[Power Surge]

Originally Posted by Hal Copple

I am not sure the old quote "never too much horsepower" really applies to a street driven car. These cars are already dangerous and can kill the unwary in a heartbeat. The more power a driver has, the more deadly the car.

I frankly think that engine heat and mpg really are worth thinking about. Even you one doesn't drive much, a big hot monster motor giving 8 mpg gets tiring, not to mention requiring frequent fuel searches.

If one motor (the Genesis) has X horsepower, then would a Cobra replica be somehow better with X+ horsepower? I know people who have upwards of 750 engine ponies in these cars.

In my 120,000 miles in my own Replica, i would bet that other than on the drag strip or race course (I am packed for a day at VIR tuesday), i have less than two minutes at full throttle. Do you really want to pay that kind of money and buy that much gas for a few seconds here and there of full throttle?

I have a stroked windsor, with about 480 horsepower. I already have a better power to weight ratio than a $115K Turbo Porsche 911. What would i do with another 100+ ponies?

The way i see it, if i had another 20 ponies, i would be faster on the race track. If i had another 100 ponies, i would be certainly slower.

These are fabulous cars, unlike just about anything else on the road. But they can kill you in the blink of an eye.

Before you select your motor, make an honest appraisal of what you want to do with your car, and of your own abilities. If Ken Miles called the 427 cars pigs, and unsuited for the track, why would i think I can safely control things.

I know my limits, and am very careful to stay within them.

Sort of like having a mistress with a 38C cup. Would it be better if she were a 55 DDD cup? More is not always better: one can have too much of a good thing.

all the best,

Interesting post, although I didn't see what it has to do with this poster's question.

Also, you make a good general point, but didn't say which of the two motor choices he asked about were which in your comparison .