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All muscle cars should go back to the junkyards they came fromApr 20 '00 (Updated Oct 07 '00) Write an essay on this topic.Recently, I came across a review by an individual on this board who disagreed with me on the issue of imports vs. domestics. He even went as far as to call me a liar, so I decided to add my own US$0.02! All of my figures are from Car&Driver, Road&Track, Automobile, VW Performance, MAXSpeed, and Turbo & High Tech Performance. The individual who prompted me to write this article disputed the fact that I have beaten a number of Mustang 5.0s with my Corrado G60, well....the fact of the matter is I have done it, and a fact is a fact, whether one believes it or not. Sure my car has a few performance mods, but I am sure those Rustangs must have had some performance mods (God knows, they need 'em). Okay, if American muscle sports-cars are so good, why are the Firebird/Camaro twins being taken off production? Here is why (and many consumer reports and car magazines agree), they are low-tech, inefficient, badly engineered boats with poor body and engine construction. They need BIG engines to pull their heavy rear ends around, which is why their HUGE engines produce so much torque. If any Japanese or European car had an engine the same size it would have much more torque, horsepower and real power. Also, huge engines such as the ones these barge-boats have are a disgrace in todays resource trapped world. The answer is better technology, not bigger engines. Lets look at the Honda S2000, 2.0 ltr naturally aspirated, 240HP 0-60 5.6 secs. This thing costs a little more than a Camaro SS/Firebird Ram-Air, and US$24,000 less than a SVT Mustang Cobra and it will own them on any road, and let's not even talk about Porsches here..... Compare Mustangs/Corvettes/Firebirds/Camaros to cars such the Lancer Evo-6, Impreza WRX Rally, Skyline GT-R, Sylvia, Porsche 911 Carerra/Turbo, Porsche 944 Turbo/S/S2 (all of which have engines from 2.0-3.6 ltr, and HPs of 276-480, stock) and you will realize that they will decimate any overgrown, big-engine, muscle-junk on any road with an engine half the size. That is my point. A big engine is a waste. It is very inefficient to just increase the displacement to increase power. More study needs to be done into increasing the efficiency of the engine. As for the usual declaration of massive torque from owners of muscle cars with oversized-gorilla engines; torque is in the form of a curve. Some cars will achieve a max. torque at a certain point (most muscle cars), but not have it most of the time (i.e max torque at 5000Rpm), and some will have it for a longer duration. Also, heavier cars need more torque. Which is why a 118HP Lotus Elise will also destroy many big pieces of glorified muscle-car junk. Many advocates of muscle-cars will often cite cost as a deciding factor. While I will agree that many imports are expensive, this not true in all cases, as the S2000 paragraph above illustrates. Anyway, since most imports have higher-tech, better researched and engineered engines and better build quality, it is obvious that they will cost more. I, for one, will take peace of mind and reliability over cost. We have all heard of domestics with problems such as: engine fires, engines falling out, oil burning, cheap interiors, ugly styling and huge engines to cover up inefficient engineering. If the Europeans and Japanese are making smaller engines that are more (environmentally and technologically) efficient and just as fast, they must be doing something correct, right? Well, in defense of the American Car Industry, they have really improved, and are improving steadily, especially in light of recent mergers. As for handling, that is really a moot point as far as Muscle cars go. This is because they really have none! Rustangs still have a live rear axle... what? Is this a Ford model-T, or a 1999 Mustang (ahem... Rustang)? Now for the Viper. The Viper is amongst the most junky pieces of big-engine hype ever made, not only does it have no handling characteristics (Mario Andretti says so in Road and Track magazine) it also has a huge unnecessary engine (10 Cylinder, no it is not a semi-rig, it is a sports-car). A Porsche C2 or C4 will destroy it. I personally do not like the NSX it is too expensive for a Japanese car with good, but unexceptional performance. When thinking of muscle-cars, an interesting analogy that comes to mind is that of the stereotypical description of muscle-heads as brainless; I think that this applies to muscle cars as well. This is because they are all low-tech, all brawn and no-brain marvels. Of course, please do not think that I believe in this stereotype for people or for the drivers of such cars. I weight train regularly myself and many of my friends have muscle cars, and we have arguments all the time! Well, here are my two bits, enjoy them. If you agree with me, great! if not, great! Everyone is entitled to an opinion, as long as it stays that way! Hope I didn't offend anyone.  |
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