Speed Thrills

Work was obscenely slow today, I hadn't seen a customers for hours. The clock remained motionless. I was thinking about what I would need for my future 6 hour road trip in my '66 Coronet. I realized I would need to pack the trunk with money instead of extra fluids. This awesome website claims to have specs on all cars since 1945 (I have no clue how accurate it is)! I found my MPG was a livable yet thirsty 12-14 miles per gallon. The information was moderately useful.
I explored the page more and found something I shouldn't have...1/4 mile and 0-60 times. Oh boy. My whole life I have loved car statistics, I find it fascinating how quickly an automobile can move. My poor old lady car was about as quick as an old lady in her power scooter. 0-60 was a dismal 9.2 seconds and the 1/4 mile clocked in at 16.8 at 85 mph. Yikes she was not in any sort of hurry. I never thought it felt THAT slow.
The question must be asked: Does lack of speed really sully your interpretation of a vehicle? I think the answer fluctuates from car to car. I bought the Coronet having a loose idea of what its going to be. The car is an ever evolving project. It will be fast eventually, but right now it looks great and sounds even better. I have fun driving it and when I step on it, it pushes me back in my seat a little. I know the car has only a small block and highway gears in the differential.
On the other hand, if I go out and buy a 2016 Challenger Scat Pack with a 6.4 liter HEMI I better fucking be a little scared to flatten the gas pedal. Cars advertised to be fast should be fast. Cars advertised to be fun should be fun. That's when I think the heartbreak comes, when a car does not live up to the hype. Maybe its a don't meet your hero type of situation.
I'm still going to ramble on about American cars because classic muscle cars are a perfect example of what I mean. When you think of classic American muscle you think of old men saying how they used to street race and how these cars were the fastest thing ever. Guess what....they are far from it. Take a 1968 Charger with a 440 V8, one of the most popular muscle cars of the era. I bet that car today could get taken down by a Honda Accord with a V6. Somebody unaware that times have changed might have their heart broken. I think cars are all about how they make the driver feel. Fast cars are obviously thrilling but speed is definitely not all there is.