Most new cars and trucks have one thing in common: more horsepower.

Is that because 70 mph cruising is common on expressways and 80 mph cruising is common on rural interstate highways?

Such speeds call for more power to safely merge and pass, and many late model and new cars and trucks have a lot more power-draining comfort and convenience equipment. They also have much better suspensions and tires, which safely allow higher speeds -- although most drivers are ill-prepared to handle high speed emergencies.

Higher speeds and fast acceleration do nothing for fuel economy, but few seem to care unless gasoline hits $3 or more per gallon.

Some automakers stress the higher performance of gasoline/electric hybrids, compared to standard gas engine models, almost as much as they stress the higher fuel economy these hybrids provide.

For instance, Lexus offers its mid-size RX sport-ute with a standard 223-horsepower V-6 engine or with a 268-horsepower hybrid gas-electric motor that naturally allows swifter acceleration. Same goes for the Toyota Highlander SUV, which has 155- and 215-horsepower gas engines and a 268-horsepower gas-electric powertrain.

The show runs through Sunday at McCormick Place. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m, except on Sunday, when they're 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The old Volkswagen Beetle, which was the best-selling import car in the 1950s and 1960s, had very slow acceleration with only 36-57 horspower. But it was popular during an era when there were far fewer cars on the roads and when most autos had just adequate performance by today's standards.

Drive an old Beetle in today's high-speed traffic, and you may just want to drive it in town. The modern New Beetle is no fireball, but at least has a standard 150-horsepower engine.

It used to be that a car offered only one fairly low horsepower engine -- or a base motor and higher-horsepower engine that cost extra or was only put in a high-line model. But many cars and trucks routinely now offer at least two -- or three -- engines. Even the base engine provides decent acceleration, and the upscale engine -- or engines -- provide significantly more power.

For example, the Ford Mustang offers a 210-horsepower base V6 that is far more powerful than the old Mustang V-6 or a 300-horsepower V-8. The Chrysler 300 offers four engines with 190, 250, 340 or 425 horsepower. The more humble Hyundai Sonata has a base 162-horsepower four-cylinder or a 235-horsepower V-6.

The general rule is that the more choices given for a specific model with different engines and trim levels, the more cars or trucks are sold.

High-powered muscle cars began appearing in the mid-1950s and were hot sellers in the 1960s and early 1970s, until shut down by such things as strict new government pollution standards. Sophisticated electronics and advanced auto engineering have brought them back.

Such cars now have low emissions and often triple the fuel economy of the old muscle machines, besides exceptional handling, thanks to vastly better tires and suspensions.

The 1964 Pontiac GTO launched the big 1960s muscle car market, and the $32,295 Pontiac GTO with a 400-horsepower V-8 is among the 2006 muscle car crop.

More muscle cars are destined to be introduced. The powerful concept Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger displayed at the show here are likely to be two such cars, with 1960s and early 1970s muscle car styling.

The outrageous, but beautifully engineered, $1.25 million Bugatti Veyron is the high-horsepower champ and fastest production car ever built. It has 1,001 metric (or 987 American) horsepower from its quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine, which provides a 253-mph top speed.

Other high horsepower cars are, thankfully, much less expensive. They include the $65,000 Corvette Z06 with 505 horsepower, the $83,145 Dodge Viper with 510 horsepower and the $39,920 Chrysler 300C SRT8, $35,320 Dodge Charger and $37,320 Magnum SRT8, all with a 425-horsepower Hemi V-8.

Among exotic high-horsepower sports cars are the $180,785 Ferrari F430 with 483 horsepower and $153,345 Ford GT, which has 550 horsepower. And let's not forget the $288,000 Lamborghini Murcielago with its 572-horsepower V-12 or the $440,000 Porsche Carrera GT with 605 horsepower.

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