Modern Cars are Too Damn Fast: Quickie
It’s no secret that over time, cars get refined. A Porsche 911 will always be better to drive now than it was ten years ago. The current generation of the Mazda MX-5 sees improvements for 2025 versus when it was first released in the U.S. market in 2015.
The trouble is as vehicles continue to improve the degree of refinement, so it imposes a new danger for buyers. Because just about anything these days is quicker than they were back then, including trucks.
Last year, Car and Driver tested a Ford Super Duty with a new high-output Powerstroke diesel engine and clocked a 0-60 time of just 5.5 seconds. 5.5! That’s damn near the same as an Acura NSX they tested in 1994. And the NSX is a supercar.
It’s not just ridiculously fast trucks, Lexus recently debuted a new hybrid in its flagship SUV,. The LX700h is a quick bastard that manages 20 mpg for the light-foot inclined.
Here’s the thing, the Lexus and the Ford, and the electric trucks such as the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Escalade IQ are also incredibly heavy. We’re talking anywhere from 3 to 4.5 tons. That makes it a pain to stop just as quickly.
The worst part is this newfound weight is becoming the norm. Vehicles are stronger and better equipped, while the commonality of hybrids mean a big battery is squeezed into the engine bay alongside the motor. So the prospect of something sharing the mass of a freight train being able to go just as quickly makes the head spin when you consider safety risks.
Because it makes my head spin - the owner of a 2400-pound roadster. Mazda managed to pull off the opposite effect ten years ago when it debuted the fourth-generation Miata in 2014, resulting in a car that weighed mere pounds more than the one built in 1990.
So refinement is possible. So is agility. So is being able to pack in mandatory safety features. But also, so is making it lighter.
Oh yeah, and despite having just 181 horsepower on tap, the Miata featherweight is just as quick as the heavy brute.
Who fares better in this industry in 2025?
-TA