I like fast cars. I love the feeling of going very fast with the wind blowing through the open windows. To me that's a form of freedom.If you look around while you're driving you'll probably find other people that like going fast. You can usually locate them by what their vehicle looks like. It'll probably be somewhat sporty and have some custom parts on it - whether that be interior, exterior, or performance. Now, intelligent people don't go fast on public roads; they observe the speed limit and try their best to be a courteous driver. But get those people onto a track, or private drive, and then watch them go. Automotive racing is a huge part of the American culture. Things like the NASCAR races and Sprint Car races have been icons of American racing.
But look at the other types of racing: ATV, boat, dirtbike, jetski, lawn mower, motorcycle, bicycle, tricycle, and the list could continue. The more you look at America, the more you see that we like to see who can go faster than the other person. Maybe that's why America has a heritage of vehicles with large engines compared to Asian countries or the European nations. American's have always been competitive.
If you're not a fan of any type of racing, that's ok. That's another great thing about America; you can be a fan of whatever you want! But automobiles are something most, if not all American's have in common. Transportation, leisure, racing, work; these are all great uses of vehicles and frankly I don't see a viable replacement for them.