Why most cars on Thai Roads have very low HP?

[Lammbock]

Seeing all these nice cars from Japan and European brands on Thai roads but all have low HP.

Why bother buying a big SUV or a nice Sedan which can't speed up beyond 200 km/h ?

 

[BSJ]

Interesting point!   Maybe the lack of horsepower helps save a few lives. 

[Kwasaki]

In the UK l use to speed up to 70 mph in my Vito turbo diesel van. 

[transam]

Anyone who wants to drive at 200kph in LOS is daft....

[fredob43]

3 hours ago, transam said:

Anyone who wants to drive at 200kph in LOS is daft....

Must agree with you there. For the OP you buy a big SUV or Sedan because you want the space nothing to do with speed. I have always had estates vehicles, like the room hence a 7 seat MPV with the rear seats out suites our 3 peeps family fine. Then there is the vision being able to see where you are going, and not being stuck behind a large pick up driving blind.

 

  

[In the jungle]

It's mostly to do with taxation.

 

And I agree with the majority that you would have to be nuts to want to use 200 kph  in this driving environment. 

[mortenaa]

Not all.. Haven't had a car with less than 200hp since 2009 :D

[mortenaa]

8 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

It's mostly to do with taxation.

 

And I agree with the majority that you would have to be nuts to want to use 200 kph  in this driving environment. 

 

There is a time and place for everything ...

[In the jungle]

I agree Mortenaa.

 

This was what I wrote at first before posting:

 

"And I agree with the majority that you would have to be nuts to want to use 200 kph, other than in limited circumstances, in this driving environment."

 

In editing I probably over-simplified.

 

 

 

 

[mortenaa]

7 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

I agree Mortenaa.

 

This was what I wrote at first before posting:

 

"And I agree with the majority that you would have to be nuts to want to use 200 kph, other than in limited circumstances, in this driving environment."

 

In editing I probably over-simplified.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a couple of motorway stretches in Bangkok, with no turns, great surface, no cars at night and great lightning, which makes it perfect for testing out your car.

[Sunak]

At 3AM?

Similar to racing central Germany.

You can buy any HP, cars are throttled at 250 km/h, but what for?

To boost your ego?

And of course most cars have low horse power because people have to be able to afford them.

This is not the US.

[In the jungle]

Yes, exactly.  

 

At 3.00am or 4.00am perhaps on the right road.

 

Why?  One reason would be to get to your destination quicker.

[ripstanley]

7 hours ago, transam said:

Anyone who wants to drive at 200kph in LOS is daft....

 

I would have put a few adjectives before daft

[guzzi850m2]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/954413-two-dead-as-bmw-rolls-and-hits-tree-in-hua-hin/#comment-11344939

 

Many Thais don't have an understanding of driving fast and what the consequences can be in above sad example.

 

Looking at the Bimmer, it's in pieces so this is clearly not a 60km/h impact.

 

Most/many males including myself, loves fast cars but I am not willing to pay the premium prices they demand here.

 

I have a 650cc MC and I gun it sometimes but as mentioned, picking the places to do it very very carefully and quickly slows down again.

 

A powerful car (in the right hands) are safer than a small tin can car, quick overtaking, superior brakes/suspension and also in many cases, very safe when the shit hits the fan.

[cooked]

My little Almera 1200cc will do 150KPH. Only did it once to see what it could do, and I rarely travel at over 120, maybe 130 if I don't look at the speedometer.

I have the last laugh when I see these big cars trying to squeeze into parking spaces, a big car is for big families not for every day school and shopping runs.

[Don Mega]

A lot of these vehicle are speed limited to 180km/h.

[Damrongsak]

I drive cars slowly, or at least steadily.  I like to shoot guns fast, though not too fast. Each one in it's measure.

 

My short-bed Toyota 4WD pickup truck with big tires gets pretty squirrely at 85 miles per hour. (~ 137 KPH)

[Pdaz]

Large cubic capacity, multi cylinder engines aren't just about ultimate top speed. A powerful SUV like a Porsche Cayenne or big powerful Saloon like a BMW M5 or AMG Merc are much more pleasant to drive with their larger engines. You have power in any gear at any time. The engine torque makes the car more relaxing to drive and if you need to accelerate it is instantaneous. To me the idea of buying a large, heavy luxury Euro car with only it's base model "taxi" engine is madness. Surely the whole idea of Audi, BMW, Jag or Merc is the wonderful straight 6 or V8 motor ? Not to mention the sound :) If I wanted a gutless four banger I may as well buy an Accord. I feel sorry for wealthy Thais driving an S class or 7 series stuck with a 2 liter engine. What a shame.

[Lammbock]

15 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

Large cubic capacity, multi cylinder engines aren't just about ultimate top speed. A powerful SUV like a Porsche Cayenne or big powerful Saloon like a BMW M5 or AMG Merc are much more pleasant to drive with their larger engines. You have power in any gear at any time. The engine torque makes the car more relaxing to drive and if you need to accelerate it is instantaneous. To me the idea of buying a large, heavy luxury Euro car with only it's base model "taxi" engine is madness. Surely the whole idea of Audi, BMW, Jag or Merc is the wonderful straight 6 or V8 motor ? Not to mention the sound :) If I wanted a gutless four banger I may as well buy an Accord. I feel sorry for wealthy Thais driving an S class or 7 series stuck with a 2 liter engine. What a shame.

 

Exactly.

[Dakhar]

Totally agree, which is why i have a clk 55 amg rather than an accord.   milk and juice comes in 2ltr

[Emster23]

They go fast enough to kill themselves and others. Mission accomplished

[snowgard]

How much is the legal highspeed in Thailand? 120 km/h

So why you need a 450 HP car what can drive 300 km/h?

Specially on this streets!!!

 

But you can buy powerful cars or tuning it if you want.

[dotpoom]

Where in Thailand can you drive at (if you wanted to)  200 km/h.....a friend of my wife gets stacks of speeding tickets going to the airport, the limit on that road is 120 km. Those speed cameras really work. 

[Grubster]

I like to have enough power to pass so I got the 3.0 engine in my truck, but it amazes me how many would spend a couple million baht for a race car to drive on a dirt road DELETED

[transam]

7 minutes ago, Grubster said:

I like to have enough power to pass so I got the 3.0 engine in my truck, but it amazes me how many would spend a couple million baht for a race car to drive on a dirt road to their shit hole house.

That sounds like a blanket statement...

[Ahab]

It is my understanding that the higher the horsepower the higher the taxes on the vehicle. Low HP is more economical for the majority of Thai's that own cars.

 

[transam]

10 minutes ago, Grubster said:

 

I don't know any.........

[Grubster]

9 minutes ago, transam said:

I don't know any.........

I know many,  mostly back home, some here too.  I guess I am a point A to point B guy,  I don't really care how it looks, how fast it is, or how impressed someone else is. I just want to get there safely. I can surely afford an expensive car or truck but what for? Show?  It ends up in the same junk yard someday.

[Kwasaki]

22 hours ago, transam said:

Anyone who wants to drive at 200kph in LOS is daft....

 

OK but it's fun for a little burst on a bike in some places.  

[irwinfc]

16 hours ago, mortenaa said:

 

There is a time and place for everything ...

 

without breaking the law? there are speed limits, you know? and the limits are way below 200kph