Fast Cars, Tedious Traffic

The rave review of a new model Corvette praised as a virtue the car’s ability to go 185 m.p.h. Since 65 is the maximum on all U.S. roads, is your writer telling us to break the law, or to take the car to Germany where there is no speed limit? He also liked the car’s ability to go from 0 to 100 m.p.h. and back to 0 in 14 seconds--what a tremendous waste of gasoline, and what a way to wear out brake pads, which spew their asbestos fibers into the air. He also didn’t tell us what the stopping distance was, a most important factor in judging an automobile’s safety.

As for General Motors, don’t tell me they designed this car because the public is demanding more power--99% of us are well satisfied to drive 200 horses. Of course they’ll sell all of this limited edition at a premium profit because there are always a few hundred men who can be seduced by speed. (I doubt there will be a single woman customer.)

EARL BUDIN

Los Angeles