Virtual Velocity - Cover Story

We Drive Like Maniacs-So You Won't Have To-In 16 Of The Best Performance Values In America

Scott KilleenphotographersRandy LorentzenphotographersMac DemerewritersJeff KarrwritersBrad Longphotographers

{{{Cadillac Eldorado}}} Touring CoupeCadillac Seville Touring SedanChevrolet Camaro Z28Chevrolet CorvetteHonda Prelude VTECLexus SC 400Mazda Millenia SMazda RX-7 R2Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4Nissan 300ZX TurboNissan Maxima SEPontiac Trans AmSaab 900 TurboToyota MR2 TurboToyota Supra TurboVolvo 850 T-5R wagon

You've seen these things, no doubt: There you are driving along minding your own business, and a police radar trailer pops up. These unmanned sentinels can't inflict any damage on your driving record, but they reveal your vulnerability with cold effectiveness, sort of like getting gut-shot in a paint-ball war game. Had it been a real cop squeezing off bursts of microwaves in your direction, you might now be stammering out excuses on the roadside. As you approach the trailer, the radar locks on, and your real-time speed appears in foot-high numerals. After the initial surprise, if you're like most sentient beings, a familiar fantasy grips you. On some unreasoning animalistic level, you have an almost overpowering urge to put a big number on that display-a really big number. You want to bounce the microwaves back so hard they cook the roadside foliage, to turn your vehicle well and truly loose the way the Gods of Combustion want-nay, demand-you to! You can barely contain yourself.

Resist, dear reader, resist-save your license, spare yourself the hard time for felony speeding. Think of your children. Think of the pivotal scene in "Deliverance"-whatever it takes, just get a grip on yourself. We, your humble servants at Motor Trend, are about to do a lifetime's worth of speeding on your behalf. Why? Certainly not because we like to-oh, no. Simply because it's our job. Selflessly, we are going speeding-big-time-so you won't have to.

And we're doing it in cars that you likely can afford-cars that possibly are already in your garage. In fact, that's the point of this exercise, to reveal the best high-speed values in America, vehicles-some of them wholly unexpected-that make big numbers on the top end without costing much more than some less-accomplished iron. We're not out to pick a single winner; this field of 16 is too diverse to do that fairly. Instead, our sole goal is to turn these hot rods loose and see what they'll do. As for whether your taste runs to pure sports cars or to wagons full of screaming kids, we'll leave that up to you. Somewhere in this scuderia is a car that will fit your needs.

Our speedfest was open to any production four-wheel vehicle for sale in the U.S.; to make it in, though, each had to vault over one bar, while ducking under another. The first hurdle, a minimum terminal velocity of 140 mph, was designed to keep out the slowpokes, while the second barrier, an arbitrary price cap of $50,000, served to clip off the high-society types. That's a "functional price," mind you-the cost of the basic car, plus any options that help it go faster. Add-on luxo-stuff wasn't figured into our calculations unless it was bundled together with true go-fast hardware.

Call 'em the 50/140 cars-they occupy an exclusive niche in the automotive hierarchy. We already know that given enough cash, any number of manufacturers will cheerfully sell you a bullet that can approach or exceed 200 mph. This isn't news. But the 16 cars we have gathered here are. Though only a single thread laces this diverse group together, all are strong players in their respective classes. To highlight these strengths, our gang of 16 was subjected to the full Motor Trend test regimen. With research venues flung far about Southern California, information gathering kept us occupied for the better part of a month. In the end, what we found will delight anyone who's ever felt the pull of an empty, desolate straightaway-or yearned to put a big number up on that roadside radar display.

Dawn sneaks up on the high desert unheralded. Unlike roosters, Gila monsters don't crow, so there's no sound to announce the gathering light. The truck-stops along this interstate artery to Los Angeles maintain their same busy activity, a pace unaffected by the time of day. This morning, though, an inexplicable column of shiny, new cars files out of Barstow's Holiday Inn parking lot and onto the interstate that cuts east across the sand to the Nevada border.

