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That article was amusing at best. The media and the tree huggers have been saying the end of performance cars is near for the last 20 yrs. I have a copy of Hot rod from the early 90's. On the cover was the ZR1 Vette. Caption said "last of it's kind and possibly the fastest vette to ever be produced". The artical went on the say how incresing emission requirements, fuel economy numbers etc etc were going to kill all future sports cars and if you wanted 400HP you better save your pennies because there will never be another 400HP car in America...
Now you need a calculator to figure out how many 400+HP cars are sold here. Cars will continue to get faster. Mileage will continue to get better, E emissions will continue to get lower. We will never see the step backward we did in the 70's. Small, slow cars don't sell for a reason.. No one wants them.
Apparently they mean highest top-end when they say fastest. I think top-end speed is basically useless as a discussion topic, since:
*It requires the absolute perfect storm of favorable conditions to reach that number.
*99% of the owners of those cars will never get within 40% of that number, for a variety of reasons. That's probably a good thing.
*There are few places where those speeds could be reached. Narrow that down to legal places, and the number shrinks considerably. That's definitely a good thing.
To me and most everyone I've discussed it with, acceleration to 60 MPH (no higher though, wouldn't want to condone breaking the law ) is far more important, because that can happen daily. Or hourly, depending on traffic. Any moron can stomp on the gas pedal and get an acceleration rush. I know this from personal experience.
I don't think anyone buying these cars is particularly concerned about the gas mileage. Except maybe the Taurus/Lincoln thingie. How'd that get in there, anyway? Perfectly adequate power? Among the 10 fastest? What?
Apparently they mean highest top-end when they say fastest. I think top-end speed is basically useless as a discussion topic, since:
*It requires the absolute perfect storm of favorable conditions to reach that number.
*99% of the owners of those cars will never get within 40% of that number, for a variety of reasons. That's probably a good thing.
*There are few places where those speeds could be reached. Narrow that down to legal places, and the number shrinks considerably. That's definitely a good thing.
To me and most everyone I've discussed it with, acceleration to 60 MPH (no higher though, wouldn't want to condone breaking the law ) is far more important, because that can happen daily. Or hourly, depending on traffic. Any moron can stomp on the gas pedal and get an acceleration rush. I know this from personal experience.
That article was amusing at best. The media and the tree huggers have been saying the end of performance cars is near for the last 20 yrs. I have a copy of Hot rod from the early 90's. On the cover was the ZR1 Vette. Caption said "last of it's kind and possibly the fastest vette to ever be produced". The artical went on the say how incresing emission requirements, fuel economy numbers etc etc were going to kill all future sports cars and if you wanted 400HP you better save your pennies because there will never be another 400HP car in America...
Now you need a calculator to figure out how many 400+HP cars are sold here. Cars will continue to get faster. Mileage will continue to get better, E emissions will continue to get lower. We will never see the step backward we did in the 70's. Small, slow cars don't sell for a reason.. No one wants them.
Seems to me there are as many or more 'fast' cars than ever.
While many of us dearly love the early supercars, today's cars, are often much more sophisticated and often outperform the oldies, especially when all aspects of performance and the ownership experience are considered.
Not that the end of the oldies is in sight... just recognition that modern cars have a lot to offer.
I wasn't yet 20 years old when a buddy I was riding with was cited for "excessive acceleration". I wonder what reference is used to determine that.
Hm. My car goes 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds...I jam on it now and then (when there are no other cars around)...I've done it IN FRONT OF a cop...don't know what could be more 'excessive' acceleration...never once been nailed.
I think that cops just pull you over for that when they feel you're being a dbag.
Don't know anyone who has been pulled over for this that wasn't a teenage boy.
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) is far more important, because that can happen daily. Or hourly, depending on traffic. Any moron can stomp on the gas pedal and get an acceleration rush. I know this from personal experience. 
