My rules for a muscle car...Has to have a V8 at least, F/I V6s maybe on a case to case basis. Has to be RWD...calling a FWD car a muscle car is just slaughtering the word. It has to be "big." Anything Z3 or Miata or Solstice size cannot be considered a muscle car, those are sports cars.

That's basically it for me...all the original muscle cars were considered to be 4-doors, RWD with big engines. The basic formula is still there for me, just the # of doors has changed.

 

A muscle car is any car that's not an overt sports car but can still embarass most cars at a stoplight.

E55,S600
GTO
M3,M5
Charger,300 Hemi and SRT
You could even throw in the FWD V8 stuff from GM.

 

very good point. thats what i was trying to find out. could these cars that have just as much purpose as performance be what the our old big block monsters have evolved to?

 

That's because they've been fed for years GM sucks, by the pond scum, in the press! So many, have been conditioned to believe a lie. Some ppl are being led like sheep, by an elite bunch of thugs, who laugh behind our backs, while they secretly ( and sometimes not) call us morons! I'd take one too! But then I'm not a sheep, I can make up my own mind!

 

I think 4 door "muscle" cars are not the general taste of drivers. Dont get me wrong, I think each car maker should have one to capture that share of the market ... but with the impala getting 300 ponies, I wouldnt worry about the next camaro getting more than 2 doors.
This is a very exciting time to be a car person. The next camaro in (possibly) 08, the solstice rumored to get forced induction, the rumored return of the grand national that is rupposed to be AWD, the redesigned GTO in 08,if youre a fan of solid rear axle, the new cobra and even distant talk of an el camino return.

With so many great choices, I dont know what to spend my money on!

 

I was always under the impression that a Muscle car was along hte lines of the original GTO, an intermediate car with a large car's motor. A pony car was a small car with an intermediate or large car's motor. It seems to me that calling the charger a Muscle car in it's current incarnation would only work if there were a larger car. As it is, its the biggest, and therefore a sport sedan.

 

I'm one of the ones who WANT a 4-door. To bring some replies together -- yes when I think of a "muscle car" I think of the larger cars with LARGE engines in them. The Mustang and Early Camaros were the smaller "pony cars" and were the "tuners" of their day. Remember Carroll Shelby said "But it's a SECRETARIES car" when asked to do a performance version of the Mustang.

If I'm going to buy a Charger it is going to be a "daily driver". I'm not going to spend $25-30k for a toy. I'll still have my IROC for nice days. Being in my 30's, married with 3 kids 4 and under I need that large back seat. With a set of twins I need to fit three in the back and the seats fel unsafe in my Accord squeezing them in.

Yes my wife has the minivan but there are times when I need to drive them which means I need the space. I'd like to get the power / handling, and "feel" of something like the Charger, and I'm sorry but the GXP does nothing for me. Yes the GTO is *nice* but I need something I can get the three kids in and out of. I don't want an "overcompensating" SUV, I want a sporty sedan.

I don't care if you call it a "muscle" car or not. I just know when my Honda dies my first visit will be to the Dodge dealer unless there are others in it's class. If you want a 2-door Charger just wait -- you'll get your Challenger shortly.

 

4- Door Car Classification (My idea of)
RWD with a V8 producing 295 HP or more, it should be called a muscle sedan
RWD with a V6 supercharged, it should be called a sports sedan
RWD with just a V6 its labeled a luxury sedan
FWD and has a V8 or a supercharged V6 its a sports sedan
FWD with a V6 its just a sedan
If its an import its an import, even if its rear wheel drive with a supercharged 502 rat motor.
AWD cars can be rally cars

2- Door Car Classification
RWD with V8 producing 275 HP or more, Muscle car
RWD with Supercharged V6 with over 250 HP, Sports Car
FWD with V8 producing 275 HP or more, Sports Car
FWD with V6 stuck under 250 HP, Car
RWD with V6 under 250 HP, Mini-Sports Car
All unmentioned cars are just cars, AWD can be rally cars or something

 

Check out this months comparo between Magnum SRT* and the AMG wagon and tell me they are not muscle cars.

 

Yay apathetic slackers!

 

Gawd I hope not....

 

Gen-X's are like what.. 30something now? Those teenage slackers have jobs now..

 

I would call a Muscle car something thats stripped w/ a lot of power, and usually got a grueling voice to it that demands attention. the Corvette would be a luxuary sports/coupe, XLR is a Ultra Luxuary sports/coupe, GTO is a Sports car, F-bodies were Muscle, F-bodies had mild interior, i think this is one of the qualitys to a muscle car, lackluster everything except power.

 

born 1964-1980... so 25-40 now

 

22k is a little high in my book for a kid. You are talking a 400 a month car payment before insurance. When I was a kid I paid more for insurance then I did my car payment and the car was brand new! 16k tops and I bet the souped up civic crowd would start to migrate.