Loading ...What makes a quality American muscle car today? How about an affordable classic muscle car which keeps on giving you goosebumps?
The car world is dominated by German and Japanese made cars. That’s not a bad thing, but real American engines are still around. You just have to look for them.
There are some powerful and unique American cars available, especially modern American muscle cars. But what makes these American muscle cars 1) affordable for the common car fan and 2) loud and fast to boot?
First, some history on the modern muscle car, as that will lead us to the best in American muscle cars. An American muscle car of quality should have some “amp” to it, be loud like the corvette and fast, going from 0-60 in no time.
Originally, the vintage cars we now call muscle cars were just V-8 engines with a paint job. You put a big engine in a small car. The movement for classic muscle cars drew definite interest from car makers, and we’ve seen new lines rise, fall, and rise again (like the Pontiac GTO).
The Pontiac GTO was the first muscle car, but today we also have the Cadillac CTS-V and the Chrysler 300 Hemi.
In terms of the very best modern American muscle car, there are still some options if you want to race a bit over the speed limit. But the best 3 may have just been mentioned.
The Chrysler 300 Hemi is a horsepower machine made from the old school with its big grille, but the engine and price are the real stories for this baby. She clocks in around 5 to 5.5 in 0-60 with her 340+ horsepower, and is one of the more affordable American modern muscle cars available, starting at about $23,000.
Next, let’s talk about the Cadillac CTS-V. The pros here are the incredible horsepower, the very best in modern American muscle cars. It’s got a supercharged 6.2 V8 engine, with some incredible horsepower numbers pushing 550. And you can go 0-60 in 4.3. The only clear con to this modern American muscle is the price tag, pushing $60,000.
Next on the list would be the Pontiac GTO, the car that started it all. Again, story was a car designer, sick of driving family sedans from work to home, decided to put a big engine into one of his smaller cars. Hence, we have the creation of the muscle car. Throughout its history, the Pontiac GTO has been top 5 in American muscles cars. And the modern Pontiac GTOs are no exception. It actually has some non-American flavor to it, but an American engine with 400 and up horsepower. While changing sometimes in horsepower, and a bad production run started and stopped over the years, the price is right here, with most models being sold for fractions of the stated value.
You’ve seen the prices of modern American muscle cars. You might cross out the Cadillac CTS-V, but it’s likely the best car here. For history, the GTO might get it. For sheer power, the winner is the Cadillac CTS. For a combination of price and power, you’ve got the Chrysler 300 Hemi. It’s almost a draw. For modern muscle cars, with the price and power just right, the Chrysler 300 Hemi is the winner.
Mike Stone is a freelance writer who specializes in modern American muscle cars and enjoys writing articles for Streetside Auto.com.
categories: american muscle cars,streetside auto,automobiles,muscle cars
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