adaptation to power: always more?

[Murci.sv]

find that you quickly get used to the power and the acceleration. what to do? continue to modify or buy vehicles with crazy performance and power? or buy a car that performs well in the acceleration department, but provides driving pleasure without immense power. focus on other qualities like sound, handling, etc.? When I test drive a new fast vehicle it's always wow the first time and then quickly it no longer seems as exciting to drive it.

[119]

Find this a lot, and the best way to feel the power again, is to drive an old Nissan Micra for a few days, then jump back into your main car and it will then feel like a rocket ship.

[kambites]

It's a very personal thing. I find that past about 250bhp per tonne, more power makes road cars less fun rather than more. As you say there might be a brief "wow that's impressive" when a car is fast in a straight line but it becomes "normal" very quickly far past the point that you can't realistically use it on the road.

For me long-lasting fun in a road car is all about agility and feedback at moderately sensible speeds.

Edited by kambites on Friday 31st May 07:44

[kalniel]

Yep, so I look for other qualities in cars instead - sometimes it's luxury, sometimes it's agility, even economy but there's always something preferable in the new car that was the reason I chose it.

[MikeM6]

[redacted]

[hammo19]

Try driving slower and actually enjoying the experience.

[croyde]

For a while I ran a Mustang V8 GT alongside my e36 BMW 2.5.

The Mustang was a blast and an occasion but sometimes it was just nice to jump into my old BMW that felt like a gokart in comparison.

A different kind of fun.

[brillomaster]

no, not always more.

i got my daily to a tuned 335i which had about 360bhp. as i was accelerating on the A14 one day at an indicated (number redacted) mph and still pulling i thought to myself, perhaps this is enough.

not long after i switched a 330d. still plenty fast enough, but does 40mpg not 25.

nowadays the weekend car is about the noise it makes and the handling. its not really that hard to go fast in a straight line. 250-300bhp is plenty in a road car.

[stef1808]

You need more poweeerrrrr

[Hammy98]

I always find something that can overwhelm the back wheels pretty easily takes longer to get boring as it keeps you on your toes.

[swisstoni]

It makes as much sense as keeping a thoroughbred racehorse to give kiddy rides at the beach.
But it’s a nice horse.

[Terminator X]

300hp per tonne / ton seems to me to be about right. Any car close to that has savage acceleration, anything higher seems OTT to me.

TX.

[Debaser]

When I have a quick car I get bored with the fact I can't get anywhere near close to its performance without a significant risk of going to prison.

I then buy a slower car that's more fun to thrash at slightly less illegal speeds, and get frustrated with the fact I can't easily overtake - especially someone in a modern Diesel who's determined to stop me coming past.

I then buy a quicker car and get bored again.

This cycle will repeat until I die.

[Murci.sv]

ultimately if I (build) a car around 250-300hp per ton. Could the problem be the same? at first wow then it still seems fast but less exciting. I wonder if there is a level of power-to-weight ratio where we say stop, I don't want more in terms of sensations.

[Xenoous]

Drove my car (RS265, so nothing overly fast) for the first time in a couple of weeks yesterday, after opting to use my cycle for the commute.... Certainly felt quick enough then!

[whp1983]

Go racing…. Addictive competing against others and the clock…. Makes you realise the exhilaration of learning to corner at speed.

This is route I went down after getting bored of road cars

[Griffith4ever]

Had a lot of fairly fast cars. Now at 570Bhp (V10) , nearly 4 years ownership, the insane performance has still not waned at all. I still find it remarkable and don't hanker for more. I'm even having to consider usability when shopping around now (650s in my sights, maybe)

[8IKERDAVE]

As said previously, the way to get 'that feeling' back is to drive something much slower for a while. I became so used to the power in my car that everytime I jumped in something else it felt like there was something wrong with it. A few days of that, back in your own car and it will feel like a rocketship again!

The same applies to bikes. If I could bottle that feeling I got from riding my first 125cc bike after being a moped for a year I'd be a millionaire!

[cerb4.5lee]

Debaser said:

When I have a quick car I get bored with the fact I can't get anywhere near close to its performance without a significant risk of going to prison.

I then buy a slower car that's more fun to thrash at slightly less illegal speeds, and get frustrated with the fact I can't easily overtake - especially someone in a modern Diesel who's determined to stop me coming past.

I then buy a quicker car and get bored again.

This cycle will repeat until I die.

This made me smile, and I think that there is a lot of truth with this for many people for certain.

[Donbot]

Twisty roads. Flooring something in a straight line will get boring no matter how fast your car is.