As the smoldering disc of the sun begins to edge over the horizon, our column of speed burners pulls into the day's test venue-a forgotten three-mile chunk of road running parallel to the interstate. With the proper permits filed, this weathered, crumbling piece of asphalt is ours until sunset. Built in the late '50s when the then-new interstate cut off access to a home among the creosote bush, Mrs. Orcutt's driveway, as it's known, was constructed to silence the persistent and obviously effective complaints of a nice old lady.

Mrs. Orcutt has since surrendered to the elements. For all we know, her bleached bones still rest among the collapsed remains of her forgotten shack. But her driveway, a monument to her persistence, lives on. Showing its age now, the driveway hasn't had a lick of maintenance in almost four decades. Never mind, it suits our purposes almost ideally. Though about 30 years overdue for a resealing job, the surface affords reasonably good grip. Desert dust and bits of dislodged gravel carpet the road, but that only adds to the adrenaline-steeped spectacle; at speed, a car trails a rooster-tail of dust that looks as if Halley's comet is making a low-altitude fly-by.

What the drivers on the parallel interstate a quarter mile distant make of this is anybody's guess.

With about three and a quarter miles of useable straightaway, the driveway is just long enough for cars in this speed range. Roughly speaking, sub-170-mph street cars reach nearly 90 percent of top speed in the first mile, build another 6 or 8 percent by the end of the second mile, and take the final mile to claw their way up the last few percent. The spare quarter mile is reserved for enthusiastic braking to avoid careening through the remains of the Orcutt estate.

All of our cars attained their terminal velocity over the measured three miles, but the fastest ones had little acreage to spare. Significantly faster cars require substantially more room, and that generally means moving the whole show to a huge oval or circular track-but you can't buy that kind of speed for $50,000, so for this test, Orcutt's was just fine.

We were interested not only in how fast our field of 16 went, but in how quickly it got there. To conduct this test without messing up the cars' aerodynamics by using external test gear, we employed the Stalker Acceleration Testing System. Though normally arrayed as a stationary system outside the car, the Stalker can be mounted entirely inside the car, with its radar gun firing straight ahead out the windshield. The unit's precise speed data are then processed by a special program in a laptop computer, generating the speed/distance plots that accompany this story. We used a second stationary radar gun (operating on a different frequency band) at the three-mile mark as a cross-check. You'll notice that our top-speed plots begin at the quarter-mile mark, picking up where our conventional quarter-mile acceleration numbers leave off.

The fascination with top speed runs deep-and is no doubt heightened by how rarely (if ever) people have the luxury of experiencing it in a truly fast car. Furtive bursts above 100 mph no more prepare you for a 167-mph ride in a Corvette, than a walk in the foothills prepares you for an assault on Everest. The idea is the same, but the shift in scale is difficult to comprehend.

The run begins with a full-on drag-race start; a fast car like the Vette needs all the room it can get. Snapping through the gears, you're over 100 mph in the first quarter mile, but already, aerodynamic loads are rising progressively and acceleration fades. You build 100 mph in the first 14 seconds; in the next 14, you gain only about 35 mph. Just past the 0.75-mile point, the Stalker's display rises through 140 mph, and you first become aware that the Corvette is handling differently-it doesn't have the totally planted feel you're accustomed to, and driving down the middle of this scruffy two-lane road, you're uncomfortably aware of how narrow the surface is. You can only seem to maintain your position on the road within a couple of feet; your hands are busy making minor corrections while your eyes study the tach and speedometer to track your progress.

It's a long, agonizing pull beyond 140 mph. Acceleration has faded to only a mild level, and were it not for the gradually rising note of the engine and increasingly shrill hiss of the slipstream, you might not notice that you're accelerating at all.

And there's the sense of time. Those who've never been to top speed in a fast car imagine it as a great headlong rush-zing!-right on up to top speed. The reality is far more protracted. As the air claws at the bodywork, excess horsepower available for further acceleration lessens to a trickle. It's an aerodynamic-drag equation that seems to take forever to play out. In the Corvette, you spend 50 seconds accelerating from 140 mph to top speed. When you're already traveling faster over land than you ever have, that 50 seconds seems interminable-charged with anxiety, acute vigilance, and sheer delight. You keep tightening your grip on the steering wheel; some people even stop breathing. Relax. Enjoy it.

