The Best in Modern American Muscle Cars
What makes the powerful American muscle car so strong today is the fact you can get them for a fraction of what a luxury car is priced.
While some say the world is dominated by the German and Japanese cars, when it comes to muscle cars the US started the trend and has some of the biggest muscle car fans.
There are some powerful and affordable American cars out there, especially modern American muscle cars. But what makes these American muscle cars 1) affordable for the guy with a mortgage and 2) is loud and scary fast too?
Before we go there, what do modern American muscle cars need to be considered important? American muscle cars of quality should have some “amp” to them, roar loud like the corvette, and be 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 has always been in the running for American modern muscle cars, but newer additions like the highly rated Cadillac CTS-V and the Chrysler 300 Hemi are definitely to be considered too.
In terms of the most affordable American muscle cars, there are still some options if you want to race a bit over the speed limit. These three have varying price ranges, but are high value for what you get.
Let’s consider the Cadillac CTS-V. The pros here are the modern muscle cars’ incredible power. 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, if you could call it a con, is the basic seats and the price tag, nw at $60,000.
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.
Finally, we have the Pontiac GTO, the car that started it all. The story behind this classic is interesting. A car designer, sick of driving boring vehicles from work to home, put a big engine into one of his smaller cars. And the muscle car was created. Throughout its history, the Pontiac GTO has been top 5 in American muscles cars; 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. The GTO does have a shaky production run started and stopped over the years, but the price is right here, with most used models being sold for fractions of the stated value.
The most important American muscle car is? It’s a tough call. 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, but since it has the most storied history, the Pontiac GTO is the most important modern muscle car.
Mike Stone used to sell muscle cars in the auto state of Michigan, but now he just writes about them for Streetside Auto.com. He can’t get enough of the sound, power, and look of today modern American muscle cars.
Tags: american muscle cars, automobiles, Cars, muscle cars, streetside auto
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