This is sure to start a schmidtstorm.
Do you ever actually use all the power in your C4?
How much is enough?
Looking back on my "higher horsepower" adventures i remember:
Getting a 66 350 hp vert (with hardtop) up to 150mph with TWO other guys in the car. Much younger and foolish in 1966 though. I would not do this again and I am sure I would have killed someone if I had bought that car.
Took a joy ride in a 435 horse 67 vert that a friend let me drive. Nailed it in 1st gear, got sideways on a city street with those skinny gold-line tires and scared the crap out of me.
Skip ahead many years and 5 Corvettes later. LT4 vert. I scared my wallet when I got it up to 120mph on the Interstate just South of Bowling Green. I do NOT need a trip to jail and a $1,000 ticket.
I found in driving the car that I rarely got it up to 3,000 RPM.
Maybe I am showing my age, but a couple of the L98 C4s I owned in the past had plenty of low end torque. That is where I seemed to enjoy it the most - freeway on ramps, twisty back roads - accelerating out of a curve. Rarely drove them more than 80 mph. Never raced them.
Why go for more power than you can use? I learned years ago that street racing is stupid, dangerous and can cost you lots of $$$$$$$.
Is this heresy?
Flame suit on.

 

I've never had mine over 100 and I'm still young and stupid. (17)

I think the low end is the most fun. Especially stop light races when people drop their jaws when it just blows by em.

 

I travel between Las Vegas and Reno sometimes and after awhile 100 mph is slow and I have had people out there pass me like I am setting still, Years ago there was a female Nevada Highway Patrol office in Tonnopha Nevada who drove a c4 for a police car, black and white and she told me that a lot of people outran the 5.0 HO Mustang they used to drive out there but only 1/2 of them out ran the c4

 

Previously I would have said 400hp was enough. Now that I have that, I guess I'd say 500 is? I hope that's true because it just gets more expensive the higher you go...

 

I've often wondered the same thing. Truth is, unless you're racing it at the strip, how much power do you need on the street? Hell, my stock 84 feels fine stoplight to stoplight...and has more than adequate power for passing on the highway. I'm long past the age where I care what some snot-nosed kid in the next lane thinks.

If I had 450 hp, I'd probably never explore anything close to half of it's limits. I'm too busy to go to the track on the weekends and have no real interest in racing, and doing anything that resembles racing on the streets here will get your car impounded (permanently) and sold at auction....not to mention a felony charge against you. No thanks.

So to answer your question, most grocery getters today have more power than I would ever use. Man getting old sucks.

 

I don't speed, but i like to get to the limit quick.

Seriously, I like to have a little more than stock.

 

You can't be too thin, have too much money or have too much horsepower.

 

People build "street car" motors to scream at higher RPMs these days which is fine if you live in BFE but what is the point you can't safely turn it loose anywhere but at the track. A torquey motor application is more practical/fun for "street" use IMO. Oh did I mention I hate ricer cars.....RPMs @ 10,000 yet they are only going 25 MPH....dumb

 

Id say it gets interesting around 500chp or better any less I get bored quick.

A couple big block cars I had made me respect them but cant say Ive had a smallblock yet that didnt want me leaving more. Having buttloads of torque is a blast.
Time will tell...

 

When your wife will not ride in the car since it will be too loud, too hot that is when you have too much power.
I doubt any 66 Corvette 350 HP Roadster with the hardtop could EVER EVER do 150 MPH.
I was a pit crew member back in the early 70 for Rick Dittman who won the June Sprints at Elkhart Lake Wisc and his car would top out at 155 and that was a full race B production 67 Harptop with over 475 HP.
My own 68 B production Corvette Roadsterin the late 70 would top out at 155 also. 500hp in a 2800 lb car.

 

You can never have enough power. I have driven several 600-700 hp cars on the street and used ALL of the power...

 

Never enough. Blasphemy.

 

My stock C4 has enough power for me in normal street driving. On the street, I go the same speed in my C6 as with my C4, but my C6 is 485 HP, with all the bolt ons.

It's nice to know I have the power, but I rarely use it on the streets. I do, however, like doing 1/4 miles at the drag strip.

 

i would like enough to beat my buds swith the the C5 and C6's. which there are some C5 that fall prey.

 

you have to mix the horsepower with the handling and braking capacity of any car... in 67 427/435 hp was way too much for those skinny goldline tires but with today's technology i will say 400 rwhp c4 must be a good all around car and better if you have 91-95 Z07 or 95-up J55 or any upgraded big brakes package... im sure any of us will be happy with the 638 hp C6/ZR1 as well but who will really use all of 638 hp on a daily basis and remember weight is the enemy

 

I've wished for more, once. I used all of the 400 HP in my C6 when I down shifted from fourth to third/fifth got fifth accidently, still had enough power to pass. Had it on the floor and able to pass safely.

 

Depends on what you can get to the ground

What your doing with it

Autox, drag, top speed runs.

I'm putting in a big HP engine, but I plan on going down to the Maxton Mile.

Sonny had 1000hp when he took his C4 down

 

If GM put out a new Vette tomorrow that got 1000 HP by next week there would after market parts to boost it to 1100 HP. It never ends.

 

For me...the goal is 505, but not in my current vette.

 

I just made a 1600 mile run. Top speed was 85 mph. You would think that in an 800 mile stretch you could find one place to open it up a little. No such luck. So, my little 265 hp is still more than I have been able to use.