Above 160, you know you're running out of real estate-only about a mile to go-and you're counting each mph as it clicks over on the Vette's digital speedometer, until it finally stabilizes at top speed. You barely hear the engine now, its sound swallowed in the roar of ripping wind. You grant yourself the luxury of a moment to broaden your awareness, to look away from the instruments and the road ahead, and just soak it in. After all, you may never be in this place again.

That's when it hits you, the speed, the inertia. Blow a tire at this velocity, and you probably couldn't keep the car on the road. The crash would take forever. Shoot out into the lumpy scrub brush of the desert at 243 feet per second, and you'll likely ride home as an unwilling passenger in a Ziploc bag. Sandwich size.

But let's not fixate on the unpleasant possibilities. The three-mile shut-off point is fast approaching, and from this speed we can't afford to delay. The instant the radar team standing by the roadside flashes past, you're firmly into the brakes-and you check your mirrors to watch the poor bastards dive for cover as your stinging wake of gravel and dust sweeps over them. Still braking through 100 mph, you feel the pedal getting soft as fade sets in. Finally easing down through 65 mph, you pass the first familiar reference point in the last minute and a half. It's then that you realize how far you've climbed, and how much there is to see beyond the legal limit.

There's not a lot to it, really. Now if you could just convince your nervous system of that. Next time you come upon one of those radar trailers, try to be strong.

140 MPHHonda Prelude VTECNot long ago, when tactical economic terrorism by the oil cartel became a strategic crisis, and boiled peanuts were popular with the White House press corps, a 140-mph top speed would've put a car among the very fastest vehicles sold in the U.S. Today, the Prelude VTEC barely scraped into this rambunctious lineup. The Prelude VTEC's self-descriptive Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control alters valve timing to maximize high-rpm power without compromising low-end torque. Still, any engine with a 7500-rpm redline needs a few revs on the clock before it will start making useful power. Indeed, the VTEC's maximum torque doesn't occur until 5500 rpm, right where you'd best be pulling a Corvette's shift lever. The "functional price" we used for our charts hurts the Honda's image. While it's possible to order minimally equipped versions of domestic performance cars, the Prelude VTEC comes only one way: loaded, including a leather-trimmed interior, and an embolism-inducing stereo. After a top-speed run, the highest praise a car can earn is an empty notebook, and the Prelude's section was blank. At 140 mph, it tracked as straight and true as if "loafing" along 60 mph slower.

Body style: 2-door, 4-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, front drive
Curb weight, lb: 2932
Engine: 2.2-liter DOHC I-4, 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 190 @ 6800
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 158 @ 5500
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 6.7
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 15.1/92.7
Braking, 60-0, feet: 137
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.84
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 66.2
Functional price: $25,620

141 MPHSaab 900 TurboThe 900 Turbo is the Mighty Mouse of this test. Despite having the smallest engine-a 2.0-liter DOHC turbocharged inline-four-with the lowest horsepower rating (by 5 ponies) of the group at 185, this Saab blasted to an impressive 141-mph top speed. That's faster than some cars boasting almost 100 more horsepower. A large portion of the Saab's performance can be credited to its Trionic engine management system, a 32-bit microprocessor that constantly optimizes turbo boost and the timing of the fuel injection and ignition systems. With the pedal to the floor, this digital riding mechanic manages each cylinder separately in an effort to maximize power and eliminate preignition, formerly a problem when twisting a turbo's tail. Saab says the Trionic is so smart that emissions don't increase beyond acceptable limits even at top speed, which pleased the handful of organisms that eke out a living in the dry lake alongside our top-speed test site. The 900 Turbo was unremarkable at top speed, which is good, because most remarks during these tests were requests for divine intervention.

