New Generation of Muscle Cars : )
#1
04-18-2009, 05:45 AM
New Generation of Muscle Cars : )
The New Generation of Muscle
Breaking down the latest generation of muscle cars coming out of Motown, and how they compare head to head.
By Tom Wilson of MSN Autos
Click picture to enlarge
and see Muscle Cars
Faster than bad news — and torquey fun to boot — the Camaro SS edges the affordable V8 crowd with outright performance and street-theater styling. Daily practicality takes a light hit, however.
Click picture to enlarge
and see Muscle Cars
Faster than bad news — and torquey fun to boot — the Camaro SS edges the affordable V8 crowd with outright performance and street-theater styling. Daily practicality takes a light hit, however.
It’s a shame that the only thing more powerful than a Detroit muscle-car war is a dud economy. But recession or no, with the introduction of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, all three of Detroit’s automakers once again have a performance coupe in the showroom, and we’ve been eagerly sorting out how they rank.
Same, but Different
Same, but Different
Often called pony cars because Ford’s Mustang started the segment way back in 1965, Detroit’s mass-appeal performance cars get their stuff from big engines in medium-size cars. Their other defining characteristic — affordability — comes from spreading cost over a three-tier range. At the entry level is always a smaller engine and softer suspension for daily driving comfort, reduced costs and bearable fuel economy. Today, such cars are V6-powered and, as always, generate approximately 60 percent of pony-car sales.
Next is the bread-and-butter V8 version, typically with a mildly warmed engine and enough style to tell the neighbors you didn’t buy the secretary’s car. Think Mustang GT or Camaro SS.
View Pictures: New Generation Muscle Cars
Topping the list are notably more expensive, limited-edition premium cars with fire-breathing engines and take-no-prisoners performance. These are the tire-smoking legends of supercharged fame. They get lots of attention in the press, but are more wheel spin than traction when it comes to the corporate bottom line. The two current examples are the Dodge Challenger SRT-8 and the just-released Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
Crooked Start
Next is the bread-and-butter V8 version, typically with a mildly warmed engine and enough style to tell the neighbors you didn’t buy the secretary’s car. Think Mustang GT or Camaro SS.
View Pictures: New Generation Muscle Cars
Topping the list are notably more expensive, limited-edition premium cars with fire-breathing engines and take-no-prisoners performance. These are the tire-smoking legends of supercharged fame. They get lots of attention in the press, but are more wheel spin than traction when it comes to the corporate bottom line. The two current examples are the Dodge Challenger SRT-8 and the just-released Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
Crooked Start
Purely by chance, the current pony-car crop doesn’t line up evenly at the bench-racing starting line.
At Chrysler, the Dodge Challenger is well-established with a base V6, mass-appeal 5.7-liter V8 R/T and limited-edition SRT-8 versions. But following Dodge tradition, the Challenger is aircraft-carrier huge, meaning its engines are burdened with a significant weight and aerodynamic drag penalty.
The Mustang’s base V6, the 4.6 V8-powered GT and spanking new supercharged Mustang Shelby GT500 also follow the classic “good-better-best” lineup. Here, the 4.0-liter V6 is showing a little age. The GT’s V8 is right at the heart of the market, while the newly upgraded GT500’s supercharged 5.4 V8 is a quest to best the Chevrolet’s all-new Camaro.
Chevy’s just-released Camaro delivers the base LS and LT V6 and performance-happy SS V8 models, but its highly anticipated Z28 flagship now appears stillborn. Developed and ready for production, the exciting Z28 is not likely to appear while General Motors is under such scrutiny that President Barack Obama is dictating who’ll run the company.
A V8 World — Usually
At Chrysler, the Dodge Challenger is well-established with a base V6, mass-appeal 5.7-liter V8 R/T and limited-edition SRT-8 versions. But following Dodge tradition, the Challenger is aircraft-carrier huge, meaning its engines are burdened with a significant weight and aerodynamic drag penalty.
The Mustang’s base V6, the 4.6 V8-powered GT and spanking new supercharged Mustang Shelby GT500 also follow the classic “good-better-best” lineup. Here, the 4.0-liter V6 is showing a little age. The GT’s V8 is right at the heart of the market, while the newly upgraded GT500’s supercharged 5.4 V8 is a quest to best the Chevrolet’s all-new Camaro.
Chevy’s just-released Camaro delivers the base LS and LT V6 and performance-happy SS V8 models, but its highly anticipated Z28 flagship now appears stillborn. Developed and ready for production, the exciting Z28 is not likely to appear while General Motors is under such scrutiny that President Barack Obama is dictating who’ll run the company.
