This fixation on just the max HP output of a motor is sophomoric. The HP rating of a motor is indicated at it's peak, at a given RPM, go 100 RPM over or under and the HP output will be lower, go 500 RPM over or under and it's much lower. What seld runs at a constant RPM? None. Also, any specification of HP without indicating at what RPM it's taken at is not a useful specification. So saying such and such sled has 120 HP means little unless the RPM of that max output reading is included. What's much better is looking at a graph of HP as it relates to the operating RPM range, which is the power curve. A motor (motor:A) with a relatively flat power curve developing 60-70HP in the 5000-9700RPM range is much better than a motor (motor:B) with a steep spike of 80-120HP only in the 8600-8900RPM range if it has dramatically less HP outside that range, say 48HP at 6000RPM and 9700RPM. But the motor-A will be listed as 70HP (its max) and motor-B as 120HP, but motor-A might blow the doors off motor-B given it's ability to deliver consistent power through a much wider range of RPM.
Another thing to consider is this: what accelerates a vehicle is torque, which is force. Force = Mass*Accel so Acceleration = Force/Mass. So you want better acceleration, either increase the torque or reduce the mass, has nothing to do with power.
Ask yourself, what's better: acceleration or top speed? What do you think is going to be the focus of this sled? Top speed? No. Power is force applied over a distance, and in motors this "distance" is RPMs, so power (HP) is really how much force (torque) can be produced at a given RPM. The same torque at 5000 RPM produces half the HP as it would at 10,000RPM, yet both would "feel" the same acceleration force - since the torque is the same. HP is needed for maintaining top end speed, torque is needed for acceleration. Torque is what you feel, not HP.
This SnoRaptor or whatever it's going to be called will be just fine with 60HP if it's got the torque, given its expected 400lbs and not being targeted to lake racing. Personally, I don't care about competition and racing, I just want to have fun, and acceleration is fun, more so than top speed in my opinion. We're not going to know how much fun this sled is going to be until we ride it. Just looking at an HP number isn't going to tell us jack shit about its fun potential since a driver doesn't even "feel" HP and the HP number is merely a max output number at a given RPM and doesn't correlate to acceleration. A vehicle's acceleration matches directly to it's engine's torque curve, 100% direct.
