First, I want to make a distinction between muscle cars and pony cars. Muscle cars are mid to full size (two door) vehicles with a massive V8 engine, strong transmission, and a heavy duty rear end. They are are made for going fast in a straight line. Pony cars are smaller cars that can be performance oriented, they also tend to handle better. A 1968 Dodge Charger R/T is a muscle car, a 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 is a pony car. Technically the 1964 Barracuda was the first pony car but since the 1964 Mustang was so popular it took that title and made the name, pony car, for this genre of vehicles. In 1970 the Challenger was a little late to the pony car party but still made an impression seen today.
Everybody calls the Challenger, Mustang, and Camaro muscle cars today. I will follow suit and still call them that as to not throw anybody off, but just know they were originally pony cars in the past.
Now that the "I know better than you" comments are done with we can get into the cool stuff. Big. Fat. V8 engines.
Horsepower runs rampant in the world. I love it. America is no exception. Just a few days ago the Tesla Model S P90D came out with 762 horsepower! A Cadillac can be bought with a 640 horsepower Corvette engine. Oh yes times are good.
Look at the big three muscle cars of our time, super-muscle cars if you will. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat, the deal of the decade (sorry GT-R). For $60,000 you get 707 horsepower and has a top speed of 199 mph. The Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R has a flat plane crank V8 that revs to 8200rpm same as a 2nd gen Honda S2000. The Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 has one of the largest production engines ever in a car, a big block 7.0 liter out of a C6 Z06 Corvette.
All three of these cars represent America in their own way (and all look like some people here).
The Hellcat Challenger, I remember hearing about how it was going to have around 600 horsepower. The day the official figures came out, I shit you not, I nearly shed a tear. It was a glorious day, the hefty Challenger was always being outrun by more nimble cars, now it had the power to conquer. It sure is a heavy car, weighing in at 4450 lbs. If Dodge could put it on Nutri-system it would be an even better performer. This car can turn corners, but it doesn't have the fancy magnetic shocks that the other cars have. I will argue it is a track car but for a different kind of track, a drag strip. With slicks it will run a 1/4 mile in 10.8 seconds according to the NHRA and Chrysler. Without, Chrysler says it stays in the low 11 second range. Motor Trend pegs it at 11.7 with the 8 speed automatic. The Challenger can also be had with a lovely Tremec six speed out of the Viper.
The Challenger is also extremely vintage. This vehicle looks much like the original Challenger. The center console and automatic shift handle design are very similar. Dodge even gives you retro colors like B5 blue, Torred, and Sublime green. The legendary HEMI also maintains its original HEMI orange color we love so much. That transmission also has a very cool and vintage name, called Torqueflite. It dates back to the late 50s when Chrysler first came out with heavy duty transmissions. Their best automatic transmission they had to offer back in the day was the 727 Torqueflite three speed. It was a sturdy, capable, aluminum cased unit. You could hook them up to a 440 or the 426, it could take it all the power.
Compared to the Ford and the Chevy the big Dodge looks more reserved. It doesn't have any crazy chin splitters or big wings. Its got a chiseled jaw. Its like Clint Eastwood, look at that glare you would not want to mess with him. Its a classic design that will always look great. Even though the exterior may seem minimal the car is all about excess. Its a massive car that can run with the best of them. Its got a 6.2 liter V8 with a supercharger. That supercharger is 2.4 liters (the size of their largest engine you can get in the Dart) and screams a high pitched melody. Tires are the enemy, fuel is it's Gatorade.
Where the Challenger shows Americas flexed muscles the GT350R is the brave new idea. It's V8 is very unusual to find under the hood of a muscle car. Its got a flat plane crack that takes away the classic burble. The Ford is a screamer, the new crank allows it to rev higher because of how well its balanced. All the way to 8200 rpm the Mustangs howls like a wild animal. The engine even has a cool name, Voodoo. Its the smallest of the three but makes the second most horsepower, 5.2 liters and 526 horsepower.
Have you noticed those wheels? Oh yes, those are made from carbon fiber to cut down on un-sprung weight. It also has a six speed Tremec gear box but one that is all new to Ford, its a lighter alternative to the Hellcat's box. This car is all about the race track, the name is comes from Carroll Shelby's first Mustang racers that had the high revving 289 and a close ratio 4 speed. This new Shelby like the old has no back seat. This Mustang easily creams the Boss 302 Laguna Seca. The independent rear suspension and clear power advantage is the culprit. It can match the Challenger's 0-60 at 3.7 seconds but performance trails from there (compared to the Challenger, its still brilliant), the 1/4 mile is dealt with in the low 12s.
Out of the three cars, this looks the most sinister. It has that psychotic enraged smile on its face. Almost like the Joker. When I saw it i thought of Johnny Tran from The Fast and The Furious right when he hit the NOS and smoked Jesse's VW. It looks nice and evil, the perfect car for Halloween.
The last car on this list is the Camaro Z/28. It may seem like somewhat of an underdog. Its actually just a great collection of all the best bits of Chevy. The suspension is from the CTS-V and Corvette. The engine is the LS7 from the Z06. The chassis is from the Chevy branch in Australia. The wheels are only available on the Z/28 and are wrapped in massive tires, 305 mm in all four corners. Once again this is a focused track car.
I love that you can get it without a radio or A/C! Such an old school muscle car move. It rockets to 60 in 4.0 seconds and runs the 1/4 mile in low 12s as well (12.3). Lets talk about the power plant though. That 427 cubic inch lump is special. Its hand built by Chevrolet. It has dry sump oiling and revs to 7000 rpm. This is an old school V8, OHV (over head valve) power! Good old pushrods and 16 valves doing what they do best. Its all naturally aspirated making 505 horsepower and 480 lb ft of torque. That power is instant and carries through the entire rev range.
Stopping is another thing this car can do exquisitely. Stopping from 60 takes only 97 feet. That is right up there with Corvettes and 911s. You pay a pretty penny for all of this too, it starts at $72,000. Think of it as an investment, the Z/28 is only around for 2 years and only a couple thousand will be made. This is the last hurrah for the final year of this body style before the 2016 comes and changes everything. Its a tribute to the last generation of GM performance cars the last Camaro, the Z06, and the manual CTS-V. Their greatest hits album.
America can stand proud knowing that these cars are safe and sound laying down burnouts across the land. These cars are meant for fun, they were built by car guys for car guys. Anytime I see any of these the hair on my neck stands on end. V8s rule and always will, muscle cars are here to stay.
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