Why do americans build cars with such big engines when they have a speed limit of only 55mph?
The speed of a car is not so much a function of the size of the engine as it is a function of the engine design and the weight of the car. Most vehicles go faster than 55 mph, big engine or not. And also, in the US, people have to haul not just the one person, but a mom and her kids and their stuff, a whole family all over the place, distances are a good deal greater for people here than in say Britain or France, and so on. So Americans like more powerful cars and in some instances, need them. So the light cars don’t sell well. But for sure, cars could be designed for better milage without sacrificing too much on performance. My 1991 Honda CRX recently went 300 miles at ~70 miles per hour and got 38 miles to the gallon. I’m dying to get a new car, but this one is in too good condition to justify it, and I notice that I would be a bit pressed to find a car that will get the gas milage I’m getting now….
