They didn't. And, as a car obsessive, it was a mistake.

commute times are probably the same (45 minutes walking/tram with a 4~5 mi dense city core, vs 45 in the freeway and a 60 miles of low suburban development) and we don't have the infrastructure for alternatives to travel outside the city.

As to the need for speed itself. I used to like big fancy fast cars.

Then I got a motorcycle. Now cars are... boring.

For every "wanting a faster horse" I give you "new iPhones every 6 months", "smart bottles that remind you to drink more water" and "Internet-connected $400 juicer that requires special cartridges to make juice".