A V8 World — Usually
Normally one could discount the entry-level V6 models as too mundane to matter in the pony-car segment. Such is definitely the case with Dodge’s anemic V6 Challenger. It’s simply too little engine in too much car. And while the Mustang V6 is well ahead of the 6-pot Challenger, it’s also not the stuff of legend. Certainly an adequate runabout, the 4.0-liter Ford is a bit of a buzzer by today’s standards.
Compare the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang
Then there is the 6-cylinder Camaro. A smoothly sophisticated, 7000-rpm wailer, the first-rung Camaro engine tests well, posting acceleration numbers and have-some-fun thrust more in line with a small V8. Its 29 mpg fuel economy is a major plus in a 304-horsepower engine, too. The downside is a lack of low-rpm heave for casual maneuvering while cruising this 3,700-plus-pound, 6-cylinder car. For the performance enthusiast, the $22,995 V6 Camaro is a close call, and many will learn to love it. But red-meat eaters won’t consider it, and rightly so in this torque-happy market segment.
Finally, we reach the heart of the comparison, the V8s. Let’s immediately set aside two of the heavyweights: the Shelby GT500 and the Camaro Z28. The Camaro is out for the simple reason it doesn’t exist. Too bad, as matching it up with the GT500 would be a clash of titans.
Discuss: What do you think of the modern-era muscle cars?
The 2010 Mustang GT500 is most definitely in production — we just drove it — and it’s amazingly good. Sporting a supercharged 4-valve double-overhead-cam 5.4-liter aluminum V8, the uber-Mustang bangs out the quarter mile in the mid-12 seconds at up to 115 mph. This is the stuff of big-block legends, but with a 22 mpg highway fuel-economy rating, quiet cockpit and grown-up sophistication. The only issue is price. Hovering in the high $40,000 range, the top-tier GT500 isn’t mainstream enough for our prime-time discussion.
Compare the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang
Then there is the 6-cylinder Camaro. A smoothly sophisticated, 7000-rpm wailer, the first-rung Camaro engine tests well, posting acceleration numbers and have-some-fun thrust more in line with a small V8. Its 29 mpg fuel economy is a major plus in a 304-horsepower engine, too. The downside is a lack of low-rpm heave for casual maneuvering while cruising this 3,700-plus-pound, 6-cylinder car. For the performance enthusiast, the $22,995 V6 Camaro is a close call, and many will learn to love it. But red-meat eaters won’t consider it, and rightly so in this torque-happy market segment.
Finally, we reach the heart of the comparison, the V8s. Let’s immediately set aside two of the heavyweights: the Shelby GT500 and the Camaro Z28. The Camaro is out for the simple reason it doesn’t exist. Too bad, as matching it up with the GT500 would be a clash of titans.
Discuss: What do you think of the modern-era muscle cars?
The 2010 Mustang GT500 is most definitely in production — we just drove it — and it’s amazingly good. Sporting a supercharged 4-valve double-overhead-cam 5.4-liter aluminum V8, the uber-Mustang bangs out the quarter mile in the mid-12 seconds at up to 115 mph. This is the stuff of big-block legends, but with a 22 mpg highway fuel-economy rating, quiet cockpit and grown-up sophistication. The only issue is price. Hovering in the high $40,000 range, the top-tier GT500 isn’t mainstream enough for our prime-time discussion.
Continued: Which One Has the Most Muscle?
- 1
Last edited by Space; 04-18-2009 at 05:57 AM.
#4
04-18-2009, 10:06 AM
I think most will agree the new Challenger is a hit for Mopar.
We FINALLY got some decent weather yesterday. So with the '06 Monte at the Chevy dealership for the OnStar battery replacement, I dug out three of the '57s. :0
Last evening we hit the first cruise-in of the season. I know we saw at least three new Challengers just driving by the crsuie-in. The black one sure was beautiful.
We FINALLY got some decent weather yesterday. So with the '06 Monte at the Chevy dealership for the OnStar battery replacement, I dug out three of the '57s. :0
Last evening we hit the first cruise-in of the season. I know we saw at least three new Challengers just driving by the crsuie-in. The black one sure was beautiful.
#5
04-18-2009, 07:06 PM
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Wauconda, IL
Posts: 13,335
I see the same new black Challenger driving around my neck of the woods. I guess I will see many more when car show season starts. I have a feeling my 03 Monte won't fend too well with all these new muscle cars in my class.
#7
04-18-2009, 10:37 PM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: over here
Posts: 2,810
the challenger looks nice on the side way, other than that if you looking from the back end i think it got too much body, too bulky looking. i like the camaro look better at any angles.
