N-TV produced an interesting report, and I've looked over it in detail. The topic of discussion is this thing about German-purchased cars....that horsepower over the decades, has increased....NOT decreased.
Statistically, since 1990 (going back 30 years)....cars have gone up 67 hp.
The average car sold in Germany now....has 159 hp. The average car in 1990 had 92 hp.
For a number of Americans who were around in the 1970s and 1980s.....they can attest to the marginal hp discussion. The 1984 VW 'Rabbit' had an amazing 1.7 liter engine with 74 hp. If you'd gone with the diesel engine (1.6 liter), then you would have enjoyed 52 hp.
Even the amazing 1980 Opel Manta (sports-like car) existed with 99 hp.
The Renault 1979 '5'? You accepted the fact that 55 hp was all that you could squeeze out of the car.
So what really happened over the past three decades? Technology delivered fuel efficient engines, safer vehicles, and real pick-up-and-go.
For three years, I tried to exist with the Smart car. The max speed (with your foot against the floor) was 140 kph, with an amazing 70 hp. Zero pick-up-and-go, and simply not a car for the autobahns.
This anxiety about higher horsepower? You can find various environmentally-conscious Germans who fret a good bit over the horsepower situation. In their mind, you really don't need 200 hp, or even 100 hp.
The odds that hp will increase even more, on average? Pretty safe bet, if you ask me.
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