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Article: Wild horses: More than 40 years after the 1964 Pontiac GTO ushered in the muscle-car era, the powerful engines we crave are in more cars
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- February 16, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2006 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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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 ...