You’ve heard the line, “It’s better to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow”, right? Do you buy that? Do you really think that cutting loose in a slower car can be as much, or even more fun, than a monster? Let’s think about this for a moment…because lately, I’m seeing the point clearer than ever. Right now I own the most low-power car I’ve owned to date in the form of the Chevy Cruze, which is sitting at 148 horsepower as long as the turbocharger is happy. Fast? Nope. Fun? Surprisingly. The same story went for the mid-1970s Datsun 620 pickup truck that was in the family back when I was a kid. Datsun 240Z six-cylinder, featherweight pickup truck…care to guess how much fun that little candy maroon pickup was? That bulletside truck was a straight-up riot. Then there was the friend’s Saturn SC1 three-door coupe that cornered on rails, the Saturn SL2 beater that threw down at the autocross in Bremerton like the small dude in the middle of a bar fight, and the Dodge Colt Turbo twin-stick that my aunts used to terrorize Colorado with. Small power can do the trick when done right.

Datsun 510s are a cult classic now, the perfect blend of light car and potent four-banger. This is tuner before tuner culture existed, a light throw-around rear-drive compact that has enough power to play with. And “too much throttle” only exists once you exceed the driver’s ability to handle the machine. Beautiful.