What is amazing is what we recall as “MUSCLE CARS” from the late 60’s and early 70s do not have the same HP as many family sedans today.
The Trans Am used in Smokey and the Bandit(they broke four of them) only had a 225 HP. Even the GTOs only reached 305 HP from a 455 CU inch V8 engine.
I was looking at a 1986 Mercedes SL 560 the other day for sale on EBAY. This was the top of the line Mercedes with a 5.6 liter V8 engine. It only produced 223 HP.
I was looking at a 2011 Lexus IS350 convertible. V6 naturally aspirated. It has 305 HP.
I also am considering an Infinity Q60 convertible. It has a 3.7 liter V6 and produces 326 HP.
Infinity takes the same V6 engine adds a turbo charger and has 400 HP.
A BMW 335i turbo straight 6 has well over 350 HP.
A BMW 435i twin turbo straight 6 has over 400 HP.
My point being that the modern autos literally blow the doors off of any hot rod muscle cars of the 70s and 80s.
With old cars the torque kicked in almost immediately at around 2,200 RPMs. I mean lots of torque and you got the ALL of the HP at around 3,000 RPM. Totally different animal.
Absolutely. Fuel injection, electronic ignition, higher spark plug voltages, more precision tuning, dual overhead cams, smoother intake and exhaust manifolds, etc. are just a few of the things that put engines today far ahead of those in muscle cars.
Point ignition was used up until 1974 or so?