The automotive industry has changed significantly over the past four decades, and a new report by Bloomberg is highlighting the massive differences.
Proclaiming “all of the cars these days are fast and furious,” the report notes that since 1976 the median horsepower rating of a new car in the United States has risen from 145 hp (147 PS) to 283 hp (287 PS). These performance gains have drastically improved acceleration times, as the median dash from 0-60 mph has fallen from nearly 14 seconds down to just seven.
Of course, the beginning date of the research starts shortly after the 1970s oil crisis when consumers demand more fuel-efficient vehicles. This forced automakers to take drastic action and significantly reduce performance.
Regardless, the trend is pretty clear as last year there were more than 18 different vehicles on sale in the United States with more than 600 hp (608 PS). That number will soon climb thanks to new vehicles such as the BMW M5 and Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
Despite the massive increase in performance, fuel economy figures have risen dramatically from a median of 15 mpg to 30 mpg. This can be credited on several different factors including reductions in displacement, the use of turbochargers, and the addition of new technologies such as hybrid and electric powertrains.
According to Ford’s head of powertrain engineering, Bob Fascetti, “If you go back and look at the degree of change in the last five or six years compared to the five or six before that or the five or six before that, it’s dramatic.”
Check out Bloomberg’s coverage for more information and graphs