Coupe performance - how much does it really matter to you?
06-02-2010, 05:49 PM
#1
Coupe performance - how much does it really matter to you?
330 HP is a nice round number.... and it sure seems decent compared to the average car on the roads today. But how many of you guys would buy the G37 coupe if it came with, say, 225 HP right off the showroom floor? No other changes to the car at all, except for the fact that the engine makes 225 HP?
Lets also eliminate the possibility of modding the engine for more power. That can be done on any car, so for my purposes here, assume that you get 225 HP and you'd have to live with it.
Would you still buy the car or would you look elsewhere?
Lets also eliminate the possibility of modding the engine for more power. That can be done on any car, so for my purposes here, assume that you get 225 HP and you'd have to live with it.
Would you still buy the car or would you look elsewhere?
06-02-2010, 06:11 PM
#4
For the sake of this argument, lets just say the price remains unchanged.
I'm trying to see just how much you guys value the HP above the other attributes of the car. I picked 225 HP because I think it would still be enough that the car would be somewhat fun to drive, although not nearly as fast as today's 330 HP car.
So without any other changes (price included), would anyone still buy a 225 HP G37 coupe?
I'm trying to see just how much you guys value the HP above the other attributes of the car. I picked 225 HP because I think it would still be enough that the car would be somewhat fun to drive, although not nearly as fast as today's 330 HP car.
So without any other changes (price included), would anyone still buy a 225 HP G37 coupe?
06-02-2010, 06:44 PM
#7
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Definitely WAY too heavy of a car for 225 hp.
225 to the wheels is another story... Though, if it were turbo or twin turbo it might have been worth it. Nice and easy to put in some bigger turbos and software.
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06-02-2010, 07:15 PM
#9
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I see what you're trying to get at, but it doesn't make much sense.
It'd be like gutting out other features, or making it ugly.
The reason we get the car is because it offers a gorgeous, compelling overall package and a competitive, less expensive (and admittedly a little slower) alternative to the 335. The 3 series owned this category a little while back and now we have some great options.
Would I get a cheaper version that had a smaller, less powerful engine? Depends on the fuel economy and if they adjusted the less powerful engine to have better lower end torque. I might have gotten that because I rarely get to the sweet spot of this engine on our cop infested roads.
It'd be like gutting out other features, or making it ugly.
The reason we get the car is because it offers a gorgeous, compelling overall package and a competitive, less expensive (and admittedly a little slower) alternative to the 335. The 3 series owned this category a little while back and now we have some great options.
Would I get a cheaper version that had a smaller, less powerful engine? Depends on the fuel economy and if they adjusted the less powerful engine to have better lower end torque. I might have gotten that because I rarely get to the sweet spot of this engine on our cop infested roads.
06-02-2010, 07:16 PM
#10
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The thing that won me over about this car was the fact that it is 330hp at a price tag under $50K. It's the best bang for the buck. 225hp is what I was pushing w/my Honda Accord 6MT...no way in hell I'm paying $40K for that when there's a handful of other cars out there $10-15K cheaper w/the same specs or better.
06-02-2010, 08:20 PM
#15
Well, we might just see such a scenario if the G25 coupe ever makes it to the U.S. The HP would be somewhere around 225, but the price would definitely be lower.
So far a lot of you guys seem pretty much hung up on the HP rating and would not be willing to go significantly lower. But I've had cars that were around 225 HP (old 5.0L Mustangs, E36 M3) that were a ton of fun. They were a little lighter than the G37 coupe, but they were still a lot of fun to drive with that level of power. I don't think 225 HP would be as bad as some of you think, especially on a manual trans car.
Maybe I'm getting old, but I drove a friend's Mini Cooper (with manual trans) the other day and although it is waaaay underpowered compared to the G37 coupe, it was still a lot of fun to wind out the gears. The fact that it had LESS power seemed to make it more fun in most cases. I found myself able to wind it out without breaking the speed limit too much, whereas the G37 would have been way over the speed limit much faster. Maybe it's just more fun to make the car work hard without getting to insane speeds. But I still wouldn't take one over a G37. And for the record, I don't think I'd buy a 225 HP G37 either, but I'd have to see how it drove before I completely ruled it out.
So far a lot of you guys seem pretty much hung up on the HP rating and would not be willing to go significantly lower. But I've had cars that were around 225 HP (old 5.0L Mustangs, E36 M3) that were a ton of fun. They were a little lighter than the G37 coupe, but they were still a lot of fun to drive with that level of power. I don't think 225 HP would be as bad as some of you think, especially on a manual trans car.
Maybe I'm getting old, but I drove a friend's Mini Cooper (with manual trans) the other day and although it is waaaay underpowered compared to the G37 coupe, it was still a lot of fun to wind out the gears. The fact that it had LESS power seemed to make it more fun in most cases. I found myself able to wind it out without breaking the speed limit too much, whereas the G37 would have been way over the speed limit much faster. Maybe it's just more fun to make the car work hard without getting to insane speeds. But I still wouldn't take one over a G37. And for the record, I don't think I'd buy a 225 HP G37 either, but I'd have to see how it drove before I completely ruled it out.