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Greatest 300 horsepower cars of all time (part 2)

<< Greatest 300 horsepower cars of all time (part 1)
6. Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8

Horsepower: 348 hp
MSRP Price: $28,750

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is a value buy for consumers who love to have a fancy car with sharp handling. EPA fuel economy is 18/27/21 mpg with the manual transmission and 18/28/22 mpg with the automatic transmission. Under the hood, the Genesis Coupe is powered by a 3.8-liter V6 delivering 348 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Good for pick up as well as top speed. Inside, the cabin is built with high quality material too. Not bad for a 348 hp car under $30,000 right?

7. Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Horsepower: 305 hp
MSRP Price: $34,095

The Subaru Impreza WRX STI is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that’s good for 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque. With a six-speed manual transmission as standard, the 300 horsepower car is capable to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The result is very impressive for an Impreza. Fuel economy? It achieves 17/23/19.

8. BMW X1 xDrive35i

Horsepower: 300 hp
MSRP Price: $38,450

In the U.S, the BMW X1 comes with a few variants but only the xDrive35i produces 300 hp with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine under the hood. As we have mentioned before in our BMW X1 sDrive20d Review, the X1 has a roomy cabin that no one can believe if they just look at the car from outside. Despite, the car deliver very good fuel economy too.

9. Nissan 370Z Coupe

Horsepower: 300 hp
MSRP Price: $32,280

Compare to some other sports cars we drove before, none of them within the same price range act like the Nissan 370Z. The Nissan 370Z provides an excellent handling, superb braking, powerful engine, and low price. The car is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 pumping 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. All it takes is 5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 and the fuel economy is 18 city/26 highway mpg.

10. Cadillac CTS Coupe

Horsepower: 318 hp
MSRP Price: $38,715

The Cadillac CTS Coupe is a combination of handsome and powerful. The car has distinctive outlook, high-performance engine, and super elegant cabin. The rear-wheel drive head-turner is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 318 hp.

11. Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350 Sport Sedan

Horsepower: 302 hp
MSRP Price: $40,575

Under the hood of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350 Sport Sedan, it is a 3.5-liter V6 engine that’s good for 302 hp and 273 lb-ft. This amount of power will satisfy the driver in any kind of road conditions. It went from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. For car buyers who plan to buy a new car with that combines power and luxury, this is it.

12. BMW 3 Series 335i Sedan

Horsepower: 300 hp
MSRP Price: $42,400

The BMW 3 Series 335i Sedan gets a 3.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. From BMW official brochure, it claims the 335i is doing 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. The 335i comes with an elegant cabin and excellent driving experience rather than its 300 horsepower.

13. Audi A6 3.0T Premium Quattro

Horsepower: 310 hp
MSRP Price: $49,900

The Audi A6 3.0T Premium Quattro is one reliable car that has 310 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. Matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the all-wheel drive sedan achieves a fuel economy of 19/28/22 which is relatively good.

14. BMW 6 Series

Horsepower: 315 hp
MSRP Price: $73,600

BMW 6 Series comes with several variants. The 640i is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged engine that’s good for 315 horsepower. While 6 Series fans who wants a bigger engine, the 650i is powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that generates 400 hp. Other than power, the nicely crafted interior is what attractive BMW fans.

15. Lincoln MKS Sedan

Horsepower: 335 hp
MSRP Price: $41,500

The Lincoln MKS all-wheel-drive EcoBoost model is fitted with a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that generates 335 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. The car boost from 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and has fuel economy of 17/25/20. According to Lincoln, premium fuel is highly recommended for this machine.

Greatest 300 horsepower cars of all time (part 3) >>

August 24, 2012
Greatest 300 horsepower cars of all time

The best feeling of driving a car is when your right root reflex a little bit on the accelerator, the car listened to you and response faster than you can imagine. With the technology we had in automobile market today, most of the cars with 300 horsepower or more are good listener (see also: What is horsepower?). Some cars like the Porsche 911 Carrera S sports a 350-horsepower with a 3.4-liter flat-6 engine but the car itself cost nearly $100,000. However, 300 horsepower cars are not often come with high price tag. Some of them are in between $20,000 to $30,000. Here in Carsut.com, we have worked out the list of great cars with 300-350 hp.

1. Ford Mustang V6 Coupe

Horsepower: 305 hp
MSRP Price: $22,310

Yes, with $22,310, you can get a cool looking coupe with a powerful V6 engine under the hood that gives you 305 hp. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 17 city/28 highway mpg. The handling, acceleration response, brake response, and extremely cool exterior design make the Ford Mustang Coupe probably the best muscle car you can buy today.

