In the last segment of this topic, we explored four reasons why cars are getting faster than those which were made back in the day.
In this second and final segment, I will give more reasons to justify crazy car accelerations in models being released in this era.
Hybridisation and torque fill
Gasoline engines have a sweet spot, usually high RPM, where they perform the best.
At low RPM, a gasoline engine seems and feels weak.
This is where electric motors come in play. They provide 100% of their torque instantly.
Pairing an electric motor with a gas engine becomes superior and powerful because the electric motor fills the torque gap while the gas engine builds up speed.
In comparison to older cars, the acceleration of a car which has electric motors working hand in hand with a gas engine and the acceleration of an older car without this technology is completely unmatched.
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Whilst the gas engine finds its sweet spot in higher RPM, the electric motor would have helped to fill in that gap between the sweet spot and the acceleration.
For example, the McLaren P1 uses its electric motor to provide boost while the massive turbos are still spooling up, making the car accelerate fast and also making it feel like it has a much larger, naturally aspirated engine.
Active aerodynamics
Engineers back then were very conscious about speed, the wind and the shape of the car itself. This is because they designed cars which were, at that time, very aerodynamic but with fixed wings and that allowed those older cars to reach a certain limit in terms of top speed to avoid the car from being lifted off the ground in higher speeds.
This is because the wind is the car’s friend during low speeds, as it cools off the engine, but becomes an enemy during high speeds because it creates drag.
Modern cars are more of shape-shifters; they use actuators to move spoilers in real time, open underbody flaps and even tilt the wing during braking to act as an air brake.
These active wings helps the car to corner better at high speeds and also create downforce to help the car stay planted on the ground at high speeds.
For example, the Zenvo TSR-S has a centripetal wing that tilts left and right while cornering to put more pressure on the inner tyre, significantly increasing cornering speed.
The Lamborghini Huracan Performante uses the Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA) system to stall or engage its wings in less than 600 milliseconds.
Electronic launch control
Launching a car perfectly used to require incredible driver skill back in the day.
Launching a 700-horsepower car without the help of electronics can be difficult because the car itself struggles to put its power down and hook up properly.
The wheels would spin, totally ruining a launch that was supposed to be perfect.
In this era, cars come with launch control mode, which is an electronic option fitted to the car from the factory to help it manage wheel spin, put its power down and be able to give the driver a perfect launch.
Launch control software manages the throttle, brakes and traction control to help provide the maximum possible acceleration every single time.
Launch control monitors wheel speed sensors 1 000 times per second, and if it detects a fraction of slip, it cuts the power or applies brakes to keep the tire at the threshold of grip.
This then allows the car to accelerate faster than older models since its power, traction control and wheel spin is being controlled by the launch control system.
For example, the Porsche Turbo S is famous for its drama-free launches. The driver just has to pin the pedals and the computer handles the physics, resulting in a consistent 0-60mph time of 2.2 to 2.5 seconds.
Torque vectoring and AWD
In the past, AWD was mainly for not getting stuck in the snow; it split power roughly between the front and rear axles.
Today’s Torque Vectoring takes it a step further by controlling exactly how much power reaches each individual wheel.
When you dive into a sharp corner at high speed, physics wants to push the car toward the outside of the curve (understeer).
A torque-vectoring system counters this by braking the inside wheels while simultaneously sending a massive surge of power to the outside rear wheel.
This creates a mechanical pivot that physically rotates the car’s nose into the apex of the corner. Instead of the tyres fighting for grip and scrubbing off speed, the car uses its own power to steer itself, allowing drivers to accelerate through a turn far earlier and harder than was ever possible in a traditional rear-wheel-drive car.
For example, the Rivian R1T has four independent motors. It can spin the left wheels forward and the right wheels backward to do a "tank turn," but on the road, it uses that precision to corner like a sports car.
Tyre chemistry and technology
To understand why modern tyres are so much faster, you have to stop seeing them as simple rubber hoops and start viewing them as complex chemical sponges.
In the past, tires were made of basic natural rubber and carbon black, but today’s versions are a high-tech "molecular soup" of synthetic polymers and silica.
This chemistry allows the tyre to remain soft enough to "key" into the microscopic imperfections of the asphalt — acting almost like a temporary glue — while remaining stiff enough not to melt under extreme heat.
Engineers even use multi-compound construction, where the outer "shoulders" of the tire are made of stickier material for cornering, while the center is designed for high-speed stability.
Beyond the chemistry, the physical construction of a modern tire is designed to manage the “contact patch” — the palm-sized area of rubber actually touching the road at any given moment.
High-tensile materials like Kevlar and steel belts are woven into the tyre’s carcass to prevent it from deforming or "rolling over" when a car takes a sharp turn at high speeds.
This structural integrity, combined with mathematically optimised tread patterns, ensures that the car maintains maximum grip even under massive G-forces.
While a 1990s tire would lose its hold and slide early, a modern performance tire, like a Michelin Pilot Sport, holds onto the pavement with such tenacity that the mechanical limits of the car often exceed the physical comfort of the driver. For example, the Corvette Z06 utilises Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, which are essentially street-legal racing tyres that allow the car to pull over 1.2g of lateral force in corners.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the fact that cars are getting faster isn’t just a tribute to raw horsepower, but a testament to how we’ve mastered the invisible forces of the road.
We have moved past the era of "brute force" engineering — where speed was a violent, mechanical struggle — and entered an age of digital finesse and molecular precision.
Whether it’s a family EV silently matching the acceleration of a fighter jet or a supercar using active wings to cheat the wind, the boundary of what’s possible is shifting with every new model year. We aren't just building faster machines; we are redefining the relationship between man, metal, and the laws of physics, proving that as long as there is a horizon to chase, we will find a way to reach it sooner.
