|
To say that more power would ruin the car is idiotic. I don't believe that anymore than a farmer telling me vegetables sprayed with pesticides is perfectly healthy. There is an element of truth to the power thing, but it is very misleading. First of all, more power often times means more cost to the consumer through an initial higher price of a car, more fuel consumption, more R&D, turbo parts, etc. So there's that. Many people want to see this car with more power but the fact of the matter is we are a minority and a dying breed. We live in a world dominated by crossovers and SUVs. Sure Toyota could have put a turbo motor in this car but the amount of people who would then spend 30-40k on the car then would be very low. When you buy cars at a 35-40k price point, consumers then expect a whole flurry of luxury components and amenities. I suspect the current power configuration was a way to keep insurance cheap for the owner, keep cost of car low ,and not outcompete the Subaru WRX, etc. I adamantly believe the car needs more power but not much. If you add a hundred horsepower the manufacturer is railroading themselves into having to upgrade a lot of components on the car to match that (think big brake kit, better suspension, tires, etc.). You cant sell a 300 horsepower RWD car that weighs 2800 pounds and comes with Prius tires; that is a litigation nightmare. Not to mention that it would then probably cost $40,000. I firmly believe the car could use another ~50 horsepower more and another 75 foot pounds of torque. You would get much more performance all while still being able to play around with the car and wring it out without it killing you. Further, Toyota could probably get away without upgrading most of the mechanical components aside from of course ensuring reliability, etc. (think bigger radiator, etc., stuff like that).
|