What is a Muscle car?
Discussion
Youre right in your definition.
A Viper etc isn't a muscle car in the original sense, but, like most things 40 odd years on, terminology gets bastardised over the years.
But, I'd venture to say the muscle car wars are back with the newer retro styled Mustangs, and new retro styled Challenger and Camaro about to hit the streets with proper high horse engines.......
A Viper etc isn't a muscle car in the original sense, but, like most things 40 odd years on, terminology gets bastardised over the years.
But, I'd venture to say the muscle car wars are back with the newer retro styled Mustangs, and new retro styled Challenger and Camaro about to hit the streets with proper high horse engines.......
IMHO: Muscle car: Mid-size* 60's saloon (2 door preferably) with Hi-Po V8
The Mustang coined the phrase 'Pony' cars (not Cockney rhyming slang, thank you). Small* coupe with long bonnet, short boot. eg Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, Cuda, Javelin.
The Mustang coined the phrase 'Pony' cars (not Cockney rhyming slang, thank you). Small* coupe with long bonnet, short boot. eg Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, Cuda, Javelin.
- by American standards
Edited by Motown Junk on Thursday 20th December 12:04
I think the term has become diluted over time.
It seems anything with a V8 is casually considered a Muscle car now.
When people refer to my Cougar (6.4Ltr) as a Muscle Car I used to correct them and tell them they were Pony cars, people looked at you like you were stupid.
Now I just agree (about it being a Muscle car, not me being stupid..)
It seems anything with a V8 is casually considered a Muscle car now.
When people refer to my Cougar (6.4Ltr) as a Muscle Car I used to correct them and tell them they were Pony cars, people looked at you like you were stupid.
Now I just agree (about it being a Muscle car, not me being stupid..)
A muscle car was what was created when manufacturers took their normal cars and shoehorned in a big V8. It was pretty much started by the Pontiac GTO. Most of these cars were full-size cars but usually used the two door coupe body. The Mustang was initially a pony car with the signature long bonnet and short boot but these too became muscle cars when the cutesy Falson based car entered the wars and had big blocks shoehorned in. Same goes for the Camaro.
Nowadays, the muscle car has probably transcended the 2/4 door boundary and the modern muscle car is far more muscular than most of it's older (gross-rated hp) grandparents. Cars like the Chrysler 300C/SRT-8, the Shelby GT500 and even Cadillac CTS-V are all muscle cars. I think the term muscle car signifies something that is basic but hopped-up for the sake of power, which is it's raison d'etre, irrespective of it's handling or braking ability but above all, it has to be a giant-killer at it's price level. So whilst Monaro and ebven VX8R could be classed as muscle cars, the BMW M5 never could because it's too expensive and you pay for the technology. Essentially, the muscle car is a big engine for next to nothing and in essence, a touch or rawness, crudity even.
The Viper and Corvette are sports cars or GTs not muscle cars although, in context, they are probably muscle sports cars, having big engines and punching well above their weight.
Nowadays, the muscle car has probably transcended the 2/4 door boundary and the modern muscle car is far more muscular than most of it's older (gross-rated hp) grandparents. Cars like the Chrysler 300C/SRT-8, the Shelby GT500 and even Cadillac CTS-V are all muscle cars. I think the term muscle car signifies something that is basic but hopped-up for the sake of power, which is it's raison d'etre, irrespective of it's handling or braking ability but above all, it has to be a giant-killer at it's price level. So whilst Monaro and ebven VX8R could be classed as muscle cars, the BMW M5 never could because it's too expensive and you pay for the technology. Essentially, the muscle car is a big engine for next to nothing and in essence, a touch or rawness, crudity even.
The Viper and Corvette are sports cars or GTs not muscle cars although, in context, they are probably muscle sports cars, having big engines and punching well above their weight.
LuS1fer said:
... I think the term muscle car signifies something that is basic but hopped-up for the sake of power, which is it's raison d'etre, irrespective of it's handling or braking ability but above all, it has to be a giant-killer at it's price level ... the muscle car is a big engine for next to nothing and in essence, a touch or rawness, crudity even.
That about covers it and as someone else said, it has to be American. I'd also suggest that you don't have to remain bound by whether or not the combination came from a factory. You can create a muscle car by taking a suitable RWD North American chasis and stuffing a large motor into it.
The car in my Christmas card below looks like a muscle car to me notwithstanding that it's an 83.
Edited by Joe Rotax on Saturday 22 December 23:54
ukvoyager.info said:
Not sure if I agree with the whole "it must be American" line. The Aussies make a decent muscle car as well!
I agree, the latest copy of Classic American has (ex)Deputy Editor calling the Monaro a Muscle Car (I believe this was his last road test, I am told he took the Monaro up the quarter mile with only a verbal okay to do so and somebody at Vauxhall was not pleased)i'd go with Lus1fer's definition +
a car (that could be production) that relies on crazy cc s (by today's standards?...300ci+?), instead of intelligent technology, to bring the power, and one that usually shows this in the body styling (long bonnet, not 'too easy' to drive, etc)
> Veyron > not muscle despite 8ltr, due to top end tech to still wring 120hp/ltr+ out of the engine
> Viper > muscle due to cheap lazy low compression block and loads of it just to get 420hp - but what a curvy lump of muscle
don't think it's necessarily linked to certain period in 1900s, just that it came about in 50s/60s so that's the most obvious link and that fewer muscle cars will be seen in the future, with the modern focus on car design, even performance car design, to keep the ccs low and improve efficiency... or tax drivers more until they use the train instead.
a car (that could be production) that relies on crazy cc s (by today's standards?...300ci+?), instead of intelligent technology, to bring the power, and one that usually shows this in the body styling (long bonnet, not 'too easy' to drive, etc)
> Veyron > not muscle despite 8ltr, due to top end tech to still wring 120hp/ltr+ out of the engine
> Viper > muscle due to cheap lazy low compression block and loads of it just to get 420hp - but what a curvy lump of muscle
don't think it's necessarily linked to certain period in 1900s, just that it came about in 50s/60s so that's the most obvious link and that fewer muscle cars will be seen in the future, with the modern focus on car design, even performance car design, to keep the ccs low and improve efficiency... or tax drivers more until they use the train instead.
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