Notice any similarities?
Study: Cars Have Grown Bigger and Faster But Not As Efficient : Gas 2.0
and
THE HORSEPOWER RACE: It Doesn't Endanger Safety - TIME
You could probably find a similar argument being made every year in-between.
What was justified as not so excessive last year becomes the inadequate base-line next year.
Another interesting thing I found:
http://pubs.its.ucdavis.edu/download_pdf.php?id=1305
In 2009 the average car actually had more horsepower than the average light truck. (In the chart at the bottom)