Honda Prelude VTEC

140 MPHHonda Prelude VTECNot long ago, when tactical economic terrorism by the oil cartel became a strategic crisis, and boiled peanuts were popular with the White House press corps, a 140-mph top speed would've put a car among the very fastest vehicles sold in the U.S. Today, the Prelude VTEC barely scraped into this rambunctious lineup. The Prelude VTEC's self-descriptive Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control alters valve timing to maximize high-rpm power without compromising low-end torque. Still, any engine with a 7500-rpm redline needs a few revs on the clock before it will start making useful power. Indeed, the VTEC's maximum torque doesn't occur until 5500 rpm, right where you'd best be pulling a Corvette's shift lever. The "functional price" we used for our charts hurts the Honda's image. While it's possible to order minimally equipped versions of domestic performance cars, the Prelude VTEC comes only one way: loaded, including a leather-trimmed interior, and an embolism-inducing stereo. After a top-speed run, the highest praise a car can earn is an empty notebook, and the Prelude's section was blank. At 140 mph, it tracked as straight and true as if "loafing" along 60 mph slower.

141 MPHSaab 900 TurboThe 900 Turbo is the Mighty Mouse of this test. Despite having the smallest engine-a 2.0-liter DOHC turbocharged inline-four-with the lowest horsepower rating (by 5 ponies) of the group at 185, this Saab blasted to an impressive 141-mph top speed. That's faster than some cars boasting almost 100 more horsepower. A large portion of the Saab's performance can be credited to its Trionic engine management system, a 32-bit microprocessor that constantly optimizes turbo boost and the timing of the fuel injection and ignition systems. With the pedal to the floor, this digital riding mechanic manages each cylinder separately in an effort to maximize power and eliminate preignition, formerly a problem when twisting a turbo's tail. Saab says the Trionic is so smart that emissions don't increase beyond acceptable limits even at top speed, which pleased the handful of organisms that eke out a living in the dry lake alongside our top-speed test site. The 900 Turbo was unremarkable at top speed, which is good, because most remarks during these tests were requests for divine intervention.