How Detroit Is Marketing Modern Performance

The last time we were faced with $5 a gallon gas, a notable tuner in the Detroit area told us not to worry. “As long as there’s gasoline and roads to drive on, someone is going to want to do it faster than everyone else,” was his view on the future of performance.

There is no doubt that a segment of the motoring public is excited by performance. Since the introduction, just a few years ago, of the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro, the market for contemporary pony cars has grown by 50 percent. That’s the kind of number that grabs and holds the interest of Detroit marketeers, regardless of what Congress tells them.

That is also what is making this round of pony cars far more exciting than before. What’s to feel guilty about driving a car that gets 30+ mpg? Just because it’s not painted sagebrush green and has 300+ hp on tap, doesn’t mean you’ve become public enemy #1 of Greenpeace.

Still, the performance cult is one of tradition and not everyone gets that. Bright colors and aggressive names and odd bits like pistol grip shifter handles serve just as well to alienate the tree huggers, exactly as glass pack mufflers and overly-rich mixtures did in the past.

Yet, for those that think performance enthusiasts are mired in the past, nothing could be further from the truth. Of course, it’s nice to have a past in the first place – which not all nameplates can claim. The past is something that provides a reference or a baseline, otherwise we might all be sporting catfish-like front fascias and whale-tail wings.

So, we’ll continue to be driven by our Mustangs and Bullitts, and our Camaros and Intimidators, as well as Chargers and Challengers. They’re not what they used to be and, for that, we can be thankful. These days, we can get 400 to 500 hp direct from the factory, and with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. There’s nothing old-school about that.