Andrew, absolutely agree. I don't use even half the hp my car can put out because it gets hairy in such a light vehicle (granted I have suspension issues to work out). And also because the more I put into this car, the more careful I drive it. And perhaps also a bit because street racing was just raised to a class B misdemeanor in Texas.
500+ hp is great if you have a specific purpose in mind, such as drag racing. It is however, nice to *know* that I have 500+ hp.
Cheers,
-Neil.