Do we really need 300kw/500nm+ for a daily driver?

[jai]

I love watching outback truckers!


iPhone

[NickS]

Exceptional Skill required to control a 300kw car........

Always good for a laugh.

For some strange reason it reminds of those toothbrush ads where they say they have extra grips for "superior control" ... who's ever lost control of a toothbrush FFS!

My car will happily smoke the tyres in pretty much any gear / anytime, but it's a piece of cake to drive if you're not being a tool. I've never even been close to "losing control" ... I must have exceptional skills! As others have pointed out, you don't need 300kW to drive fast ... but you can bet your last dollar that the car that is sold with 300kW is going to handle a bit of speed a hell of a lot better than the shit box being flogged and going the same speed.

[planetdavo]

Exceptional Skill required to control a 300kw car........

Always good for a laugh.

More people have exceptionally well developed ego’s rather than exceptional skills out there. The main problem with exceptionally well developed ego’s is that the drivers THINK they are the world’s greatest drivers, more than capable of driving their car out of ANY situation. These sorts often believe a grandma could safely drive a powerful car. 300kW/500Nm considered a “powerful” car? Pffft they say.
A 300kW/500Nm car weighing over 1600kg’s and capable of accelerating to 100km/h in well under 6 seconds is a high powered car. Drive them hard and lose it, and you WILL need exceptional skills recovering that amount of mass from causing destruction. An exceptionally well developed ego will often just get you into a much bigger accident once you eventually hit something. Just because someone can afford a high powered car and can join an internet forum doesn't automatically make them the world's best driver never to win an F1 world championship...
I’m sorry to hear you find it a “laugh” saying what I said. I would have thought it to be in the forum’s interests to promote responsible driver attitudes and intelligent discussion, considering the “enthusiast” movement is generally just considered to be a hoon sub-category by much of the population.
People manage to kill themselves with 200ish kW V6 Commodore’s pretty easily you know, so the V8 versions only magnify the potential risks, especially the models before VE- with it's extra abilities and safety nets. Driving between traffic lights or having a little fang at 20km/h isn’t the time these “exceptional skills” I talked about are required. Maybe that’s what you thought I meant. Well I hope so anyway. It’s in one of those sh!t your pants moments you need this level of skill, and sadly, many people have found out they never possessed those exceptional skills over the years, as evidenced by their untimely funerals and hence plenty of time to ponder their mistakes whilst buried 6 feet under...

[macca_779]

So are you claiming to be an extraordinary driver davo? Sure sounds like it with you expert opinions


iPhone 5

[planetdavo]

So are you claiming to be an extraordinary driver davo? Sure sounds like it with you expert opinions

I in no way will ever claim to be an "exceptional" driver.
I'd much rather be slow and alive, than dead trying to impress the peanut gallery.

[VYBerlinaV8]

Aussie drivers are pretty good drivers

I don't think we are. The amount of stupidity I see day in day out is amazing. There are plenty of places overseas where the average person is better at controlling a car than the average Aussie. Liicenses are far too easy to get here.

[Red-Devil]

Lots of places overseas also make driving part of the school curriculum in later years.. Whether it makes any difference to statistics I couldn't say.

[planetdavo]

I don't think we are. The amount of stupidity I see day in day out is amazing. There are plenty of places overseas where the average person is better at controlling a car than the average Aussie. Liicenses are far too easy to get here.

Here here!
Licences are far too easy to get in Australia. Politicians in this country spent far too much time looking at how to win voters over, of which people of driving age are almost totally their target market. It's much easier for a politician to place oppressive penalties on drivers after they've got a licence, than it is to stand up to the crap driving young voters by making it hard to get a licence to begin with.
Unfortunately, this mentality can lead to inexperienced, ego driven or immature minded drivers getting their licences rather too easily. All they have to do is avoid losing it for a short number of years if they want a high powered car. Hello Australia's favourite "hoon" car...
Just because you can pass an Australian drivers licence test doesn't automatically mean you are remotely a great driver capable of controlling a high powered car in a panic situation.

[VYSHSV8]

I love watching outback truckers!


iPhone

Never watched it but no doubt it will be all hyped up crap for the yank market
Yes I drive triple road trains for a living they are around 53mtr long


Sent from the middle of Farkin no-where

[Woodchukka]

If a person needs to rely on traction control rather then rely on the control of their right foot, then that is a problem.

You can add to that stability control, hill start assist, the radar that keeps you a safe distance from other cars, and the cars that will brake for you if the car in front does. How can you expect people to become vigilant if you keep enabling inattention? What will you tell the cop when that shit fails. "It was the cars fault!"???

[jc_sv8]

This is the new drivers test...

[VTSSDUDE]

You can add to that stability control, hill start assist, the radar that keeps you a safe distance from other cars, and the cars that will brake for you if the car in front does. How can you expect people to become vigilant if you keep enabling inattention? What will you tell the cop when that shit fails. "It was the cars fault!"???

Yep I totally agree. I thought I was reading things when I learnt that the Subaru Foresters came out with hill start assist. As for that brake proximity sensor crap. What's this world coming too?
Idiocracy here we come.

[C4B]

For some strange reason it reminds of those toothbrush ads where they say they have extra grips for "superior control" ... who's ever lost control of a toothbrush FFS!

My car will happily smoke the tyres in pretty much any gear / anytime, but it's a piece of cake to drive if you're not being a tool. I've never even been close to "losing control" ... I must have exceptional skills! As others have pointed out, you don't need 300kW to drive fast ... but you can bet your last dollar that the car that is sold with 300kW is going to handle a bit of speed a hell of a lot better than the shit box being flogged and going the same speed.

Same here. I've never even come close to having an accident. Some people think you need exceptional skills to be able to drive a powerful car (generally this perspective comes from people who have never driven a powerful car). The reality is, all you need it the ability to know where your skill levels run out and not to drive beyond those levels.

I could have double the power I've currently got, and still have no issues. My ability doesn't change, nor does ensuring I drive within that ability.

[IJ.]

Look at it this way, if everyone in the country behaved themselves on the road and didn't get fined most state governments would be bankrupt within a month, fines are just indirect taxation so it's not in their interest to educate drivers better or actually address any of the real issues..

[duke5700]

I've been asked with some of my cars and the insane power levels, How do you drive that thing on the street? My reply each time, the same as always. You just don't push the loud peddle as hard.

You can never predict other people and as such you need to drive within the confines of what is considered normal. That way, you can react to them and they have time to react to you.

Same here. I've never even come close to having an accident. Some people think you need exceptional skills to be able to drive a powerful car (generally this perspective comes from people who have never driven a powerful car). The reality is, all you need it the ability to know where your skill levels run out and not to drive beyond those levels.

I could have double the power I've currently got, and still have no issues. My ability doesn't change, nor does ensuring I drive within that ability.