European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 12, 1989 the stars and stripes of Nett. Of x fi7 r / ,1 ,. ? to to s a r of Page 13 rocket cars in and of Speed in is editor s note in the United states the Speed limits Are 65 Mph in some states and 55 Mph in others. Regardless there is a horsepower race under Way in America that is reminiscent of the mus Cle car Era of the 1960s. The following article by Tom Incantalupo of new Day tells the Story about some super fast cars in a land of some super strict Speed limits. Randy Burnetty Tom Incantalupo this Spring Chevrolet dealers will begin Selling a car that enthusiast magazines have called both King of the Hill and the Corvette from  Chevrolet says the Corvette zr1, packing what is reported to be a 375 horsepower engine will be Able to Accel Erate from Zero to 60 Miles an hour in about four seconds two seconds faster than other corvettes. I told my people that when i stepped Down on the throttle i want to be scared Corvette chief Engineer Fred Schaafsma told Auto week Magazine. That s the goal they worked  Chevrolet Public relations people now claim Schaafsma did t mean that literally. But cars like the Corvette Are frightening the insurance Industry and Auto safety advocates. Those critics Are growing increasingly alarmed Over the dangers of what they see As a new horsepower race among the world s automakers the dangers of higher speeds and More Highway accidents. It has happened before most recently in the 1960s. A shortage of Gas and skyrocket ing Gas prices eventually killed those mus Cle  but now the Gas crisis is a Distant memory and performance is Back in style not just in a few sporty models but also in family vehicles and Small commuter cars. Ford for example has just introduced a version of its Taurus a mid sized Sedan that has a 220-horsepower engine and is Chevrolet the new Corvette zr1 Zero to 60 Mph in 4 seconds capable of accelerating As rapidly As Many modern sports cars. Ads for Nissan s Maxi a pitch it As a sports car for performance minded Drivers who have families. Many of highest performance models Are faster than the Gros 4-4-2s, Hemi powered. Chrysler and Shelby Mustangs that rumbled Down the nation s highways in the 1960s. The newer cars use advanced engine technology weigh less and have better aerodynamics suspensions and tires. But critics say that the acceleration and Speed of Many new cars make them unsafe on Public roads pointing out that some models Are capable of triple the National Speed limit. And they say that the increasingly aggressive Way in which some cars Are advertised encourages irresponsible driving. It does t take a brain surgeon to Fig ure out that if current trends continue it is Likely to be reflected in increased fatalities on the Highway said Charles Hurley vice president for Public policy at the National safety Council a private group based in Chicago. Examples abound of what critics con Sider irresponsible ads mostly in enthusiast magazines but in general circulation publications As Well a to and for Honda s Acura legend Sedan asks is it any wonder people enjoy sitting in it and with its 24-Valye, 2.7-liter v-6, is it any wonder they enjoy standing on it a print and for the leg end Coupe says even its Interior was designed at 125  a recent print and for Bow s m6 Sedan describes the car As a most elegant argument for tripling the National Speed  a print and for a Volvo station Wagon claims it can accelerate As quickly As a porsche 944. To a radar gun they look exactly alike it says. An and for the porsche 944 Turbo is headlined for lunch it prefers ferraris although it has been known to snack on  a Corvette and counters seethe Best of Europe through your Ria View  another porsche and shows a car with All four wheels off the ground and claims that it can accelerate from Zero to 60 Mph in 4.6 seconds. One ride and you la understand Why most rocket scientists Are German it says. The message in certain ads seems to be that Speed is the ultimate thrill said the safety Council s Hurley. The Council s governing Board has directed its staff to set up meetings with the automakers to talk about their advertising. Automakers defend their cars As being what Many customers want and they say that their ads Are not intended to pro Mote fast or reckless driving even if they portray it or refer to it. So far the insurance Industry and the safety lobby have done Little More than wring their hands. We re alarmed when we see this kind of stuff said John Cook a spokesman for the insurance Institute for Highway safety Trade group in Washington. We re begin Ning just now to take a look at  current trend toward increasingly powerful cars seems Likely to continue. Most of the 1960s muscle cars died in the mid-1970s, victims of the Gas crisis. Today s performance cars use less Gaso line and at the moment at least there is plenty of  insurance premiums however which were a secondary Factor in the de Mise of the muscle cars Are very much present. Even though Many cars sold As performance models have lower than average premiums based on theft and Colli Sion rates car makers have blamed High insurance premiums for sales declines of some sporty models. Opel the Wadett is Sedan on the Road. Opel makes Abs Standard on new Wadett is Sedan the super sleek California Camaro Chevrolet safety experts stress that anti Block Brak ing systems Abs should be made Standard on All cars and not just restricted to the High Power upper class automobile ranges. No one would argue with this recommendation certainly but Cost is a big fac Tor where sales Are concerned in the lower Range of the automobile Market and the added expense of Abs makes it an unlikely Standard at this end of the Market at least for the immediate future. Regardless. Opel of Germany a general motors subsidiary has already incorporated the electronic Abs system As Stan Dard on its top of the line Wadett Psi 16v sports Model and now will offer Abs As Standard on its new Wadett is. The is Sedan will arrive on the German Market in february along with the other updated 1989 models in the Wadett series. Opel says that the Wadett is which is powered by a 1.3-liter engine of 60 horsepower is the first european made car in its class Range to have the electronic Abs system As Standard. Opel is also making the Abs system optional throughout the Wadett Range with the Abs Price set at 1,900 Marks about $1,055including the 14 percent German vat tax. The buyer must include the Abs option when he orders his new Wadett. The 1989 Wadett cars will have new Vectera look front Grilles and More at Tractive interiors opel says with new steering wheel designs and redesigned seats among other features. " T Camaro Roc concept car Given los Angeles debut Chevrolet s latest concept car the Camaro iroc is making its debut at the greater los Angeles Auto show this week and that is especially appropriate because it bears a Strong Cali fornia design influence. Chevrolet says the concept Ca Maro iroc provides a glimpse into the future of 22 sports car design adding that its Strong California influence was inspired by the general motors advanced design concept Cen Ter at Santa Barbara. The Camaro iroc grew from a scale Model to full sized running prototype in just six months. Chevrolet says the most striking feature is the car s use of Glass inviting the California Sun to its Passen Gers. The Glass that wraps around the top half 91 the car is Only interrupted by the thin pillars that support it. The body has a smooth rounded shape that reflects aggressiveness Chevrolet says. Built by a 50-person team at the advanced concept Center the car is made of Metal rather than the fiber Glass used in Many design studies with Metal used to demonstrate the effects that can be achieved with conventional materials. The tip of the Hood dips to an Aero dynamic Point and the Angle then continues its swoop up the front of the car. The rear is raked slightly upwards and finished off with a spoiler Glass Hatch and taillight