Body style: 2-door, 5-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, front drive
Curb weight, lb: 3060
Engine: 2.0-liter DOHC turbocharged I-4, 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 185 @ 5500
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 194 @ 2100
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 6.8
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 15.3/94.8
Braking, 60-0, feet: 118
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.81
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 67.2
Functional price: $27,740

142 MPHMazda MilleniasWarning: New emissions regulations will radically reduce the permitted interval between engine start-up and the start-"light off"-of catalytic converters. This may cause the already dwindling number of turbocharged engines, with their heat-sucking turbines, to drop even further. Nevertheless, the demand for powerful engines won't subside, so supercharged powerplants similar to that in the Millenia S may take up the slack. The Millenia S features a unique variation of the supercharger, one that makes its 2.3-liter V-6 act a lot bigger than its diminutive displacement indicates. Officially dubbed the Miller Cycle, this powerplant uses a screw-type compressor to pressurize the incoming charge to 28.5 psi, far more than possible with conventional Roots-type blowers. This allows the intake valves to be left open during the first fifth of the piston's upward travel on the compression stroke. The result is a smaller, lighter engine with excellent fuel mileage and impressive torque-enough twisting force to push the Millenia S to 142 mph. The rest of the Millenia matches this wonderful engine; even at top speed it was well-mannered and secure feeling.

Body style: 4-door, 5-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, front drive
Curb weight, lb: 3391
Engine: 2.3-liter DOHC supercharged V-6, 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 210 @ 5300
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 210 @ 3500
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 8.0
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 16.0/88.8
Braking, 60-0, feet: 135
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.79
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 65.8
Functional price: $31,795

144 MPHToyota MR2 TurboThe MR2 Turbo is a potent mid-engine sports car in the tradition of Lotus, Lamborghini, and, dare we say, Ferrari. It offers hard-wired-to-your-brain handling, impressive all-around performance, superb-for-a-sports-car comfort, plus Toyota reliability. If it bore Colin Chapman's stylized initials, a snorting-bull emblem, or a prancing-horse badge rather than Toyota's sombrero-crowned head, its $30,000-plus pricetag would only heighten world-wide adulation. But since it's a Toyota, many potential buyers consider that too steep a tariff, and the MR2 Turbo has become just another excellent player in this golden age of performance cars. Test-track ability aside, however, the MR2 Turbo's steering was a bit too sensitive for ideal 144-mph cruising down the narrow, bumpy test road. Unnecessary steering input wasn't a good idea, and, thankfully, since the road's as straight as a rifle shot, none was required.

Body style: 2-door, 2-passenger
Drivetrain: Mid engine, rear drive
Curb weight, lb: 2888
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 200 @ 6000
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 200 @ 3200
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 6.2
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 14.8/93.5
Braking, 60-0, feet: 107
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.94
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 69.2
Functional price: $30,475

142 MPHNissan Maxima SEThe Maxima SE continues to surprise us. First, there was its blazing acceleration-6.6 seconds 0-60 mph-and near-sports-car handling in a luxurious, comfortable, affordably priced family sedan. This time, our '95 Import Car of the Year produced an astounding top speed of 142 mph. Not only did the Maxima come within spitting distance of the MR-2 Turbo, but check out the chest-thumping cars that failed to make the 140-mph cut to get into this test: Ford's Mustang Cobra, Mustang GT, and Taurus SHO, plus the Chevrolet Impala SS-and this despite the fact that Nissan's normally aspirated 3.0-liter DOHC V-6 makes far less power than any of them. Staying in character, the Maxima runs this awesome pace with no drama: At 142 mph, the Nissan is as solid feeling and confidence-inspiring as many cars at half the speed. With a functional price of just under $22,000, the Maxima SE is the cheapest way to transport five people over 140 mph.

Body style: 4-door, 5-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, front drive
Curb weight, lb: 3010
Engine: 3.0-liter DOHC V-6, 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 190 @ 5600
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 205 @ 4000
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 6.6
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 15.2/92.4
Braking, 60-0, feet: 131
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.83
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 65.1
Functional price: $21,989

147 MPHLexus SC 400Just as all of the SC 400's 250 V-8 ponies began pawing rocks out of the long-abandoned roadway at the start of its top-speed run, I spotted a big-rig traveling the same direction but about three-quarters of a mile ahead on the interstate that roughly parallels Mrs. Orcutt's secret driveway. Though barely more than a blip on the horizon at the start of the run, I passed him well before the finish of the three-mile dash. Then, after the Lexus had become a major source of global warming by braking to a halt from 147 mph, and I had spun around and headed back up the road, guess who was crossing abreast of the finish line, coming toward me? In the time it took the 18-wheeler to cover little more than two miles, the Lexus, running flat-out with a 180-degree change of direction, ran about four. The Lexus is the most expensive car in our test-just under $50,000, even without $2100 of luxury options counted into the functional price-and it felt like it: solid, stable, and comfortable at 147 mph.

