Dangerous because American drivers are just plain awful…and too fast. Too many morons out there that think 77 in a 65 zone is normal. It wasn’t that long ago that that our vehicles have half the hp. A 77 rabbit diesel had 48 hp. An omni was about 65 as I recall. A 4 cyl ranger or mustang with fuel injection in the early 1990s was 90 hp. The hundreds of Ford trucks with the 1 bbl 300 were 120 hp. 350 hp tractor trailers were the standard for years. That’s a much worse hp/lb ratio than the 33 hp car.
Remember that an engine is most efficient around 80% load. Thats why the mileage on your hemi truck sucks. You don’t utilize the power most of the time. Thus when you tow a trailer your 11 mpg might only go down to 10. At then point when hauling a load you can’t complain about 10 mpg because 345 hp isn’t free.
The point is that I think most cars and light trucks today are overpowered if overpowered is in reference to what I would call a ‘reasonable’ standard. I am afraid that modern vehicles with more power, stability control, awd, etc. are just enabling drivers to get away with things they really shouldn’t. But thats for another thread.
Point is, I think 33 hp is enough for a 1 or 2 person commuter. Will it work well with 4 people in the mountains - not likely. But for something to get you, your briefcase, and your lunchbucket 15 miles to work and back it should be fine.
thats all we need is a million more cars on the roads. It doesnt matter if they are fuel efficent or not. The cheap price would make so many more people buy a car then use a bus that it would suck up so much more gas all together.
I agree with that, I had an '05 sentra with the 1.8 (120hp) and I didnt feel safe merging into traffic onto the thruway in that car- so I can only imagine what this one would be like. For getting around in a city though, it should be adequate for those keeping $$ in mind.
Smell that? It’s the CEO’s at GM and Ford shitting their pants. China/India labor rates will be the death of GM and Ford if these slave labor rate cars make it to the US without heavy tarriffs.
And lol @ 77 on the thruway being “dangerous”. Did you know that the fatality rate actually went down when we raised the speed limit? A 29% drop actually. http://www.motorists.com/issues/speed/nystudy.html If you can’t get your modern 1.8 up to merging speed you need to start taking the bus, probably the short one. My 85 Tercel could get up to 75 on any on ramp on the 90, even with it’s massive 80 hp and 3 speed auto.
That fact is the 55 limit is great for only one group, the insurance industry, who get to charge you a massive penalty when you’re caught going 75 in a 55 on the thruway, despite the fact that you are just as safe at 75.
^I wondered if anyone would address the financial aspect.
My company has to try and compete with cheap shit imports every day.
My industry gets FUCKED basically but I bet the UAW will get special treatment and there will be huge tariffs on these cars or the whole import industry will change in someway.
If nothing does happen you can say goodbye to the high paying United Autoworker jobs.
This may be a good thing as far as our competitiveness world wide but you can say goodbye to the middle class in the USA.
Not a snowball’s chance in hell that I’d drive one. Don’t overestimate just how ungodly slow a 33hp car would be. Forget about ever being able to merge onto a busy highway.
Did it say anywhere how much one of these would weigh? I’ve driven 40whp 400 pound motorcycles. They’re about as fast as an average car. Triple the weight, less power, :bloated:
Meh. Whatever. I’m thinking about it as if those cars might actually come here. :mamoru:
I hate to say it, but 33hp would work for me or my wife as a DD. The highest speed limit I see on the way to work is 35, and the highest speed limit she see’s is 45.
I’m still not giving up my 400hp goat though. People drive so fast on the thruway it’s just unsafe merging with anything less. Besides that, if it’s going to have 33hp you know it’s going to be made out of tissue paper and balsa wood, and in a crash with a 5000lb SUV it’s going to resemble a bug on the bumper.
