Wild Horses

[Mr.DJ]

Wild horses

Most new cars and trucks have one thing in common: more horsepower.
Is that because 70 mph cruising is common on expressways and 80 mph cruising is common on rural interstate highways?

Such speeds call for more power to safely merge and pass, and many late model and new cars and trucks have a lot more power-draining comfort and convenience equipment. They also have much better suspensions and tires, which safely allow higher speeds -- although most drivers are ill-prepared to handle high speed emergencies.

Higher speeds and fast acceleration do nothing for fuel economy, but few seem to care unless gasoline hits $3 or more per gallon.

Some automakers stress the higher performance of gasoline/electric hybrids, compared to standard gas engine models, almost as much as they stress the higher fuel economy these hybrids provide.

Performance sells, no matter how it's delivered.

It used to be that a car offered only one fairly low horsepower engine -- or a base motor and higher-horsepower engine that cost extra or was only put in a high-line model. But many cars and trucks routinely now offer at least two -- or three -- engines. Even the base engine provides decent acceleration, and the upscale engine -- or engines -- provide significantly more power.

For example, the Ford Mustang offers a 210-horsepower base V6 that is far more powerful than the old Mustang V-6 or a 300-horsepower V-8. The Chrysler 300 offers four engines with 190, 250, 340 or 425 horsepower. The more humble Hyundai Sonata has a base 162-horsepower four-cylinder or a 235-horsepower V-6.

The general rule is that the more choices given for a specific model with different engines/trim levels, the more cars/trucks are sold.

High-powered muscle cars began appearing in the mid-1950s and were hot sellers in the 1960s and early 1970s, until shut down by such things as strict new government pollution standards. Sophisticated electronics and advanced auto engineering have brought them back.

Such cars now have low emissions and often triple the fuel economy of the old muscle machines, besides exceptional handling, thanks to vastly better tires and suspensions.

The 1964 Pontiac GTO launched the big 1960s muscle car market, and the $32,295 Pontiac GTO with a 400-horsepower V-8 is among the 2006 muscle car crop.

More muscle cars are destined to be introduced. The powerful concept Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger displayed at the show here are likely to be two such cars, with 1960s and early 1970s muscle car styling.

Nobody has to live life in the slow lane anymore.

Read more here

Source: Sun-Times News Group
February 16, 2006
by Dan Jedlicka - Auto Reporter

[ErikM3]

I agree cars are getting faster. I am a kid of the 80's which is possibly the worst time to be a car nut in the history of modern cars. I turned 16 in 1984 and my choices were the 180 hp IROC Z28 or 190 HP Mustang. Oh boy, even the Vette packing a lethal "Cross-Fire" injection wtf is cross fire anyway?? had only 220 hp. On the import side we had the 911 Turbo for $56K haha or a slow ass 308 Ferrari. I ended up w/ a 1977 T/A 6.6 and a 1983 208ZX Turbo which was about the fastest thing around then.

Today we have cars in every shape and size putting down 300 hp. I could never imagine back then a 4 dr econ box like a Evo or STI be built. Todays choices are staggereing but I think driving school should be a must.

I have taken 3 courses. 2 for racing and one high perf street driving class w/ Derek Bell. When my kids turn 16 once they pass a Derek Bell class then we will talk cars.

[Vanishing Point]

....Mark my words,...buy any and all current American high performance cars in the next couple of years or so,....I sense the tide might seriously be changin' I'm sorry to say......cause I got a not so funny feeling ,that they won't be here for long, with possible major goverment changes comin' in the big election years......I feel it in the air,...and it don't feel soo good,...history will repeat itself,...but not if I can help it though,..I want to get everything I can get right now asap,.....now if only DCX would get off the butts and release some info on the car,...and just make it,will-ya?!!

[ND RAM]

Originally Posted by Vanishing Point

....Mark my words,...buy any and all current American high performance cars in the next couple of years or so,....I sense the tide might seriously be changin' I'm sorry to say......cause I got a not so funny feeling ,that they won't be here for long, with possible major goverment changes comin' in the big election years......I feel it in the air,...and it don't feel soo good,...history will repeat itself,...but not if I can help it though,..I want to get everything I can get right now asap,.....now if only DCX would get off the butts and release some info on the car,...and just make it,will-ya?!!

I have worried about that many times....but.... there were high performance vehicles being built from the late 50s-mid 70s so I'll defanitely will take a 20yr. stretch of ground pounding beasts. The next big technological advance will probably kill the performance industry for a while, look what EFI did. Now look at how the automaotive industry has learned how to use it to its ADVANTAGE! Your probably right the high performance beasts roaming the earth today, and hopefully tomorrow, will eventaully be replaced by new technology but what the hell.......we ain't there....yet.

[PhantomR/T]

I will ALWAYS have a nasty, en-economical, bad for the environment, loud, annoying, sounding like death coming for you v8 or 2 in the garage. The beater car has to have at least 6 cyl too, or a FI 4-banger would be acceptable, but only as a beater car

[Blah2008]

Originally Posted by Vanishing Point

....Mark my words,...buy any and all current American high performance cars in the next couple of years or so,....I sense the tide might seriously be changin' I'm sorry to say......cause I got a not so funny feeling ,that they won't be here for long, with possible major goverment changes comin' in the big election years......I feel it in the air,...and it don't feel soo good,...history will repeat itself,...but not if I can help it though,..I want to get everything I can get right now asap,.....now if only DCX would get off the butts and release some info on the car,...and just make it,will-ya?!!

Not so sure about that. True, the price of gas is not coming down anytime soon, but in my opinion it will affect those mammoth SUVs way before it affects the sports car segment of the market.

At least, that's what I hope...

[Sr4tuner]

I think im gonna ensure my future and invest in like 5 cars and sell them off for alot more in like 30-40 years.
I swear mark my words one day im gong to go nuts and buy like a quarter million dollars worth of useless crap

[Mr.DJ]

Originally Posted by Sr4tuner

...I swear mark my words one day im gong to go nuts and buy like a quarter million dollars worth of useless crap

Well, in that case, you're in much better shape than me...'cause I probably already have.

[allhemi]

Thats what I want....More HP!!!! Thats what I left ford and come to dodge in the first place.

[Sr4tuner]

Iv'e gotta start saving for mods.