Body style: 2-door, 4-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear drive
Curb weight, lb: 3625
Engine: 4.0-liter DOHC V-8, 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 250 @ 5600
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 260 @ 4400
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 7.0
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 15.2/93.7
Braking, 60-0, feet: 125
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.85
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 63.8
Functional price: $48,870

148 MPHCadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe & Seville Touring SedanWith a black uniform and ten-shun posture, the pilot of the photo helicopter appeared straight out of a military recruitment poster. I had felt joy as he hovered alongside the Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe (ETC); knowing the Eldo enjoys a terminal velocity advantage of almost 50 mph over the copter, I understood it would quickly be "Adios, my friend." Of cars costing less than $50,000, only the Volvo 850 T-5R can transport five people to a higher top speed than the Eldorado Touring Coupe and its Seville Touring Sedan sibling, which share the four-cam all-aluminum 4.6-liter/300-horsepower Northstar V-8. The wind must think the pair is identical, as they both recorded 148-mph top speeds. At that pace, the STS was more composed than the ETC, the former's firmer suspension better tackling the undulating desert road. The STS' Driver Information Center provided this nugget: The average speed for the three-mile sprint was 122 mph, well above the top speed of the photo helicopter.

Body style: 2-door, 5-passenger/4-door, 5-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, front drive/same
Curb weight, lb: 3818/3892
Engine: 4.6-liter DOHC V-8, 4 valves/cylinder/same
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 300 @ 6000/same
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 295 @ 4400/same
Transmission: 4-speed automatic/same
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 6.6/6.4
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 14.8/96.5/14.7/96.9
Braking, 60-0, feet: 142/135
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.79/0.77
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 65.8/63.8
Functional price: $42,170/$46,570

152 MPHVolvo 850 T-5R wagonIf you need to transport five people and garage-load of stuff at 150 mph, the Volvo 850 T-5R wagon is your only choice for under $50,000. Or under $40,000, for that matter. You can even bring along the pets as you run 152 mph away from that bursting dam or puking nuke plant. (We're fairly certain the T-5R will top 150 with five people aboard; it did with two, and weight has a comparatively small impact on top speed.) The Volvo's boxy shape apparently slips through the air better than many seemingly sleeker shapes, such as the 250-horsepower Lexus SC 400, because the T-5R's turbocharged 2.3-liter five-cylinder is rated at but 240 horses. Either that or Swedish dynamometers are pessimistic. Regardless, the Volvo offered a secure ride on its way to coming within 1 mph of the highest top speed we've recorded with a front-driver-the very same 850 T-5R we tested in May's Euro-sedan comparo.

Body style: 4-door, 5-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, front drive
Curb weight, lb: 3387
Engine: 2.3-liter DOHC turbocharged I-5, 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 240 @ 5600
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 221 @ 2100
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 6.6
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 15.0/94.1
Braking, 60-0, feet: 121
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.81
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 67.4
Functional price: $37,000

Notable No-ShowsWhittling down the field for this extravaganza was no small effort. Cars with speed limiters that hold them below the 140-mph mark (normally to keep them from exceeding their tire speed ratings) were ruled out immediately. BMW's M3, for example, has the power to easily exceed 140 mph were it not for a party-pooper of an ECU that sounds last call at 137 mph. As it turns out, the same cruel fate stifles BMW's 530i sedan. Unaware that the new 530i is now saddled with a 128-mph speed limiter, we brought one out for testing and were treated to a nice 144-mph high curve on the Stalker. We later discovered the particular car we tested (not a normal press-pool test vehicle) was using a Euro-spec computer chip without a limiter, so we booted out the Bimmer.

For our top-speed funfest, we brought along herds of cars that, based on previous testing, looked as if they might have a shot at cracking 140. Many fell just short, like the Impala SS (138 mph), the Taurus SHO (135 mph with an automatic transmission-the only one available for testing at the time), and the Integra GS-R (139 mph), to name but a few. We tried two Mustangs: a Cobra (137 mph) and a GT (135 mph), but neither could turn the trick.

