http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...d_more_feature

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

2009 Dodge Challenger

2010 Ford Mustang

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

2009 Nissan 370Z

 

No. The Mustang is for sure. The Camaro and the Challenger maybe due to size I would almost consider them muscle cars. The Genesis doesn't really fit any category and the G37 is a luxury sport compact.

 

Ironically, the Camaro Team seemed to want to back away from any "PonyCar" nomenclature for the Camaro, while at Indy this year.

Too bad...

 

Isn't the Nissan a 2-seater?

 

Here's Wikipedia's definition of a Pony Car.



The pony car is a class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964. It describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image.

 

Too bad for Ford they don't have that new 3.7L V6 and 5.0L V8 in the 2010 Mustang. I'm sure it will get bashed for having a bigger V6 with almost 100HP less than the competition and a V8 putting out now V6 HP numbers.

LNF would be a cool edition for the Camaro.

 

Yep, but it sure would sweat lugging that big car around.

 

Yes, but so was the AMX. I would consider the AMX to be a pony car, and not a muscle car from it's era.

Hey guys, who wants to go for a spin in my Pony Car? Woot Woot!

When's the last time anyone ever referred to one in real life like that? Never? Possibly why this thread should be deleted and this subject never brought forth again.

I refer to my '69 as the Hot Rod, and no one has wanted to debate the semantics of it all with me yet.

Now, if you don't mind, I'll be resting on my davenport....er, couch, er sofa.

 

Same here with my '67 plain Jane Camaro... I call it the Hot Rod.

 

I had a conversation with my father in law about the difference between pony cars and muscle cars a couple months ago. Here's what he told me:

A "Muscle Car" was, in the 60's and 70's, a large American family sedan with a big block engine. If you were driving a Chevelle SS 350, you told your friends it was your mom's car, lest they think you were a pansy for not getting the 454.

So, I asked him what he thought of when you say "Modern Muscle". He admits that the big block is all but dead today, and accepts the most powerful motor available for a given car, assuming sporting intentions. Therefore, things like the SRT-4 (the Neon, not the Caliber; remember that we're talking about muscle cars) and Cobalt SS get included, as well as things you'd think of more readily: Charger SRT8, 300C SRT8, G8 GXP, etc.

Then I asked him about the American part. Shouldn't something like an S63 AMG be considered modern muscle? He couldn't be swayed to include foreign cars, no matter how well they meet the other criteria.

Then we talked about pony cars. He said that in his day, that was the Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, and AMX. Nothing else. To him, a pony car has to be a small car with RWD and a V8. Today's Challenger is too big, the 370Z has no back seat and no V8, and the Genesis has no V8, leaving just Mustang and Camaro to hold that title.

Having said that, I'm looking forward to reading this comparison, because I think a lot of people will cross-shop those cars, regardless of the technicalities people want to impose on their classification.

 

Here's how I see the ponycar breakdown:


2010 Chevrolet Camaro: Too large and too heavy to be called a ponycar.

2009 Dodge Challenger: MUCH too large and too heavy to be called a ponycar.

2010 Ford Mustang: Abit large but not too heavy. Okay we'll call Mustang a ponycar.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe: Perfect size and weight. But no available V8. Nope.

2009 Nissan 370Z: A two seater. This is a sportscar not a ponycar.


Nevertheless, I agree that ALL of these cars will be cross-shopped.

 

This isn't the 1960's. I don't believe it would be proper to call ANY of these cars "Pony" cars.

Let's be original and come up with a new moniker. A new "21st" century name.

I think something like: "Power Sport" or I might even go so far as to call these automobiles "Super Sports".

Or how about "Sports Yuppy"?

 

Welcome to 1993.

Car and Driver comparison review of the new 4th gen F-bodies with a then current Mustang.

Referred to 'em as "War Horses".



And Charlie... you know what I think.

 

Why not?

 

The Camaro hasn't been a Pony car since 1969 ever seen the curb weight on a 2nd gen?