But the drivers soon needed their horsepower not to beat one another but to outrace the police, who were there to take the road back.
And for drivers for whom 400 horsepower just isn't enough, a C6 Corvette Z06 should be available about a year from now.
The difference between now and the old days is that at least half the pack, instead of just a handful of cars, have the horsepower and a driver skilled enough to win.
In a Formula One racecar, the driver sits atop an 800-horsepower engine with his helmeted head exposed to the wind.
A leak of vital fluids could have pointed to an inability for the driver to control the 605-horsepower vehicle.
A leak of vital fluids could have pointed to an inability for the driver to control the 605-horsepower 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.
The Bugatti is refined to a fault, and although its four-figure horsepower can distort a driver's eyeballs under full-throttle, the car wraps its heroic feats in satin, blunting the experience a touch.
Things get even better with the C7's seven-speed manual gearbox, which lets the driver make the most of 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.
About this 135-horsepower engine, Car and Driver said, "For the money, there still isn't a better fling-about, redline-hungry, tire-smoking sports car to be had".
No matter the tagline, the idea is that the C, and in particular the 215-horsepower $36,950 C320, is a driver's car.
