Re: Barnstormin': Why the Nurburgring Kinda Sucks
Brian: re ?Barnstormin': Why the Nurburgring Kinda Sucks? and your comment ?This isn?t a drag race versus road racing argument, it?s an argument of relevance.?
I think we are mostly all agreed in the first instance that Nurburgring (and equivalent) wring-outs aren?t really a valid indicator of anything important to the average motorist; rather, their appeal is limited to a very select group of enthusiasts and journalists. Ditto for quarter mile evaluations and all other pure performance tests that the vast majority of drivers could care less about, let alone exploit. However, providing easily quantifiable measures of relative performance allows folks with the time to do it to debate the technical merits of one model over another. And I think we should accept this as being positive.
Such tests inevitably lead to new automotive technologies and cars that feature superior engineering. This, in turn, results in greater reliability and economy, better performance, enhanced comfort and improved safety. Literally, and suspending any discussion of cost, we are today having our automotive cake and eating it too. Who could have imagined short years ago that a two-ton plus 2008 Dodge Challeger with all the convenience fixins' would blow the doors off its 1970s elephant-powered ancestor.
The auto industry, regardless of our opinions as to the pros and cons of such development, is evolving within a truly global context. It's scary for the workers and we have to be concerned for them. But the companies that will survive are the ones that can build the cars that will appeal to the most people ? in short, the cars that incorporate the traits identified above. Regardless of what types of cars these companies build, there will always be models that appeal to enthusiasts of different stripes, the Camaros, Mustangs, Road Runners, MGs, CV2s, 240Zs, and so on. Doubtless these cars will have their equivalents in the future.
In the final analysis, where most buyers want their cars to perform is on main street. Where most enthusiasts want their cars to perform is at the nearest track that caters to their preferred motor sport. Where car culture will go and how it will evolve is anyone?s guess, but I think there is much cause for optimism.
Brian: re ?Barnstormin': Why the Nurburgring Kinda Sucks? and your comment ?This isn?t a drag race versus road racing argument, it?s an argument of relevance.?
I think we are mostly all agreed in the first instance that Nurburgring (and equivalent) wring-outs aren?t really a valid indicator of anything important to the average motorist; rather, their appeal is limited to a very select group of enthusiasts and journalists. Ditto for quarter mile evaluations and all other pure performance tests that the vast majority of drivers could care less about, let alone exploit. However, providing easily quantifiable measures of relative performance allows folks with the time to do it to debate the technical merits of one model over another. And I think we should accept this as being positive.
Such tests inevitably lead to new automotive technologies and cars that feature superior engineering. This, in turn, results in greater reliability and economy, better performance, enhanced comfort and improved safety. Literally, and suspending any discussion of cost, we are today having our automotive cake and eating it too. Who could have imagined short years ago that a two-ton plus 2008 Dodge Challeger with all the convenience fixins' would blow the doors off its 1970s elephant-powered ancestor.
The auto industry, regardless of our opinions as to the pros and cons of such development, is evolving within a truly global context. It's scary for the workers and we have to be concerned for them. But the companies that will survive are the ones that can build the cars that will appeal to the most people ? in short, the cars that incorporate the traits identified above. Regardless of what types of cars these companies build, there will always be models that appeal to enthusiasts of different stripes, the Camaros, Mustangs, Road Runners, MGs, CV2s, 240Zs, and so on. Doubtless these cars will have their equivalents in the future.
In the final analysis, where most buyers want their cars to perform is on main street. Where most enthusiasts want their cars to perform is at the nearest track that caters to their preferred motor sport. Where car culture will go and how it will evolve is anyone?s guess, but I think there is much cause for optimism.
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