Drive Modes (SPEED!)

[Blue_Max]

I had a 1978 Monte Carlo with a small V-8,
It would press you into the seat when I mashed the throttle.

That's torque, not horsepower.

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[Buggy Man]

Insurance companies put more of a hurt on performance than the government did. Without insurance surcharges, they could've just kept using big blocks. But of course the price of gas went up, too. Believe it or not, the majority of car buyers didn't prioritize ultimate power over fuel economy.
Ford didn't release the Maverick, Pinto, and Mustang II because of government regulations.
And cleaner air is a wonderful thing. I remember the air pollution of the early '70s. It was wonderful to see things improve for decades.

In 1970 I bought a 1969 Camaro Z-28. The Chevy 302 was listed at 290 hp (I think that was at 4000 rpm) to placate the insurance companies. They raised the rates up on anything over 300 HP.
I've been told that the actual HP of the Z-28 / 302 was somewhere in the 325 range - redline, if I remember, was 6500 - 7000.

 

[Blue_Max]

In 1970 I bought a 1969 Camaro Z-28. The Chevy 302 was listed at 290 hp (I think that was at 4000 rpm) to placate the insurance companies. They raised the rates up on anything over 300 HP.
I've been told that the actual HP of the Z-28 / 302 was somewhere in the 325 range - redline, if I remember, was 6500 - 7000.

Yes, the gross horsepower was likely in the 325 range. The advertised figure was probably closer to the net output. Ford is accused of advertising the net figure with the 428 Cobra Jet as well. And of course, a few years later, manufacturers were required to use the net rating for advertising.

 

[chrisofpa]

The beginning of the end of the malaise era was about '84 ish give or take. Performance (not just hp numbers) saw a resurgence from the days when a calendar was needed to measure 0-60. The 70's were a very dark time.

I agree, it just seemed even for 20 years after the end of the Malaise Era we were not getting very impressive performance in general from cars. I am of the opinion the government regulations that came from 1973 set back the general performance of vehicles for a solid 35 years. At least until manufacturers found ways to meet the regulations while progressing the performance potential of vehicles in general.

 

[chrisofpa]

Insurance companies put more of a hurt on performance than the government did. Without insurance surcharges, they could've just kept using big blocks. But of course the price of gas went up, too. Believe it or not, the majority of car buyers didn't prioritize ultimate power over fuel economy.
Ford didn't release the Maverick, Pinto, and Mustang II because of government regulations.
And cleaner air is a wonderful thing. I remember the air pollution of the early '70s. It was wonderful to see things improve for decades.

That I wasn't aware of, I know in the last few decades insurance influenced the design of cars in regards to safety but I didn't realize they were playing a roll in it back then. Plus the big blocks were still kicking around well into the Malaise Era but just massively detuned. I always faulted the government for the loss in power since it started in 1973 when they passed laws regarding emissions/fuel economy.

As for air quality, this is a fair point but it comes at the cost. Higher cost to the consumer, access to less powertrain options and sometimes poorer reliability (Ask all the guys dealing with DEF emission issues on their diesels).

 

[Blue_Max]

That I wasn't aware of, I know in the last few decades insurance influenced the design of cars in regards to safety but I didn't realize they were playing a roll in it back then. Plus the big blocks were still kicking around well into the Malaise Era but just massively detuned. I always faulted the government for the loss in power since it started in 1973 when they passed laws regarding emissions/fuel economy.

As for air quality, this is a fair point but it comes at the cost. Higher cost to the consumer, access to less powertrain options and sometimes poorer reliability (Ask all the guys dealing with DEF emission issues on their diesels).

It's mentioned here: https://www.hotcars.com/reason-muscle-car-era-1970s-ended/

Relevant excerpt:

Increased Insurance Costs
Another major reason for the decline of the muscle car stemmed from rising insurance rates. Since the muscle car boom commenced in the '60s to the '70s, insurance premiums attached to these high-performance cars were on an upward trend. This increment was attributed to the rise of fatal accidents featuring muscle cars. To protect themselves, insurance companies resorted to increasing insurance rates tied to these automobiles. For context, muscle car owners were paying $40 to $50 higher than what individuals with regular family cars were paying.

The increased insurance premiums on muscle cars didn't suit the finances of many prospective buyers, especially the younger set, who constituted a sizable chunk of the muscle car's golden era.

 

[chrisofpa]

It's mentioned here: https://www.hotcars.com/reason-muscle-car-era-1970s-ended/

Relevant excerpt:

Thanks for sharing, funny enough when I traded my Mustang for the Maverick my insurance did drop $60/month.

 

[Blue_Max]

Thanks for sharing, funny enough when I traded my Mustang for the Maverick my insurance did drop $60/month.

Back then, it was like a 300% increase, targeted to engines over 400 cubic inches.

 

[chrisofpa]

Back then, it was like a 300% increase, targeted to engines over 400 cubic inches.

Damn...

 

[Dad]

I use 'normal' all the time. If it's raining, I'll go to slippery and for fun, I'll use Sport, but not very often. Switching modes is not as instantaneous as one might suspect. You have to go through several other modes to get to Sport. I'll switch over to it when I'm stopped at a light when I need to shame an aggressive Tacoma next to me.

 

[Solaryellow]

I always love pointing out that a 130hp '99 Camry 4-door outperforms a 300hp L76 '63 Corvette on the track. Modern CAD/CAM engineering has taken cars a long way. And you can also now drive a car more than 100k miles without needing major repair, or ANY repair if you're a sane driver.

When this lesson was taught to me, I was much younger, and I vividly remember one of those car shows on TNN probably in the mid 90's give or take. The shows were run on Saturday and Sunday mornings and man, those were good programs. At the time the particular show took two cars to the track, and one was a big block Corvette from the late 60's and its opponent was a 5 Series. The German iron destroyed it.

 

[Blue_Max]

The braking was soft in my opinion and poor steering response.

Exactly what you would want in slippery conditions. Funny how that works, huh?

 

[Dad]

I tried slippery this morning just to see what it does. Withe the Intelligent AWD screen displayed it sent equal power to all 4 wheels until I was at 30 mph then slowly lowered rear power. The braking was soft in my opinion and poor steering response. Return trip I left it in normal and the AWD from a stop sent more power to the rear then gradually shifted it all to the front by 20 mph. Steering and brakes, well normal. I might use slippery if I was in a slippery situations otherwise no thanks.

I think you just made a case for why the Slippery mode is designed for when the terrain is . . . slippery.

 

[Ryom]

For my hybrid I like the max regenerative braking of (L), and I like the steering and throttle responsiveness of Sport. I just wish there was a mode that enabled those features without also running the revs up like (L) or keeping the ICE running like sport.

 

[Kenv24]

I tried slippery this morning just to see what it does. Withe the Intelligent AWD screen displayed it sent equal power to all 4 wheels until I was at 30 mph then slowly lowered rear power. The braking was soft in my opinion and poor steering response. Return trip I left it in normal and the AWD from a stop sent more power to the rear then gradually shifted it all to the front by 20 mph. Steering and brakes, well normal. I might use slippery if I was in a slippery situations otherwise no thanks.

But remember...where Slippery really shines on the Hybrid is slower roads...with curves and up and down hills. It lets the truck coast "slightly" better than in Hybrid mode...therefore giving you a bit better fuel economy for sure. I only use Hybrid and Slippery for my back and forth to work. Highway in the morning....curvy slower speed road on the way home. Same distance...just more traffic in the return direction in the P.M,

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