more flow during a pulsewidth and less gas mileage.

A little off topic, but just a note for anyone who might read this in the future. Your fuel pressure raises 1psi for every 1psi of boost, yes. However, the flow rate across the injectors is the same under all conditions (at a given pulse width/rpm), whether you're at 20inHG of vacuum, or 40psi of boost. The fuel pressure regulator raises/lowers the pressure to keep the differential pressure across the injectors the same at any given time. For a 1g, this means there is a 2.5bar difference between the input and output of the injector, regarldess of boost or vacuum. And thus, the same flow rate all the time with a given injector opening time.

You certainly do use a lot more fuel when you lean into the gas pedal at 20psi of boost, versus, for example, part throttle under vacuum, but that's just a function of the HP you're making, your A/F ratio, and your brake specific fuel consumption. It has nothing to do with the fuel pressure.

 

[wicketdreams]

Sorry I'm just chiming in guys..the reason for the question originaly was..where I live we have quite a few guys old school/ new school who are runnin' 500+ whp on their everyday cars, now most of them are bored/stroked or use various power adders turbo/superchargers....most are of course camaro/mustang..big block old school..we do have one guy who has an Evo and a WRX and both of them are pushing 450+ (guy is LOADED) one guy has an Eclipse GST that has about 375..and we have a few honda guys at the college who are all 400+....but no one has a DSM here with over 400hp... before I bought my Talon, I was orginaly going to buy a Supra (I still intend to ) but I thought it would be nice if I could rep for my DSM fam as well...I wouldn't mind getting 475-525hp if I could maintain my talon as a daily driver... there are 6 vettes..3 mustangs..and 4 old schools in my fam..and I'm the first to venture outside of domestic iron..I love my Talon..and want to show these guys here that it's a real car and not a "TOY" as some of the old schoolers call it..I know HP isnt cheap..but I have a good idea on cost and how to achieve it...but I noticed most of the modded guys on the forum are in the 325-375 range..thats why i asked about the guys wit 475hp and up.....

 

[bp97tsi]

I know several people with cars in the 650-1000+ hp range. Drive them very often. As long as its got headlights, tailights, turn signals, & windshield wipers. its street legal. Its all about how much money you got in the bank. I'm shooting for 700whp & i'm gonna drive it every day. Unless its nice. Then i'll pull out the 929 fireblade.

 

[nanokpsi]

Daily drivers need to be reliable cars. A LS7 equipped ZO6 with 475 whp is not the same as a 4G63 with the same power. Hmmm... 7 liters naturally aspirated or 2 liters pumping 27+psi... anybody giving odds on which one will break down first?

-Also, about the whole power vs responsibility argument, take a look at the type of people who own ZO6's and compare them to the type of people who own DSMs. I'm not saying we're all irresponsible, just that on average DSM owners are much younger than Vette owners. Younger people tend to be more umm... "accident prone". Plus if one of us paid that much for our car, sans modifications, we'd probably be a lot more cautious too, even if we were younger than 45.

My 500whp pump gas talon is my only car, and thus my daily driver. It has been perfectly reliable. Ofcourse some things are going to break, its a freaking 10 year old car. For instance, the little piece of metal that attaches on the master cylinder shaft and clutch pedal broke and screwed with my clutch engagement. I also need a new radiator cap. Big turbo cars make much better dialy driver's imho. Although it makes the power, the car sees very little stress unless I want it too. With the 2.4l, there is more than enough power to commute around in and still get decent gas mileage.