[pbanders]

Another point is that in street use in the US, top speed is essentially useless. For example, I regularly drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff, about 175 miles, on highway 17 (75 mph limit). I just went up and back there in my M3, my speed was generally between 80 to 95 mph, with a few short runs to about 105 mph. Was I the fastest car along this route? No, not even close. I was passed by at least 10 other cars, the majority of them pickup trucks being driven flat-out.

What good is my M3's 137 mph (limited) speed in this situation? It's not safe to drive on this road at this speed, and if I did and was caught by the cops, it wouldn't be pretty. Even the wide-open stretches of highway in the west (e.g., highway 50 across Nevada) may look safe to take flat-out, until you have an animal jump out in front of you. No thanks.

So, is top speed useful on the track? Not for the most part. You'd need a place like the Nurbergring to have enough straight to wring out your typical car capable of 150 mph plus.

That's why a 914 is so much fun. You have great handling, which is even more of an advantage on winding (i.e. "slow") roads. Lack of power isn't much of an issue, IMO.