It is true that C++ provides programming constructs those consume more CPU cycles than it would when done without higher level of abstractions. But, hey, that’s the cost of abstractions, why pay when they are not needed?

Stop laying out your C++ design like Java. Avoid inheritance when possible. Don’t make every member function and destructor virtual without really thinking. They not only increase your run time overhead, they boost the complexity (read coupling) of your code like nothing else.

C++ does every C-style stuff the same way as C does. Not to mention it is capable of more compile time computation than C. I just fail to see how C++ could be slower than C in run time, seriously.