high HP crate engines

[MaryB]

That would have been me. And that was speaking from a lifetime of pro and semi-pro racing and wrenching. I have driven all of the cars you have mentioned in both stock form and highly modified form. I never tried to go over 200 in a Superbird but I did wrench on them for a few clients and I have driven them and know their capabilities. I do not get my info from internet searches. I can tell you right now that there are few people that have any idea what it is like in a car at over 200 MPH, It is not a Sunday cruise! I do not know of any public turnpikes I would even think about doing that speed on in a prepared race car let alone a factory stock street car from the 60's!!!!! 213 MPH is just under a mile every 15 seconds. Let that sink in for a minute. 15 seconds to cover a mile. A football field plus some every second. And at night? with 60's headlights and 60's tires?

As far as the Chevelle, A 2017 ZL1 Camaro with a professional driver topped out at 168 at the Nürburgring, flat out there was no more. That engine is putting out close to 700 horsepower in a VERY aerodynamic car with a 6 speed transmission. And you are saying a 65 Chevelle with the front end of a barn door beat that?

You could probably find a Yugo that does 120 on the internet if you search for it. Sorry, but I will take practical experience over internet search's any day.

There is a highway in Texas used to speed test cars...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-gzNi6MRwI

In the early 80's I got a 5 lap hot lap ride in a Shelby Cobra... 180mph on the straight, 120 in the corners at the Ford Proving ground track in Dearborn during a Shelby American auto meet. Got a pin and patch saying how fast we hit... these were NOT stock, they were the competition model and modded more beyond that. Cost me $100 and was well worth it! Doing that on a high speed oval is different than 160mph in the 1/4 mile...

[10x]

Because people like performance? There are factory cars with over 700 horsepower. The cars from the muscle car era have style, but they are an absolute joke compared to modern cars in terms of any kind of race.

My wife and I purchased a new Toyota corona with a 6 cylinder engine in 1974. I have no idea of what the HP was but it had radial tires, incredible suspension, handled extremely well and had impressive acceleration.
That car lasted me 19 years and 200,000 miles.
After driving it, driving any of the North American made muscle cars was like driving a tractor.
The '74 AMC Javelin did not have enough room between the clutch pedal and the E brake pedal to get a size 13 boot past them

[David2011]

Nobody needs 1000hp, or more than 10 rounds.

The irony is thick in this thread.

That’s hilarious. Thanks.