"The cars keep..a..gettin faster all the time"

[RECHRGD]

Were lyrics in an old Sonny & Cher hit titled 'The beat goes on' that I used to listen to in the new R/T back in '68.  But, I think the lyrics are just as relevent today, given the tremendous increase in horsepower that is available in today's performance orientated cars.  Just a few years ago I thought that if I built the Charger into a solid twelve second street car, I'd pretty much not have to worry about new cars being able to embarrass me too badly.  That certainly isn't the case now with new corvettes and the like turning 10 or 11 second times right off the showroom floor and getting 20 to 30 mpg on top of that.  Aren't they coming out with a 500+ hp mustang and camaro?  Isn't the new viper going to top 600hp or so?  Also with all the technology put into after market stuff now we can get crazy hp numbers in our old cars.  I was at the drags a few months ago and went up against a '67 chevelle.  It didn't sound like a hot rod and just looked like a nicely done stock resto except for the TWIN TURBO badging on the hood.  That thing just blew me away like I wasn't even there.  He turn in the low 10's at 126mph!  I just heard that he's now got it dialed in properly and he ran in the mid 9's at 140+!!  The car is as streetable as my car or maybe even more so.  I fear that if these high horsepower cars become more commonplace (and I don't see why they won't) that our ever more intrusive government will step in and put a cap on the deal.  Not that I think it's a good idea for little johnny's Dad to buy him a 600hp car to go kill himself or others in, but I don't want anybody stopping hobbyists from building what they want either.  I know that SEMA lobbies against this kind of stuff, but I wonder how long they can be successful.  Bob

[greenpigs]

Instead of the limited production runs to drum up prices the automakers do now. I think the Government may limit the number of high HP vehicles that can be sold each year. Who knows what that number will be but I will guess 550HP and a 10,000 production run.  

[Todd Wilson]

"No replacement for displacement" is fast becoming a thing of history when it comes to street cars.


Todd

[bull]

People don't know how to drive either because the cars do everything for you now so I guess the only way to overcome that artificial safety net is to add more horsepower. You gotta keep body shops, insurance companies and cops busy somehow.

[aussiemuscle]

it all came to a head in 1972 in australia, with the newspapers reporting '160 mph supercars to hit the streets'. the govt responded by threatening the manufacturer's loosing govt fleet sales contracts. our cars are now faster than that.

[Mike DC]

                            
                               
If you wanna stop stupid wrecks then don't focus on the cars.  Focus on the drivers.  

The common thread among the accident sob stories is not what model of car, but rather what's the background of the wrecker.  They're usually people who don't fear the repercussions of their actions.  Sometimes it's because they're too rich, other times it's because they're too poor.  

A middle class guy with something to lose won't be too likely to wreck a car with 1000 hp.  A drunken ghetto thug or Hulk Hogan's son will wreck pretty much anything they get behind the wheel of.