What do you think it takes to build a muscle car? Is this torque ft/pound? Horsepower? Is the picture clear? The noise and debris around muscle cars can be a bit disconcerting when a new model hits the market, but the "tried and true" dream car has proven its power and performance year after year and decade after decade. American, European and Asian cars are loved by different segments of muscle car enthusiasts for different reasons.
When you think of American muscle cars, several cars immediately come to mind: Corvettes, Camaros from the late 1960s to 1970s, Mustangs, and AMC Javelins. Car lovers can also mention the Charger and Challenger, Chevelle and Gran Torino. What you have is a short list. The entire list of American muscle cars goes for miles. All these cars have one thing in common... performance over the years. They all have good PR for it. Except for the copy. AMC doesn't know how to sell the car.
Mike Savage New Canaan
If you want to talk about European muscle cars, you have: BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Opel, Maserati, and Fiat, to name a few of the bigger ones. Many people outside of Europe are a little confused when they hear about Opel, but all they have to do is register for a race to earn some goodwill. All of these companies perfected and marketed their cars before World War II. The Asian automaker has long been involved in Formula 1 and Monte Carlo racing, but has only gained widespread recognition in recent years. They are noted for their four-cylinder nitrogen-based properties. This leads to a discussion about whether they are muscle cars or not. Personally, I've never had much respect for them other than their gas mileage. With the right equipment, you can lean your back against the chair.
But what makes these cars a muscle car? When you think about muscle mass, do you break it down into inventory and modification, or do you include full build? A case can be made for all of this. In the minds of most people, a muscle car is a car that is based on the original manufacturer's engine, front, and drive mechanism. Just adding a new Edlebrock intake doesn't make a muscle car either. There should be significant changes in torque, horsepower, quarter time and top end.
