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In the 70's the muscle car era was put to an abrupt end because of high gas prices and stiff government regulation.

So, we have had years since then of good gas pricing and then just when we have all this stuff happening in the east, and we get uncertain gas pricing (well we know its only going to go up) and then BAM, another muscle car era.

It's obviously going to come to en end soon... is the timing just a coincidence?

Darth Xed

Most people who are dropping the $ on a new muscle car, or even a large SUV don't care about gas prices today.

I don't think gas prices mattersa whole lot unless we get to $4.00 per gallon or so.

Gold_Rush

We'll probably see the end of the large SUV's before the muscle cars imo. You can hardly blame them when 6sp LsX powered GTO's and camaro's are getting 28-30mpg on the highway and around 18-19 in city. A sub-24mpg average, which is pretty good for that level of performance. Compare that to my 4.0L Heep that gets 20mpg on the highway on a good day .

The ultra-limited versions like the 03/04 Cobra's, GT-500's, and SRT-8's aren't as fuel efficient, but they're built in relatively small volumes and make up small percentages of total sales.

A lot of todays high-performance cars are relatively economical and run clean. If we experience a serious gas crunch, i think most of them will stick around with larger vehicles like SUV's taking the largest hit.

So i'm hoping it never ends. Wishful thinking probably.

Btw: I think the 70's were hit hardest because the cars of the 60's were very un-economical. Big, heavy cars with big engines and 60's tech. You get the picture. We've come a long ways, and so i hope we won't see a repeat or such a desperate attempt anytime soon.

Z28x

Large SUVs will save Muscle cars this time around. Combared to a Tahoe, a 300C or GXP or Mustang gets awesome milage. I can see more people going to V8 cars and sport wagons because of the powerfull engines and fuel savings.

GM needs to drop that DoD LS4 into as many cars as they can!! (hopfully RWD cars )

stereomandan

Yeah, the difference is that our new muscle cars are like Hybrids compared to the gas milage of the old muscle cars. The 400 HP LS2 is just amazing to me, the gas milage it gets.

Dan

Threxx

Once DOD, hybrid electric systems, infinitely variable valve timing, and CVT/IVT become more standardized and mainstream I'd tend to guess there will be almost nothing stopping a musclecar era anymore.

We'll be at an age where giant displacement and super aggressive gearing can be used one moment and the next you can be sipping gas like a econo car with grandma driving.

MadKilla

Remember it was also a time of gas shortages. There shouldn't be any lines that go on for miles to get gas. Also, compared with Americans current income and inflation, gas is not really all that bad.

jg95z28

Actually the government emissions regulations came a few years before the gas shortages and price gouging.

If memory serves I believe you could still buy gas for under 25¢ a gallon in 1973... which is typically the date used to signify the end of the musclecar era.

I remember this because my parents still drove their 70 Chevy stationwagon all the way up to 1979, when they finally felt a need to replace with an economy car because of gas prices.

guesswhoo

Not to mention throttle by wire. Which the LS_ series has had for how long? Thats where the great MPG's come from for the most part. Aside from having a 6 speed.