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This question is debatable but I think there is a point you reach where any more performance of the car becomes pointless. With speed limits at 75 and most people driving no more than 80-85 on the highway, what would be the max needed for a fun car that works well in both city and highway envrionments?
Assuming same gearing of the cars, would a 150hp car with good low-end torque be better than a 200hp high revving engine with no very little torque?
My thoughts are that a well designed car near 180-200 hp is all you would need. My DD is a 200hp car that has very little torque but has a high revving (8300 redline ) engine that works great in all places and probably has more power than it needs.
This is just a consideration as more and more cars are becoming low hp, smaller, and more efficient.
Most cars are far more capable than their drivers. Watch any driving school and see instructors with far less hp than many students, run rings around them (no surprise except for the novices). One of things I have quickly grown to like about Caymans, either model, is how very capable they are right out of the box. I still sometimes miss my BMW 318 Club Sport TC Kline which taught me the momentum game.
This question is debatable but I think there is a point you reach where any more performance of the car becomes pointless. With speed limits at 75 and most people driving no more than 80-85 on the highway, what would be the max needed for a fun car that works well in both city and highway envrionments?
Assuming same gearing of the cars, would a 150hp car with good low-end torque be better than a 200hp high revving engine with no very little torque?
My thoughts are that a well designed car near 180-200 hp is all you would need. My DD is a 200hp car that has very little torque but has a high revving (8300 redline ) engine that works great in all places and probably has more power than it needs.
This is just a consideration as more and more cars are becoming low hp, smaller, and more efficient.
The answer to your question "How much is needed for fun?", is depandant on the amount of fun you need to want. (want to need?) Which is dependant on how many people you ask.
The type of car you are proposing was made, in the form of a E30 BMW M3. Extremely fun car with 192 HP.
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RobMason
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my idea (just from experience) is that somewhere between 300-325 hp at around 3000 lbs +/- a couple hundred is enough for street fun. I felt my old 944S2 at about 200hp was a little low on power. My old Evo at "close" to 300hp was fun and the cayman is fun. Have driven some cars at 400HP + and just feels like overkillon street.
My cooper S at 168HP however felt decent, and I feel that at 200hp in that particular car , it would hae been enough (FWD, small, short wheelbase)...
I think you are going to maybe reinvent the old discussion about what is the ideal weight to power ratio for the perfect everyday sports car. I agree with you completely that most supercars' excessive weight/power ratios, result in something completely wasted for normal everyday driving. You may wish to change the ratio from weight/HP to weight/torque power, along with adding some lower gear ratios,... But if you again add more power to weight, you will soon go beyond any practical usability for normal driving.
It sounds like you must love the standard 2.7 Cayman. I drove the 2.7 in city conditions on three different occasions and I thought the car's overall feel, handling, balance and power, relative to normal everyday use, was brilliant... very near perfection.
I suggest that you look for other cars that come up with similar 12-14 LBS/HP ratios.
Cayman 2.7L
2986 LBS/247 HP = 12.08
2900 LBS/201 lbs-ft = 14.42
I can tell you that 2nd gear in a 295hp Cayman S is plenty to exceed speed limits. As nice as the S is to have, it takes much less then the length of an on ramp to leave behind any lawful driving speeds.
My 225hp Quattro Audi TT was more then enough hp for fun street driving.
I think you are going to maybe reinvent the old discussion about what is the ideal weight to power ratio for the perfect everyday sports car. may wish to change the ratio from weight/HP to weight/torque power, along with adding some lower gear ratios,... But if you again add more power to weight, you will soon go beyond any practical usability for normal driving.
When the GTO came out it was touted as having 10 LBs/HP ratio. 3600 lbs/360HP. But in reality Detroit overestimated their engines. And in todays scales would have been more like 12Lbs/HP or higher. Still it made for an exciting ride at the time.
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RobMason
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Not many people care about speed, unless you drive on the Autobahn with no cars around or want to risk a trip to the local clanger. But you need loads of power if you want to accelerate quick. So about 800HP should be fine with the current weight, or alternatively less when we can do a 0-60 in 2.5 secs. Any quicker and we would need a stronger car and G-suit to handle the G Force and impending tunnel vision . But of course we only accelerate to the speed limit then we back if off a tad.
If your car can break the laws before you can shift out of 2nd... you aren't going to be able to stretch your engine on a daily basis?
I like a car that shifts into 3rd and uses 70% of that gear before you leave safe driving speed. Around here its 70mph +15mph fudge factor so I'm looking for the right amount of HP to be at 90mph at 70% of 3rd gear.
I know....I'm probably a engineer's nightmare, but that's how us simple folks try to frame this debate
90mph in 2nd gear, means I'm not getting to shift into 3rd very often? LOL
My guess? 275HP would be a lot of fun for a small sports car
I agree with what has been said above. I think it's fun to have a car that can stretch itself on a daily basis. Below are my thoughts based at comparing my DD and the 2.7 Cayman.
My daily driver has a lot of power available once you get ti reved up very high. Before I got my Cayman I would generally shift at 3K rpm, very tame and I would be passed by most cars in an automatic from a dead stop. Very slowly acceleration by choice to make a smooth start. After driving the cayman I know I no longer have to keep the car running forever and can start opening it up more often by pushing it to it's real powerband of 7500-8000+ RPM. Car is unbelievably fun, just needs to be shifted down a gear to get to high revs.
Cayman 2.7
Here's the interesting thing. This car is basically a better version of my DD in everyway except for trunk space and city gas mileage. It also drives similarly in the gearing and power. For example the 2.7 feels underpowered when going 3K rpm in 5th gear. But just like my DD when downshifted to above 4K the car picks up and really beg to be pushed. I'm still in break in stages but 3rd gear at 4200 rpms is well over 100mph.
I'm hoping I'll do a full review of my cayman after a few months and do a more through comparison as I find the cars to be very similar.
I have driven a S2000 with 240 HP, traded that in for a 350Z with 300 HP and loved the difference in power, and then traded the Z in for an 07 Vette with 400 HP, and then traded the 07 Corvette in for my 08 with 450HP. My 08 with 450HP is more than anyone would ever need. I am picking up my Cayman S on Friday and will probably miss the extra HP that the Corvette has, but I am looking forward to a classier car with many other benefits over the Corvette. Considering the weight of the vehicle, my guess after driving several cars with a large range of HP and differrence in weight, I would love to see the Cayman S have around 375 HP. Possibly a turbo charger down the line would provide that should I feel compelled.
with the current weight, or alternatively less when we can do a 0-60 in 2.5 secs. Any quicker and we would need a stronger car and G-suit to handle the G Force and impending tunnel vision 
. But of course we only accelerate to the speed limit then we back if off a tad.
so I'm looking for the right amount of HP to be at 90mph at 70% of 3rd gear.
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