Horsepower War!!!

[Cole Angrimson]

Have you noticed lately that all the big manufacturers have been fighting over HP ratings. Well maybe not fighting but they have been quietly upping the power on EVERYTHING. Think about it. Dodge makes the Viper up to 500Hp now GM takes it and ups the Z06 to over 500 hp. Then you have the Ford GT, along with the new Mustang and the charger and new corvette and GTO. Maybe i'm seeing something totally stupid but they seem to be going back and forth on HP ratings in the last year or so. They used to do this during the muscle car age too. What do you guys think. I mean EVERY car coming out is in competition, HP wise, With it's rival and other cars not in the same class even. It's sweet but I was just noticing all this today. I mean i know they do compete anyway but the cars seem to be getting bigger and badder more and more often

[V8 Killer]

Yeah,We have all those Hemi cars like the Chrysler 300 and Magnum and Durango's with Hemi's

its great

The Pontiac GXP now has a V8 and next year the Impala SS will have a V8.

:D

[95fbirdkid]

We had the original HP war back in the muscle car days. Then the emissions problems in the mid-late 70's took away from the HP war. Then it was saftey regulations in the 80's and 90's. Now w/ the technology allowing us to have the emmissions and saftey up to par we're seeing the return of the HP war. Its awsome isnt it? [img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

[Cole Angrimson]

yeah i'm not complaining. I love it :D

[1DangerousV6]

Originally posted by 95fbirdkid:
We had the original HP war back in the muscle car days. Then the emissions problems in the mid-late 70's took away from the HP war. Then it was saftey regulations in the 80's and 90's. Now w/ the technology allowing us to have the emmissions and saftey up to par we're seeing the return of the HP war. Its awsome isnt it? [img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

exactly what i was thinking..a new school war like back in the old school days when the Camaro was originally going to be called the Panther..and we stole the police package from the mustangs :D ..sorry to say that with Ford's GT and 600hp Shelby Mustang (not sure if they released that) ..Chevy is still gonna have to step it up..and they may with a Tiger Shark Vette or something..but i personally would like to see them do it with a bomb dropping muscle car then more of a road race car [img]smile.gif[/img]

[3.4 slow to go]

you forgot to mention that with the e-crap from teh 70's, insurance went up also. I don't expect anything different this time around.

[95fbirdkid]

insurance went up also. I don't expect anything different this time around.

Thats why they are targeting the high HP cars towards older drivers, and charging more. B/c the people who can afford the insurance on these beasts can afford to pay alot more for the car itself.

[Fbody3400]

Hey, yes HP wars are going on. Its good to see higher HP, but who cares when its on a 4 door sedan such as the GTO or new Charger. Don't get me wrong, but wouldnt you guys rather have a semi-good looking car with lots of HP, such as the mid '60s early '70s had?

[Fbody3400]

I forgot to add, the HP wars of the '60s and '70s were different, they were targeting everybody, not just rich white men who only drive there 500 hp car once a month. Back then you could go by a high school and see tons of muscle cars, nowadays you go by and see ratty old civics and rusted out beaters. I'd in no way compare now-a-days to back then.

[95fbirdkid]

Originally posted by Fbody3400:
I'd in no way compare now-a-days to back then.

actually i'd disagree. The hp wars arnt/weren't about who they are/were targeting. Its about the manufactureres trying to out do each other on hp numbers, plain and simple. And whats it matter if the GTO and Charger have 4 doors now? they're still pumping out 400 and 345 hp repectivly. plus you'll soon have an srt-8 charger w/ the 6.1L hemi pumping out 400 hp, and i'd look for a "judge" gto (or somthing along those lines) w/ a LS7.

a hp war is just that... a hp war, not marketing, not target audiences, not body designs... just hp

[chadder]

Originally posted by Fbody3400:
Hey, yes HP wars are going on. Its good to see higher HP, but who cares when its on a 4 door sedan such as the GTO or new Charger. Don't get me wrong, but wouldnt you guys rather have a semi-good looking car with lots of HP, such as the mid '60s early '70s had?

um the GTO isnt a sedan, and i like the 05 model alot, there isnt anything really wrong with it, other than being a weighty beast, but then again werent the old 60's muscle cars quite heavy themselves? But you do have a point with the new charger, i absolutely despise it. HOORAY FOR MORE HP!!!

[95Batmobile]

Originally posted by 95fbirdkid:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Fbody3400:
I'd in no way compare now-a-days to back then.

actually i'd disagree. The hp wars arnt/weren't about who they are/were targeting. Its about the manufactureres trying to out do each other on hp numbers, plain and simple. And whats it matter if the GTO and Charger have 4 doors now? they're still pumping out 400 and 345 hp repectivly. plus you'll soon have an srt-8 charger w/ the 6.1L hemi pumping out 400 hp, and i'd look for a "judge" gto (or somthing along those lines) w/ a LS7.

a hp war is just that... a hp war, not marketing, not target audiences, not body designs... just hp </font>[/QUOTE]There is always a target audience. ALWAYS.
I agree with FBody3400, everyone could afford a Mustang back then which is why Ford sold millions of them. The companies weren't making the cars to battle each other, they were making the cars to get in on the MONEY. Sales were the bottom line, and for that, you must target the right people.

[OneQuickV6]

Agreed with 95Bat! Saying that it isn't about selling cars and targeting a specific audience is one of, if not THE dumbest thing I've read from you yet 95Fbird!

Ford has been and always will be devoted to the "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" mission. They develope these cars to win races and draw attention, and that in turn sells alot more cars.

What multi-billion dollar company, heck even multi-thousand dolalr conmpany, is in business to show up another business? NONE. They all have one thing in common...THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY!

[95fbirdkid]

ok, hold on. I didnt say it wasnt about trying to sell cars. What i ment was, when people say "hp wars" it doesnt matter weither the target audience has changed or not. Its still a hp war, just w/ a different audience.

i guess re-reading what i posted it didnt sound like what i ment it to. when i said "the wars werent about such and such things..." i ment that wasnt what people refered to when they mentioned them. IMO the target audience doesnt effect weither or not its a hp war, aslong as companys are competeing for the same target audience as each other w/ increasing hp then its a war.

[Fbody3400]

Another part of the HP wars of the '60s and '70s included being able to buy your car with no options, ie. no air condition, power windows. Just the flat out base model, with the biggest engine availible. Although some of the older muscle cars were heavy, there were those muscle cars such as the Dart, Challenger, '64 GTO, '67 HT firebird, Fairlanes, all of these cars barely tipped the scales over 3000 lbs. and one is under 3000. Most of the other "Muscle cars" weighed in the range of 3400 to 3800 lbs.