What is "Quick"? What is "Fast"?

[Swarzkopf]

I've seen threads like this posted on other forums...thought it may be good to stir up some discussion here!

So...with the on-going and completely awesome horsepower wars GM and Ford have been waging recently, along with the extra firepower that even mundane sedans bring to the table now, I think our definitions of what "quick" and "fast" street cars are have changed alot over the past decade or so.

When I was a little kid in the 80s, stock 5.0 Mustangs that ran 14s were considered quick. If you ran 13s you'd beat 99% of what was out there on the street, and anything running 12s was considered $$$$ fast. Even 5 years ago I think that running 12s had a....pride?....about it that's kind of gone now.

Now that Nissan and Honda V6 commuter sedans run 14s, V6 Mustangs run 13s, and the base V8 model Mustangs and Camaros can run 12s stock...where does that leave us? Has everything moved up a "second"- meaning, do we consider 11.x second street cars "fast" now, and 12.x second street cars "quick? How have all the easy bolt-on big horsepower Terminators and LSx cars changed what we view as fast? What do you guys think?

[Rodeheavers]

i think your right, i have noticed how i myself and others have kind of adjusted there answers to those questions.

[Quik83Z]

I would say:
11's = Quick
10's = Fast

[95riosnake]

I think 12 second cars are considered quick now, and 10 second and below are considered fast. I think ever since the terminators started getting turbos slapped on them everything has changed. I mean if you go on svtperformance.com you're a little guy if you're layin down 500hp.

It seems that in recent years the popularity of turbos and big twin screw blowers have really raised the bar. It seems like 6xx rwhp is run of the mill these days on anything with boost, people barely even seem to be impressed by it. Once it started getting popular to put twins on a terminator (or even doing compound boost like a Hellion Hellraiser setup), it made it impossible for us 12-second guys to even compare, those guys are putting down 4 digit power numbers and running 9's or faster.

I really don't worry too much about it these days, there's always someone with more money and a faster car so I had to tell myself to stop trying to keep up so I'm just happy with being faster than the average car on the road

[Swarzkopf]

I think 12 second cars are considered quick now, and 10 second and below are considered fast.

I think that this is about right- in my mind, if it's running 10.99 or better it's goddamned damned fast.

I really don't worry too much about it these days, there's always someone with more money and a faster car

No doubt about that.

[08Snake]

I would say 11's are quick, 10's are fast, and 9's and lower are just plain sick.... I just hope to make my car fast enough for me someday if I can ever stop being a walking accident

[Rodeheavers]

9s is flat out fast, 10s is pretty stinking fast, 11s in very quick, and 12s/13s is quick for a street car! I look at it this way, a 12 or 13 second street car is gonna be faster than 99% of anything you come up against on the street.

[Tom]

I think its still the same, 13s are pretty good, 12s are quick, 11s are fast, 10s are hauling and 9s are UGH fast!

[2001GTTT]

i think it all depends...a gallardo might run a low twelve/high eleven stock and you can call it quick....but then when it blows by you at 200 mph what is it?? lol

[97LaserRed]

agreed with everyone