Ultimately, our field of 16 comprises the bargain bullets currently for sale in America-and there's not a "nearly" or "if only" in the bunch.

154 MPHNissan 300ZX TurboOur photographer wanted shots of the Nissan's speedometer showing more than 150 mph-that's why he was leaning over my shoulder as the 300ZX Turbo slammed into its speed limiter. The sudden deceleration caused when the computer chopped off the fuel flow pitched him forward, only his seatbelt preventing him from slamming against the steering wheel. When the car slowed enough to disengage the limiter, its twin turbos instantly spooled back up and all 300 horses strained forward, tossing him back between the seats-just as it again plowed into the limiter. Exacerbating this, in the bumpiest sections at top speed, the 300ZX danced around. We cycled through this drill a couple of times before I lifted to run just under the limiter. I had to backpedal to half throttle to prevent its kamikaze attacks on the limiter. Since it'll run 154 at what seems like half throttle, disable the limiter and we'd bet 165 mph wouldn't be out of the question for the hard-charging Nissan.

Body style: 2-door, 2-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear drive
Curb weight, lb: 3518
Engine: 3.0-liter DOHC twin-turbo V-6, 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 300 @ 6400
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 283 @ 3600
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 5.5
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 13.9/102.0
Braking, 60-0, feet: 128
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.85
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 69.7
Functional price: $41,949

155 MPHChevrolet Camaro Z28What would you do, upon taking possession of a brand-new Camaro Z28? Sedately cruise by your ex-girlfriend's house to allow the Camaro's drivetrain components to get familiar with one another? Not us. We headed straight for our desert test site and promptly affixed our test gear. I then donned a helmet, revved the 275-horsepower LT1 to 3000 rpm, and, with no further ado, dumped the clutch. I hammered that virginal V-8 to its 5700-rpm redline in first, second, third, and fourth gears, never lifting except to shift. Only aerodynamic drag, not mechanical sympathy, kept the Z28 from bouncing off its rev limiter in fifth gear. At that point, the radar gun said 155 mph, while the odometer showed but 168 miles. This performance makes the Camaro Z28 the least-expensive car available that will top 150 mph-a major brag. An aside: This Z28 was shod with optional all-season Goodyear Eagle RS-As, which carry a Z-speed rating like the more familiar Eagle GS-Cs, but lack the GS-Cs' ultimate handling grip.

Body style: 2-door, 4-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear drive
Curb weight, lb: 3390
Engine: 5.7-liter OHV V-8, 2 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 275 @ 5000
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 325 @ 2400
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 5.7
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 14.2/100.2
Braking, 60-0, feet: 124
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.84
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 64.3
Functional price: $18,985
speed for sale
Functional Top speed, Dollars
price mph per mph
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 $18,985 155 $122.48
Pontiac Trans Am $21,760 157 $138.60
Nissan Maxima SE $21,989 142 $154.85
Honda Prelude VTEC $25,620 140 $183.00
Saab 900 Turbo $27,740 141 $196.74
Toyota MR2 Turbo $30,475 144 $211.63
Mazda Millenia S $31,795 142 $223.91
Chevrolet Corvette $37,456 167 $225.64
Mazda RX-7 R2 $38,545 160 $240.91
Volvo 850 T-5R wagon $37,000 152 $243.42
Nissan 300ZX Turbo $41,949 154 $272.40
Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 $43,520 157 $277.20
Cadillac ETC $42,170 148 $284.93
Toyota Supra Turbo $47,417 157 $302.02
Cadillac STS $46,570 148 $314.66
Lexus SC 400 $48,870 147 $332.45

157 MPHMitsubishi 3000GT VR-4Do you imagine top speed as a glorious, ecstasy-producing experience? Hate to burst your fantasy, but instead of delivering nirvana at 160 mph, this level of top speed is like kissing a tigress: extremely dangerous but not terribly rewarding. Unlike the gratifying thrill of hanging it out to the edge while hot-lapping a racetrack, top speed feels like Russian roulette: Do you feel lucky today? However, thanks to its all-wheel drive-the only such drivetrain in this test-and its high-downforce bodywork, the 3000GT VR-4 softens the fear of bouncing down a narrow road at 157 mph. Unlike some of the others-both faster and slower-in this group, the Mitsubishi was stable and poised at maximum velocity. Such stability plus its 18-inch tires/wheels helped it record an awesome 68.9-mph run in our slalom test, topping a previous example by 5 mph. In the past, we've criticized the 3000GT VR-4 for being too stable on the racetrack, but being rock-solid is a blessing at 157 mph.

