50 years, same argument
 

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)

I like that time article.
Hilarious; and so "how everybody i know" thinks; well outside ecomodder.

...notice the "date" on that TIME article, 1955, a great year for Corvettes and T-birds