Fun, No Speed Required

These days, car manufacturers are all under the misconception that speed is the defining element to making their cars good. Take, for example, the new Hyundai Genesis R-Spec. Since when does Hyundai make tire-smoking, fire-breathing sedans? Last time I checked, the Korean car company’s primary focus has been to make cars that look exactly the same as Mercedes. Their cars have been as unique as a high-school student, yet over time, they have earned the trust of people – and their wallets – by being persistent and actually making half-decent cars. So, now, by doing what they do best - copying - they have created a knock-off super saloon, just like every other car manufacturer out there. BMW has the unparalleled M5, Mercedes, the beefed up E55 AMG, and so on and so forth. Hyundai wants to be the “new kid on the block”, and they might very well be, but that’s not the point. Manufacturers are thinking that the more horsepower they stuff into a car, the better it will be overall. Horsepower is an entertaining thing, but it is not the most important element in a car. So many cars these days keep the driver so disconnected from the driving experience that the driver resorts to more entertaining things, such as texting, or talking on the phone. Instead of trying to cram in every last bit of horsepower into their cars, manufacturers should turn their attention to making their vehicles fun and involving to drive.
I drive a 5-speed 1995 Ford Mustang GT Convertible, the “last” year of 5.0 liter engine, and many of you will be thinking that, well, that too is a fast car, but this is very untrue, and it kills me to say that there are many hatchbacks and sedans out on the road which are faster than my ‘stang. But one department I know they do not exceed in over my car is in the fun department. I have an aftermarket exhaust on my car, and the reason I am not providing more details as to what type it is, is because that is literally all I know about it. But, boy does it sound biblical, and every time I press the accelerator a little more than I should, it puts a huge smile on my face. It may sound childish, but I’m sure many car enthusiasts know what I mean. The 5-speed keeps me involved, and the laughable simplicity of the Mustang’s suspension provides good entertainment. The whole car shakes and rattles on any surface that isn’t glass smooth, and the ride quality has given me several concussions before. This, of course, is not helped by my low-profile tires, but without them, my Mustang would look pitiful. But I don’t care about any of these discomforts or imperfections, I wouldn’t care if I somehow contracted AIDS from driving it, because it has provided so much fun over the two years I have had it, that all of its problems have become unimportant. Any car which provides more fph (fun-per-hour for those that don’t know…) than mph, will be the one I go for every time, and that's the point I think today's car manufacturers are missing. Excessive horsepower doesn't make a car better, because think about it, there are only a few places on the streets where one can use all of an M5's 560hp, yet there are way more places where I can use all of my Mustang's 215hp (around 230 because of modifications I have done). And driving a car near its limits is when driving really becomes fun. Fph over mph, any day of the week.