2. Chevrolet Camaro Coupe LS

Horsepower: 323 hp
MSRP Price: $23,280

The Chevrolet Camaro Coupe LS is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine delivering 323 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. With the EPA-estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 30 mpg highway, it is one of a few cars with around 300 hp that deliver this result.

3. Dodge Challenger Coupe SXT

Horsepower: 305 hp
MSRP Price: $25,195

The Dodge Challenger Coupe SXT is a practical five-seat coupe with 18-inch alloy wheel without sacrificing the two-door cool outlook. Under the hood, it is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 305 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque. EPA fuel economy is rated at 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined. Other than its power, the car features roomy cabin, huge trunk, and high quality interior material. That’s what makes it a cool 300 hp car.

4. Chevrolet Impala Sedan LS

Horsepower: 300 hp
MSRP Price: $25,760

The front-wheel-drive Chevrolet Impala is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine delivering 300 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. It is the one and only sedan car in the list that has exactly 300 hp. EPA fuel economy is 18/30/22 mpg. The Impala may not have such distinctive outlook compared to Dodge Challenger or Ford Mustang but the cabin is roomy enough to fit six passengers and the trunk is large enough to fit many large items.

5. Chevrolet Colorado 4WD Crew Cab

Horsepower: 300 hp
MSRP Price: $N/A

Chevrolet offers a 5.3-liter V8 engine that is rated at 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque to the Colorado 4WD Crew Cabs. It is an affordable and practical pickup truck that comes with powerful engine.

Greatest 300 horsepower cars of all time (part 2) >>

August 23, 2012

How much horsepower does my car have?

Lotus Elise - How much horsepower it has?
One of Carsut’s readers emailed us with a question “How much horsepower does my car have?” after reading our yesterday’s article What is horsepower and torque in a car? In his email, he mentioned he always wanted to know what exactly horsepower is as well as how much horsepower his car really has. So, how to know or determine the horsepower your car have? It could be as little as 30hp up to 300hp for ordinary cars we often see on the road. However, exotic car like the Ferrari 458 Italia is having 562 horsepower under the hood.

Generally, there are few ways to know how much horsepower does a car have:

Look in your owner’s manual, user manual, or the new car brochure under engine specification. Most of the new car brochure today comes with hp ratings the manufacturer claims.
Make a call to the nearest dealer and they are able to tell you based on your car make and model year.
With the internet today, you can simply go online to the official website of your car brand and look for the hp ratings based on your model and model year, for example, www.Ford.com. If you are driving an old car, Wikipedia is another great source.
If your car engine has been modified, the only way to get an accurate horsepower rating is to go for a dynamometer testing.

Does a car engine lose horsepower over time?

Unknown to many, horsepower in a car engine lose over time in its lifespan. This is because the internal parts of an engine and those auxiliary components are constantly working to produce power. When they work, they are wearing against each other and material will be lost at a microscopic level over time. It leads to compression lose as well as horsepower. A car may lose 5 to 10hp after several years although it has 300hp when it was new. However, some car engines are built with better quality thus they have better tolerances and able to last longer. A good example is the engine under the hood of Honda Civic that still works like a new car after 100,000 km.

Horsepower rating for some general cars

Car Model	Engine	Horsepower
Toyota Camry	2.5-Liter	178 hp
Toyota Camry	3.5-Liter	268 hp
Toyota Camry	2.5-Liter Hybrid	156 hp
Chevy Silverado 1500	4.3-Liter V6	195 hp
Chevy Silverado 1500	4.8-Liter V8	302 hp
Chevy Silverado 1500	6.2-Liter V8	403 hp
Honda Civic	1.8-Liter	110 hp
Honda Civic	1.5-Liter Hybrid	110 hp
Honda Civic	2.4-Liter	201 hp
Toyota Corolla	1.8-Liter	132 hp
Honda Accord	2.4-Liter	177 hp
Honda Accord	3.5-Liter V6	271 hp
Chevrolet Malibu	2.4-Liter	169 hp
Chevrolet Malibu	3.6-Liter V6	252 hp
Ford Fusion	2.5-Liter	175 hp
Ford Fusion	3.0-Liter V6	240 hp
Ford Fusion Sport	3.0-Liter V6	263 hp
Ford Fusion Hybrid	2.5-Liter Hybrid	191 hp
Honda CR-V	2.4-Liter	185 hp
Volkswagen Golf	2.5-Liter	170 hp
Volkswagen Golf	2.0-Liter Turbodiesel	140 hp
Chevrolet Impala	3.6-Liter V6	300 hp

The car make, model, engine type, and horsepower shown above is the standard rating from manufacturer. If your car engine has been modified, upgrade with performance parts, added turbocharger or supercharger, the horsepower will be different from the results shown above.

