How much horsepower is simply ridiculous?

[sho928]

How much horsepower is simply ridiculous?

Answer is: 3,600 HP that would give the Cobra the same power to weight as an F-1 car (850 HP in a car that weighs 640-kg with driver)

Actually an F-1 Driver could easily loose control of a Cobra on GP circuit even if it only had 800-hp since he would have no 5,000 lbs of aerodynamic down-force to aid stability at speed.

I admire the Guys on this site that can safely control 500-hp in 2,400-lb car at full throttle or high speed with no modern aerodynamics or stability control

[Buzz]

I say anything UNDER 500hp is simply ridiculous in a Cobra.

[*13*]

A GoKart with a V8 is simply ridiculous.

[twin turbo]

Originally Posted by Buzz

I say anything UNDER 500hp is simply ridiculous in a Cobra.

Buzz, that's a good one, lol. Cheers.

[twin turbo]

A fellow Cobra replica driver I know drives his on the street with "over" 800 rwhp. He told me he has traction problems under 120 mph using drag radials. Still manages to accelerate from 0-125 mph in 5 1/2 seconds (per 1/8 mile time slip). Cheers.

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by sho928

How much horsepower is simply ridiculous?

Answer is: 3,600 HP that would give the Cobra the same power to weight as an F-1 car (850 HP in a car that weighs 640-kg with driver)

Actually an F-1 Driver could easily loose control of a Cobra on GP circuit even if it only had 800-hp since he would have no 5,000 lbs of aerodynamic down-force to aid stability at speed.

I admire the Guys on this site that can safely control 500-hp in 2,400-lb car at full throttle or high speed with no modern aerodynamics or stability control

I think you meant to say 1450 Hp which would equal the lb/hp figure of 1.656 in a 2400 lb Cobra (Kirkham with 200 lb driver). That would be a handful, 3600 would be like a Top Alcohol Funny Car which is way faster than an F1 car in a straight line.

It is all about traction, not enough and you have trouble and better have quick hands. My ford GT has 862 RWHP with 4.0 Whipple and is very easy to drive on a road course with Hoosier A6's, granted it is 1000 lbs heavier than my Cobra and has great down force but it still has a fairly stout weight to power level. The Cobra with the same tires and a slightly better power to weight ratio is an animal because of a lack of traction and short wheel base. Top Fuel cars are long for a reason.

[xb-60]

My view - and as always, each to his own - is that if you're building a replica, then you replicate your selected original as closely as possible within you own constraints. The 289 Cobra won a world championship with around 380hp, and 427 Cobras were endowed with 380 to 420hp, so for a 289, 380hp is enough and a 427?....420hp is enough.
But if your choice is 600 or 700hp, then go for it! You would probably do well to buy shares in Goodyear or Firestone though....and they're probably cheap at the moment.
One question though - if you're cruising along, minding your own business in your 427/700hp Cobra replica, and you feel a sneeze coming, do you slow down?
Cheers!
Glen

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by xb-60

One question though - if you're cruising along, minding your own business in your 427/700hp Cobra replica, and you feel a sneeze coming, do you slow down?
Cheers!
Glen

While cruising along? No - I'd just sneeze. Lol! Sometimes you guys make it sound like driving a Cobra is like walking a tightrope with no safety net; one split second lapse in concentration and you're a goner. My car is rock solid at speed and handles quite nicely even on our twisty uneven roads. With right about 500hp and all the usual short wheelbase Cobra characteristics, I can get it out of shape very easily if I want, but it doesn't just up and do it on its own.

My analogy is that a powerful Cobra - assuming its in sound working order and not a claptrap assembly of junk parts - is sort of like owning a gun. It can be dangerous if misused, but it cannot do anything on its own. Its all up to the operator.

So, what caliber of handgun is simply ridiculous to own - anything over .38? 9mm? .44 magnum? The truth is even a .22 in inexperienced or incompetent hands is a disaster waiting to happen, while a .50 Action Express in the hands of a competent, sensible owner will do no one any harm (unless of course they're really asking for it ).

Hand over the keys of a 500+ hp Cobra to an eager novice whose only experience with speed is hitting 60 mph in a 3 ton sedan and we've all seen the sad result. On the flip side, there's guys on this forum who've been driving brutal 700 + hp monsters for years without incident.

I'd sooner say putting some people behind the wheel of any Cobra is simply ridiculous - far more so than any predetermined level of horsepower.