Some people refuse to believe that most of today's performance cars would simply bury typical performance cars from the so-called "Muscle Car" era.

Typical Muscle cars back then accelerated about as hard as the current Thunderbird (around 7 seconds, give or take). Some of the more rare engines were very quick, but typically cost as much as a base version of the donor car, and were made in such rare quanity that finding them is alot like finding Elvis and Bigfoot. By today's standards, an Impala SS with top power should cost around $40,000.



Has anyone stopped to think about the cars available on the market today or coming on line within the next year or so? We have cars) and trucks that are simply off the charts in performance & price compared to the good old days! The very vehicles that we take for granted or call slow today.

Consider:

The '06 V8 Impala SS
Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
Cobalt SS
SRT-4
Ram SRT-10
Mustang GT
Mustang Shelby Cobra
Ford Adrinlin
Chrysler 300C & SRT8
Magnum Hemi & SRT8
Chgarger RT, Daytona, & SRT8
CTSV
STSV
XLRV
Malibu & Maxx SS

All are much quicker in comparison to muscle cars of the 60s.

And to think, this is only straching the surface.

 

Yup. I've thought about that several times. Hopefully we don't hit another 1973, though.

 

What is a ford adrinlin? I've never heard of it.

 

I've thought about that fact many times.

 

No C6, GTO, or Viper on the list ?

 

Yeah i think the same thing about 5 times a day how bad it would be to go back intime with are new cars and run the older cars.I just hope the gas thing doesnt happen again so all we need to do it get rid of all the gas hogin suvs

 

No, because it's not in some ways. Yes, performance is great today, but it was great back then for the time also just the same. You can't compare 40 years of advancements to then really. Today there's not enough excitement or variey or even affordable prices like there was then. Not enough competitors or bargain performance, not enough flash. Not to mention a coupe market that's currently too little to be the biggest and most exciting thing out there like it was before. Today it's good numbers-wise and such, but the best overall? Never, not yet anyway.

 

And yet not ONE that I would or even if I did like them, could afford to own......not one.

 

Well note that he said performance car era. And you can only base that on...performance. And honestly I have to disagree with the afforability thing. While you can't go in and find many true performers under 20k brand new but there are plenty of things that are easily affordable to be found on the used car lot.

And I've been saying exactly this for a while. We are in a really good place for performance. All of the big three American automakers either have some hellishly fast vehicles out and they have more coming.
SVT,SRT, and SS those are initials whenever people my age(mid 20s) hit their 50s will be very fondly remembered. I used to listen to my uncle and my dad's friends talking about their cars and how fast they were and about how cool they were. I used to wonder if I'd ever experience anything like that and thankfully the answer is yes. But unlike them I won't be referring to my car in past tense and regret I ever got rid of it. Whatever I buy in the next couple of years I'm keeping no matter what. So that way my son won't have to just listen to me talking about days past...he'll be able to experience it first hand.

 

Can't afford a Malibu or Cobalt SS? The prices seems within reason to me.

 

You can't afford a 20k SRT-4, Ion Redline, or SS Cobalt?

 

Ironically, we are also living in the age of the dullest cars ever.

 

Doug, and I, can't afford the ones we want ...like a new Z06.

I'm working on my wife to "want" a Trailblazer SS next spring. Then we should be set until the next Camaro comes out.

 

yea, i don't want a modded economy car i'd rather have a sports car. *sigh*

 

I feel there's greater variety today from a performance standpoint, unless you are limiting things to coupe. In that instance, I'd have to agree. If a GTO, Mustang, or a G35 coupe don't do it for ya, it's probally not going to get done.

But taking into account 40 years of advancements, we are still in a golden age of performance. Examples?

GTO:
*Top performance typically model cost twice as much as a well equpted Tempest or an entry level Corvette. Todays model is 25% cheaper than a Vette and about 15% over the average new car sold today.
*Old GTOs typically got 10mpg or less. Today's get 25 mpg or more.
*Old GTOs had no more than about 300-325hp stock by today's SAE measurements with a 400 ci V8. Todays has 400 from 368 ci.
*Old GTOs top out at around 130mph max on a good day downhill. Today's GTO is governed to 155.

More evidence of advancements?

Consider a SRT4 and a Chevy Cobalt SS both can give a serious smackdown to any stock muscle car, yet is priced where it can be bought by virturally anyone who wants one. No restrictions & so surcharges, and both can also corner and stop....really really well.

Still not convinced?

By 1960s standards, the new Mustang GT has roughly 420+ horsepower out of just 281 cubic inches. Ditto the LS3 that's going to be powering the front wheels of next year's Impala SS and Grand Prix GTP. By 1960s standards, the new LS2 GTO is churning out well in excess of 520 gross horsepower.

Going from 0-60 in under 6 seconds is always going to be hellishly quick. The problem now is that there's so many cars doing this (as opposed to the 60s when everything else seemed to run 9-10 seconds to 60mph), that it's not impressive anymore.

True, today's cars are invisible next to a 60s muscle car, but cars of that era were also invisible in their time as well. Especially when you consider that back then you had far fewer models selling in far greater numbers than cars today.