#8
04-18-2009, 11:41 PM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 5,611
I agree with silverbullitt -the Challenger photos really well and has good angles. But when I actually saw one straight from behind I thought it looked too narrow and top heavy.
Still my Chrysler product of choice
Still my Chrysler product of choice
#9
04-19-2009, 07:09 AM
The new muscle cars of today are in a whole different class than the muscle cars of the late 60s and early 70s. They were good straight line cars, but couldn't take a corner for beans.
You have given 2 cars in this list, and I'm a GM guy. But I've also had 2 Rustangs in my time, a red '66 GT and a '67 coupe. The Mustangs of today are where the Challenger and Camaros only WISH they were at. The 700+ HP Shelbys and the new factory Cobra Jets are "king of the Hill", as sad as it is for the other 2 of the big 3. And don't forget the Rousch cars!
Yes, GM has the new ZR1 and the Z06s, but you can buy 2 Shelbys for the price of 1 Zr1. I got to say, the current street muscle car is DOMINATED by the Ford Mustang, as much as that hurts. The Challenger has lots of bolt on performance parts, but until someone like Carroll Shelby steps up to the plate and offers turn key 500-700 HP cars at a factory dealership, as Ford does, right now the Shelby Mustang, and the ford factory Cobra Jet Mustangs are THE muscle car of the minute.
Chrysler has competed with their versin of the Challenger with the Drag Pack.
And GM with the Camaro is a day late and a dollar short, AGAIN, just as they were in the '60s! I just don't think you are going to see the kind of performance from the Camaros that you do from the Mustangs, at least for the same price tag. Is Berger going to put out a 500-700 HP Camaro for the same price as the 500-700 HP Shelbys? Maybe Tom Henry? How about some of the other companies? Those are the only 2 that I am aware of that have plans to modify cars, and those are obly customers cars to their spec's. Everything I've seen is up there in price with the Corvettes, and that's just not in the same class. They can't sell cars at those prices, at least not to the general public. One of a kind cars. Not where you can walk in, lay down the cash, and drive off with 500 HP under your right foot.
Come on Tom Henry and Berger Chevrolet, let's see those blown LS7 Camaros and "LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"
You have given 2 cars in this list, and I'm a GM guy. But I've also had 2 Rustangs in my time, a red '66 GT and a '67 coupe. The Mustangs of today are where the Challenger and Camaros only WISH they were at. The 700+ HP Shelbys and the new factory Cobra Jets are "king of the Hill", as sad as it is for the other 2 of the big 3. And don't forget the Rousch cars!
Yes, GM has the new ZR1 and the Z06s, but you can buy 2 Shelbys for the price of 1 Zr1. I got to say, the current street muscle car is DOMINATED by the Ford Mustang, as much as that hurts. The Challenger has lots of bolt on performance parts, but until someone like Carroll Shelby steps up to the plate and offers turn key 500-700 HP cars at a factory dealership, as Ford does, right now the Shelby Mustang, and the ford factory Cobra Jet Mustangs are THE muscle car of the minute.
Chrysler has competed with their versin of the Challenger with the Drag Pack.
And GM with the Camaro is a day late and a dollar short, AGAIN, just as they were in the '60s! I just don't think you are going to see the kind of performance from the Camaros that you do from the Mustangs, at least for the same price tag. Is Berger going to put out a 500-700 HP Camaro for the same price as the 500-700 HP Shelbys? Maybe Tom Henry? How about some of the other companies? Those are the only 2 that I am aware of that have plans to modify cars, and those are obly customers cars to their spec's. Everything I've seen is up there in price with the Corvettes, and that's just not in the same class. They can't sell cars at those prices, at least not to the general public. One of a kind cars. Not where you can walk in, lay down the cash, and drive off with 500 HP under your right foot.
Come on Tom Henry and Berger Chevrolet, let's see those blown LS7 Camaros and "LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"
#10
04-19-2009, 07:30 AM
Of course there is another muscle car company out there right now that is dropping in twin turbo LS7s into cars, and making 1,000+ HP with them. Thee have even put one of these in a Solstice! Here is a link to a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H4b8...eature=related
Mallett is probably the King of the conversion car industry right now, although there are a few others. But none of this is cheap. Now you're talking a 6 digit car. But STILL less than a ZR1, with MORE HP! Unless you want your ZR1 done by Mallett! Can we say $$$,$$$?
GO MALLETT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H4b8...eature=related
Mallett is probably the King of the conversion car industry right now, although there are a few others. But none of this is cheap. Now you're talking a 6 digit car. But STILL less than a ZR1, with MORE HP! Unless you want your ZR1 done by Mallett! Can we say $$$,$$$?
GO MALLETT!