This is part of a feature we call Autoweek Breaks Down, where we bring you a smattering of stories tied to a weekly theme. The aim is to deliver automotive content that entertains and enlightens but that doesn’t necessarily follow the news cycle. This week Autoweek Breaks Down 500.
There are a lot of numbers out there. There’s 1, 2, 7, 81, 103 and probably a few I’m forgetting. There are also a lot of horsepower outputs: 200 is nice. So is 900. 710 is great in the McLaren 720S. 717 is just as fine in a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. But the perfect amount of horsepower, in any car, is right near 500. Let me explain.
First, 500 is nice and round, halfway between zero (a terrible amount) and 1,000 (way too much). It’s the amount of miles in the Indy 500 (we’ll see you soon) and it’s about the amount of steps in a quarter-mile, if you’re walking leisurely. It’s not too much; in fact there are dozens of vehicles above that number now. It’s also a manageable amount of power, with a little training.
And think of all the cars that hover right around that number. First and foremost, there’s the new C8 Corvette at 495 hp. The best deal in autodom, the Dodge Charger Scat Pack has 485. The Porsche 911 GT3 nails it. And Mercedes-AMG S models hover right around it. The Ford Mustang GT350 is just over at 526 hp, and my ’14 Mustang GT, well, it starts at 420. But with a couple of upgrades I can get close to that magical number.
The McLaren 570S has 563 ponies, but if it was 500, would anyone really notice? I think all Ferraris beat that output, but having a convertible Portofino detuned to 500 hp (from 592) would be perfectly acceptable. The Nissan GT-R goes above and beyond too, but again, dropping about 65 hp, it would still be a fantastic vehicle.
Now, let’s think about adding power to something like the Subaru WRX STI S209. We’ll do a Thanos-like snap and add 159 hp and, boom, a perfect car. A Mazda Miata will do a 10-second quarter-mile with 500 hp. A Nissan 370Z? Yeah, that would work, too. The new Toyota Supra with 500 ponies? That’s Fast and Furious levels of sweet.
Are there any cars that wouldn’t benefit from 500 hp? OK, there may be a few. Putting that many horses just to the front wheels of Kia Rio, a Honda Fit or a Fiat 500 (ironically) would be insane. BUT, the Kia Stinger? Yes. The Honda Civic Type R? It’d be a bear, but yes. The Fiat Spider? Hell yes.
Your Bugattis, your Koenigseggs, your Paganis, your Aspark Owls, they might suffer if you took away half or more of their horsepower. But come on, we’re talking about 100 buyers worldwide combined. Maybe. Everything else, just right.
Five hundred is the perfect amount of horsepower. Change my mind.
Jake Lingeman has been with Autoweek since 2006 and career highlights include driving the Silverstone Circuit in England, taking the Corvette ZR1 around Road Atlanta and going to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. When he’s not writing about, driving, working on or thinking about cars, he’s reading liberal books and playing video games. In his opinion, the best new car in the world is the Ferrari 488 Pista. The Ford Shelby GT350, the Nissan GT-R and the Porsche 911 GT3 are favorites too. He owns a 1963 Pontiac Star Chief, a 2014 Ford Mustang GT and 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL.
