I was thinking about it the other day (and my cars make me think about it pretty much all the time now): Cars just keep getting better and better. They're coming with more capable engines, better brakes, more tuned suspensions, and a whole wealth of electronic gizmos that are either designed to enhance or eliminate parts of the driving experience...

People are being distracted with more and more things, and yet their cars are getting faster. But that's not such a big deal because you can slam on your brakes and not slide out of control. Or you can throw a car into a corner with way too much pressure on your right foot and traction control will keep you in line.

I mean, how much lower of a 0-60 time does the average driver need? And what are we doing to teach people to drive these things?

I'll be the first to admit that at this moment, my car has more power than I can safely control. I need to get to a track and experience what it does and learn how to keep it together when the boost comes on. I have a new set of tires, and I haven't found their limits of cohesion yet. But the fact that I am aware of that makes me use my right foot relatively judiciously. Granted, I'll stomp it in a straight line when the roads are clear, and I'll give it a little bit of hell in the twisties, but nothing crazy. I don't think that a lot of the people that are buying cars that are downright fast out of the box really stop to consider all of that.

And it scares me.

How much more are we going to give to the average driver? Shouldn't someone have to qualify as above-average before we let him loose in a bloody fast car?

Okay... I'm done now.

Thanks for reading.

 

I know what you mean....my car is producing 700hp to the wheels, and I can't take it anymore.. ;o)

 

with much larger engines ansd 0-60 time in the low 5s.

Most people can't handle the things now and car companany's insist on putting larger engines and slightly better suspensions and brakes and more tech stuff to distract the driver. But I guess that's progress.

I'm with you on this Chris!!!

 

and checking out the test data pages. I had not looked at these in a while and I noticed that the slowest car they tested had a 0-60 just over 10sec. I think that when I first started reading, the faster cars were in that range.

 

Hey SUV's need love too ! ! ! ;o)

 

I hear what you're saying, and basically just find that it's more of a competition going on between Manufacturer's than consideration to what Joe Public actually NEEDS. Put it this way, the average road over here is a basic 30mph....in order for me to drive my car at a steady 30mph, I have to chuck it into 4th (maybe 5th) gear which produces more emissions to damage the O-zone.

So what do they want us to do ? Tires are becoming wider, cars are more aerodynamic, brakes are much more stronger and tighter than 70 years ago, and yet they still want us to drive at this "safe" speed. I'm not saying that all roads should be "drive till you die" limits, but if they were to increase the standard 30mph to 35mph, I'd be able to reach 6th Gear in my car, produce less emissions to save the environment and with the tires and breaks I have STILL manage to stop in time to save the little brats who are let loose to run out into the roads in the first place.

Okay, that's my go.....somebody else now.....LOL

 

Wow you must be old ! ! )

 

Wow Kriminal, I didn't know your Yugo had a 6th GEAR.... HA HA HA HA HA

 

I would love to see the license a person gets at 16 be restricted. Like only certain sized cars, limited number of passengers, limited night driving, limited power output of a vehicle in their control. And then at age 18 have a second advanced exam that is much more difficult but removes all those restrictions with a successful pass.

My 8 year old talks about how he wants a fast TT when he gets his license. He doesn't quite understand why he's going to be driving a Prius or something just as gutless when he turns 16. But he will. And it will be a long time before he gets to drive MY TT!!

Trent

 

thought Yugo's only had 2 gears - go and stop ;-)