Muscle Cars

The Latest Versions Still Impress

Ever since Ford dazzled us with the first "muscle car" in 1964 in the form of the Mustang, America has been in love.
Just about everyone has a favorite classic muscle car
. Yours might be the 1963 Dodge Dart 426 Max Wedge 426 Hemi, 1972 Buick GSX or the Australian 1973 XA Falcon GS Ute 302.
With the surprising performance that these cars offered, the Ford Mustang became the top selling car for many of the years during its "performance era." Times would seem to be very different, though, and there are many factors that would seem to dampen the muscle car's popularity. Government rules and high gas prices would seem to cause a thumbs down on all that horsepower. But these horses can't be corralled and the muscle car still flies off the showroom floor, especially to the new generation. And for them, there is a new generation of muscle cars hitting the dealer lots.
Cadillac CTS-V
This high performance Cadillac makes an impressive introduction to the muscle car ring. While the Cadillac name may not exactly historically call for performance, the CTS-V delivers with power, top notch handling and a spacious cabin. Delivering 400 horses of power with a 6.0 liter V8 and 395 pound feet of torque, this baby sits you in a stylish car with a surprisingly low and very pleasing performance.
Pontiac GTO
GM finally brought back the "Goat", much to the delight of muscle car enthusiasts. One of the original muscle cars, the GTO was introduced in 1964 and ran through the 1974 production year. Pontiac wanted to keep the awesome power of the GTO without making you sell your house. With a 6.0 liter LS2 V8 under the hood offering 400 horses, the new breed of GTO ran from 2004 to 2006. But, this is one car that can't be held down and just has to emerge again in the future.
Infiniti G35
A good example of the new breed of muscle cars, the Infinity G35 offers sleek styling, great performance and top notch handling. Sporting a powerful 3.5 liter V6, 306 horses strong, you will be driving the old school muscle car style combined with the newer, technological plusses of the 21st century. With this car, performance is its strong suit. It offers great handling and a very satisfying, "beauty meets beastly power" look and feel.
Lexus IS 350
Another sprightly muscle car with high performance, the Lexus IS 350 offers 306 horsepower with its powerful V6. Its advanced safety technology give it an edge over some of the other high performance cars at the dealers. While you probably equate the Lexus name with luxury, the IS 350 puts out top performance as well.
Ford Mustang
You can't say muscle car without mentioning the Ford Mustang. The grand daddy muscle car, this pony with horsepower has seen some big changes over the past twenty years. The modern Mustang, though, still packs a powerful punch with a wicked performance V8 version with 300 horses galloping under the hood in the GT version. The retro curves will take the old timers back and spark an interest in new enthusiasts just discovering this classic to a new love.
There are many other muscle cars that could fit on this list and make a good showing against their high performance cousins. Take some time to study the latest muscle cars and find the performance package that turns you on. Performance, design and power make a muscle car, but you need one in your garage to really appreciate it.