August 22, 2012

What is horsepower and torque in a car?

It isn’t uncommon to come across the term horsepower and torque in any car review articles or car commercials. Some car dealers even put a big note on the windscreen telling their customers how many horsepower the car has. What is horsepower and torque in a car? What does it actually means for a car with 300 horsepower? What they actually mean? Everything in this world needs a unit of measurement to determine their performance and ability especially cars. Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power. The term horsepower was invented by a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer James Watt. In Watt’s theory, 1 Horsepower is equal to 33,000 foot-pounds per minute. This means with 1 horsepower, it can lift 33,000 pounds of weight up 1 foot in a minute, or 3,300 pounds 10 feet in a minute, or 330 pounds 100 feet in a minute, or 33 pounds 100 feet in a minute.

Now try to imagine 1 Horsepower = 33,000 foot-pounds per minute with the image shown below. If a Ferrari generates 1 hp, it can lift up a 33,000 lbs weight from one foot down the cliff in a minute. In other words, a 300 hp car is capable to move it up in 0.2 seconds. [33,000 pounds is nearly equal to 15,000 kg. (33,000 lbs = 14,968.5 kg)]

What is horsepower

In fact, one horsepower in electric power measurement is equal to 746 watts. If you put the power generated by a 1000 horsepower car to an electric generator, it can generate 746,000 watts. In the automobile market today, a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport has an engine that capable to produce 1,184 bhp. Without doubt, this power is capable to heat up the entire village during winter time. See also: How much horsepower does my car have?

What is Brake Horsepower (bhp)?

Brake Horsepower (bhp) is another common term that always appears in car engine specification especially new car brochure. Brake Horsepower is the pure amount of power generated by a car engine before the loss in power caused by various auxiliary components such as gearbox, drive train, water pump, alternator, power steering pump, and etc. In recent years, the true power generated by a sports car is measured with an engine dynometer (dynamometer) or more common talking “dyno testing”. A car is pull up on a ramp and a driver will go through all gears and then pin hard on the last gear until redline during a general dyno testing. In a nutshell, a car with 300 hp on wheels is powerful than a car with 305 bhp under the hood if all the auxiliary components will cause it loss more than 5 hp.

What is torque in a car?

Torque is the power to rotate an object about an axis. It can be “turning power”, “twisting force”, or the power to accelerate in a car. Most of the sedan cars running on the road are using common internal-combustion engines that only produce useful torque over a limited range of rotational speed, typically from 800 to 6,000 rpm. Remember our article regarding a Ferrari 458 Italia? In the article we mentioned that “The 458 Italia features a direct-injected 4.5 L V8 engine that delivers 562 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque at 9,000 rpm.” What does the 398 lb-ft of torque do in a Ferrari 458 Italia? 398 lb-ft (foot-pounds of torque) is equivalent to 540 Nm (Newton-meters). This amount of torque is what makes the car capable to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds. In other words, more torque, less weight, larger wheels, and more power are some factors that allows a car to accelerate faster. Up to date, some of the high torque cars in the market are Bugatti Veyron Supersport (1106 lb-ft), Hennessey Venom 1000 (1100 lb-ft), SSC Ultimate Aero TT (1094 lb-ft), Koenigsegg Agera (811 lb-ft), Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG (738 lb-ft), Saleen S7 Turbo (700 lb-ft), etc. All these cars are famous for their acceleration power.

Understanding the relationship between horsepower (hp), brake horsepower (bhp), and torque is essential in order to build a car that is able to accelerate fast and run fast. Then, the driving pleasure will certainly be there.

August 21, 2012
Muscle Car Drawings

Here are the top ten muscle car drawings created by Carsut.com. These drawings are created based on some of the most popular American muscle cars including Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet SS, Pontiac GTO and others. For those who love muscle cars and love drawings, you may download these drawings, print it out, put another white paper on top of it and follow the line to draw a new one. It is free to use anywhere you love. Guess what? It’s time to prepare a clean paper, eraser, and a few pencils in different size to start your drawings.

Ford Mustang Muscle Car

Chevrolet SS Drawing

Chevrolet Camaro Drawings

Pontiac GTO drawing

1965 Ford Mustang

Nissan 180sx Silvia drawing

These muscle car drawings are not enough? See also muscle car artwork.

August 17, 2012