Body style: 2-door, 4-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, all-wheel drive
Curb weight, lb: 3781
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 320 @ 6000
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 315 @ 2500
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 5.4
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 13.5/101.6
Braking, 60-0, feet: 118
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.89
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 68.9
Functional price: $43,520

157 MPHPontiac Trans AmA country song filled my mind as I flashed down Mrs. Orcutt's driveway in the Trans Am: "Goin' 90 miles an hour down a dead-end road. What's the hurry, son, where ya gonna go?" And I kept updating it until reaching "Goin' 157 miles an hour...." Partly because its 275-horsepower V-8 was almost at the 5700-rpm redline in fifth gear, the Trans Am had the highest interior noise at top speed. Bystanders said they could hear it before they could see it-more than a mile away. Save for the RX-7's rotary, the 5.7-liter LT1 that powers the Corvette, the Camaro, and the Trans Am is the only engine in this test that doesn't employ dual overhead cams to open its valves. Instead, it uses a single block-mounted camshaft, pushrods, and rocker arms. This venerable technology produces results: The LT1-powered cars all easily topped 150 mph. The Trans Am wasn't the easiest car to drive at this pace: Although well-behaved over the smoothest portions, in the bumpiest sections it hunted from side to side.

Body style: 2-door, 4-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear drive
Curb weight, lb: 3345
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 275 @ 5000
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 5.6
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 14.0/101.6
Braking, 60-0, feet: 124
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.85
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 66.0
Functional price: $21,760

157 MPHToyota Supra TurboI magine: Blasting down the desert test venue, you shift to fifth at 120 mph in the Supra Turbo. Little more than a path, the lane is lined with unyielding bush-topped dirt moguls and gnarled scrub trees. Gravel shoulders narrow the road's useful width to 17 feet, sometimes less. Crosswinds and bumps start to make the car wander as you grab sixth at 150 and flash by a car-width away from our half-course marshal in a parked vehicle. Suddenly, boom!, the Supra lurches and the engine sound falls off. Has the motor blown, dumping oil on the tires? Are you about to pirouette across the desert? Will this make CNN? Nope, it's just the Toyota Supra Turbo smacking into its speed limiter. Its computer is supposed to restrict it to 155 mph, but the car is accelerating so hard it balloons past the fuel cut-off point, before falling back and making another charge toward forbidden ground. With its sleek shape and 3.0-liter DOHC inline-six force-fed by twin-sequential turbochargers pumping out 320 horses, it's likely an unrestricted Supra would roar past 165 mph.

Body style: 2-door, 4-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear drive
Curb weight, lb: 3445
Engine: 3.0-liter DOHC twin-turbo I-6, 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 320 @ 5600
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 315 @ 4000
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 5.1
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 13.5/106.9
Braking, 60-0, feet: 115
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.92
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 69.0
Functional price: $47,417

160 MPHMazda RX-7 R2Twenty-five years ago, some automotive prognosticators tapped the rotary engine to displace piston powerplants. This unique engine, powered by two triangular rotors spinning inside an oval housing, is smaller, lighter, and, with a few exceptions, more durable than a comparably powerful piston engine. But its emissions were, at first, more difficult to cleanse, and it got a bad reputation for being thirsty. Today, only the Mazda RX-7 employs a rotary engine, but it shines gloriously. First, the RX-7's twin-turbocharged 1.3-liter rotary makes almost as much horsepower as the Z28's naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V-8. Also, the svelte rotary helps the RX-7 maintain a 950-pound lower weight and slimmer shape than the 3000GT VR-4, allowing the Mazda, despite giving away 65 horses, to beat the flagship Mitsubishi in virtually every performance parameter, including top speed. The R2's stiff suspension, however, interacted with our bumpy test road to make the RX-7 uncomfortably darty at its 160-mph peak velocity.

