[Unicorn123]

All good points! Struck a nerve here however, so it is time to vent and go off on a tangent!

Gotta go with Sportstick on the differentiation; as another who has driven extensively in the EU (on the continent, IE and the former EU Country, the UK) and in the USA, the ability to accelerate quickly and "pick your spot" is more critical in my experience in North America than in Europe.

Unfortunately, most North American drivers (present company excluded) are under-educated in the skills and disciplines of proper driving, particularly at higher speeds, and this makes a more powerful car useful as most drivers will not let you in to the traffic flow and you are forced to "pick your spot", for the lack of a better way to put it. Lane discipline...forget it. There is none. And as was pointed out, on-ramps are not designed to allow smooth transition onto a highway. Typically they are too short, hence, rapid acceleration to match the rate of speed on the main road is crucial, although not completely necessary. In Europe, motorways are designed as such and with more thoughtful planning and execution, for the most part, that I have seen. This makes merging much easier and in my experience, most European drivers are more courteous and will allow you to merge, rather than stubbornly refuse to "give an inch" when attempting to merge onto a highway. The end result of failing to look further than the end of one's hood/bonnet while driving at 75MPH!

Probably beating the dead horse here but I could not resist...I will stop whingeing for now...