Horsepower limit in Japan?

[Street Fighter]

Title says it all.

 

[slimer90210]

Wow. That would suck....

 

[Boost Lee]

There is no longer a "gentlemens agreement" for hp in Japan.

Thank God.

 

[The359]

The 6 (or is it more then that?) largest auto manufacturers in Japan (Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Honda, Mitsubishi, Mazda) all were beginning to get into a war of horsepower, and amid concern that this would lead to more accidents and street racing and deaths, the owners of the 6 companies made a "gentlemen's agreement" stating that none of the cars they mass produced (this excluded cars with very small productions like a Nissan R390) would exceed 280ps/276hp. They believed that this would keep their cars from going too fast. This is similar to the German government's concession that all German made cars had to be restricted to 155mph top speed.

However, since the creation of the gentlemen's agreement, the manufacturers have been somewhat cheating. When the production cars are tested to make sure they do not exceed the horsepower limit, the manufacturers will usually "dumb down" the car to make it produce less horsepower then it should.

The gentlemen's agreement is being dissolved now as the manufactuers all admit that no one really obeys the rule, they just quote their horsepowers as 276 but their cars are really a lot more.

 

[Street Fighter]

Is there no limit?

 

[halfracedrift]

No.

 

[Joey D]

Japan in a horsepower war? Please spare me the laughs. 270hp isn't a lot, America has horsepower wars with the Viper, Vette, and GT. Japan needs to put out a good V8 before they are contenders with horsepower.

 

[The359]

This horsepower war was in the early 90s. The limit was set AFTER the beginnings of the horsepower war.

 

[Joey D]

Still there was nothing worth looking at from the early 90's as far as power was concerned with Japan, not saying there cars aren't fast but American numbers will kill them.

 

[The359]

That might have something to do with the fact that most of the cars weren't sold in America in the first place, so how exactly would you know how good they were?

 

[Joey D]

I didn't say they were bad, I'm just saying they will never compete with the horse power numbers of american cars.

 

[OoNismoO]

well ive thought of a couple american cars from the early 90s, and looks like the japanese cars from the early 90s were either pretty competitive, or faster. as for handling, the Japanese cars were a lot better at it.

 

[Joey D]

God damn I never said anything about speed, handeling anything just the numbers. American cars had more Horsepower, not saything they were faster or anything, the numbers were just bigger. I know Japanese cars can go fast with like 150hp, but American cars go fast with 300ish power. So nothing to due with speed, just numbers. You think you got it now???

 

[Boost Lee]

Japanese cars have never needed big hp/tq to be competitve.

They use something that domestic sports car manufacturers are just starting to use, technology.

And I get it.

 

[vat_man]

Nissan used to do a funny thing with the R34 - they quoted a figure down the rev range from peak power, that magically slipped under the limit.

It was quite funny, as they mentioned at the launch that torque and revs were up on the R33 - which logically means more HP. Nissan were steadfast on the figure they quoted.

 

[OoNismoO]

Originally posted by BlazinXtreme
God damn I never said anything about speed, handeling anything just the numbers. American cars had more Horsepower, not saything they were faster or anything, the numbers were just bigger. I know Japanese cars can go fast with like 150hp, but American cars go fast with 300ish power. So nothing to due with speed, just numbers. You think you got it now???

well then name some american cars from the early 90s that will kill them in hp. no civic vs mustang comparison.

 

[Fenrir51]

Civics ha, yes your 1990 Civic standered with a big 70hp will kill any american made car! /SARCASM

 

[Ser0119]

Originally posted by BlazinXtreme
Japan in a horsepower war? Please spare me the laughs. 270hp isn't a lot, America has horsepower wars with the Viper, Vette, and GT. Japan needs to put out a good V8 before they are contenders with horsepower.

Ahh, but you see it was a JAPANESE horsepower "war", not Japan vs. America or any other country.

 

[Jay]

Good point

 

[Goomba]

I think I'm the only one who has heard that there was no agreement. It was simply a way to get around the JGTC rules and could compete in the GT300. I read it somewhere a while ago. If I get the time, I'll find it and drag it up. But no one else seems to of heard of it, so I may just be going insane. Again.

 

[NIAL8U]

lets see an american muscle machine stock standard put up against a stock R33 or R34 GTR or even GTS25T or GT25T........I have seen a few video`s(not just one) of Intgra Type R`s racing 550 Marrinallo`s off the line at some traffic lights and seen them take down the 550`s until about 90 clicks, now if thats not impressive, don`t know what is, and im not talkin about anything specail here.

 

[Boost Lee]

Originally posted by NIAL8U
lets see an american muscle machine stock standard put up against a stock R33 or R34 GTR or even GTS25T or GT25T.

Viper GTS - ACR - '04 RT-10
'03 Corvette Z06 - '04 Z06
'03 Mustang Cobra

Just to name a few..

 

[///M-Spec]

Originally posted by NIAL8U
lets see an american muscle machine stock standard put up against a stock R33 or R34 GTR or even GTS25T or GT25T........

Stock for stock? Easy. Z06 > R34

Originally posted by NIAL8U
I have seen a few video`s(not just one) of Intgra Type R`s racing 550 Marrinallo`s off the line at some traffic lights and seen them take down the 550`s until about 90 clicks, now if thats not impressive, don`t know what is, and im not talkin about anything specail here.

Sounds like BS to me. No competent driver in a car like that would lose to an ITR.. especially at the hole shot. The 550 driver was either not racing or a was, in fact, a tamed gorilla.


///M-Spec

 

[daan]

Originally posted by NIAL8U
I have seen a few video`s(not just one) of Intgra Type R`s racing 550 Marrinallo`s off the line at some traffic lights and seen them take down the 550`s until about 90 clicks,

Where are these videos? Standard Type R's I presume?

Some stats I found (supercars.net)
bhp 195 - 480
0-60 6.2 - 4.5
1/4 14.9 - 12.6

Guess what side the 550 Maranello is on?

 

[Joey D]

The 550 would own, it has what 515hp?

 

[Jay]

Originally posted by NIAL8U
lets see an american muscle machine stock standard put up against a stock R33 or R34 GTR or even GTS25T or GT25T........I have seen a few video`s(not just one) of Intgra Type R`s racing 550 Marrinallo`s off the line at some traffic lights and seen them take down the 550`s until about 90 clicks, now if thats not impressive, don`t know what is, and im not talkin about anything specail here.

dude there are plenty of stock standard american cars that would beat a GTS25T and GTR's (they arnt the fastest thing on earth you know)

 

[Joey D]

I'm sure a Trans Am could take it, or a Mustang.

 

[Jay]

you have to be more specific about that, a stock GTS25T will beat nearly all transams and mustangs. it would have to have atleast over 350HP............... at least!!!

 

[NIAL8U]

just stirring guys

 

[audiracing]

The fear was that the cars where getting to fast and beginers weren't able to control them.