Body style: 2-door, 2-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear drive
Curb weight, lb: 2830
Engine: 1.3-liter twin-turbo two-rotor rotary
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 255 @ 6500
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 217 @ 5000
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 5.3
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 14.1/99.9
Braking, 60-0, feet: 113
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.98
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 69.8
Functional price: $38,545

Mystery FactorsTop-speed figures have an aura of imperious finality to them; such, however, is not the case. Sure enough, each of our 16 cars logged the precise speeds shown in this article-on the day and at the place we tested them. But just as a world-class sprinter can't hit his personal best every time out of the starting blocks, so too, minor variations affect the top-speed performance of automobiles.

The venue is a critical factor: It must be flat for the sake of accuracy (though downhill is more exciting). It also needs to have a reasonable amount of grip; pavement is better than the Bonneville Salt Flats or a dry lake, because even a little wheelspin can sap a few mph off of top speed. Air density (determined by altitude and temperature) further skews the results. Though it takes less power to push the car through thinner air, that same thin air results in less power developed by the engine. With the help of intercooling, it's possible for some turbo cars to develop their full rated power at altitude, which means that the higher/hotter you go, the faster the car gets.

Wind has an equally large effect on top speed. Due to the way aerodynamic drag rises with speed, a headwind is much more detrimental than a like-sized tailwind is helpful. That's why simply averaging runs in both directions won't give you an accurate figure-you'd simply be averaging two incorrect numbers to create a third incorrect number. Even a direct crosswind is a handicap, since airspeed over the car ends up being greater than the car's speed over the road-and that can only mean more drag. Rolling friction increases due to the slight steering correction required to hold the car on line against the wind. A precisely sized quartering tailwind can duplicate the effect of no wind at all, but determining the airspeed at which such a breeze zeros out for a given car could keep a Cray supercomputer up nights.

Throw in the effects of electronic speed limiters (some cut off suddenly-check out the Supra's wavy top-speed curve), ladle on gearing and power-curve interactions, and it's obvious that there's no viable way of applying a correction factor to eliminate all the variables.

In addition to environmental factors, each vehicle has its own set of variables; everything from tire pressure and wheel alignment to engine temperature and break-in miles plays a factor. Add in the familiar "normal production-line variations," and it becomes clear why not all Camaros, SC 400s, or any other car models test out absolutely consistently. For evidence, we submit the Corvette LT1. The unit we ran in Bang for the Buck last year (Aug. '94) repeatedly topped out at 172 mph; this time, a different LT1 on a different piece of pavement consistently went 167 mph. Like we said, not even a world-class sprinter runs at a record pace every time.

167 MPHChevrolet CorvetteThough alone on the closed, dead-end road, out of habit I glanced at the rear-view mirrors. They were filled with a view of a 100-foot-tall dust-and-rock rooster tail reminiscent of the exhaust plumes captured by rear-facing cameras on a X-15 rocket plane. But this time, the contrail was from an earthbound rocket ship. It's hard to imagine 167 mph. It's faster than many small airplanes can fly; it's roughly the speed at which jet airliners leave the ground; it's the top speed of the 300-horsepower LT1 V-8-powered Corvette. With its adjustable suspension on the midlevel Sport setting, the Corvette was rock-solid and confidence-inspiring at 167 mph, its pushrod LT1 screaming just shy of the 5700-mph redline in fifth gear. A dozen years after this current-generation Corvette was introduced, it's easily the fastest car available under $50,000. Not only do seven of the slower cars in this test cost more than the Corvette, many far more expensive cars don't come anywhere near the venerable Vette's flat-out performance.

Body style: 2-door, 2-passenger
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear drive
Curb weight, lb: 3203
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net: 300 @ 5000
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm, SAE net: 340 @ 4000
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec: 5.2
Standing quarter mile, sec/mph: 13.7/103.9
Braking, 60-0, feet: 115
Handling, lateral acceleration, g: 0.92
Slalom, 600-ft, mph: 65.1
Functional price: $37,456
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