What makes a "Muscle Car"?

[4Vman]

To me an "Australian Musclecar" is a car built during the "musclecar era"... which spanned, as historically noted from 1967 to about 1976.....
ADR27a killed the musclecar era....
To me that means anything built as the highest performance offering of each brand here and to race at bathurst....

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

To me an "Australian Musclecar" is a car built during the "musclecar era"... which spanned, as historically noted from 1967 to about 1976.....
ADR27a killed the musclecar era....
To me that means anything built as the highest performance offering of each brand here and to race at bathurst....

I agree, with you mate.

[zx10]

When I think muscle car I think of big metal cars with big engines that go like stink in a straight line but do not stop and do not go round corners.

I would agree with them being relatively cheap eg the blue collar muscle cars of the 70s.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by zx10

When I think muscle car I think of big metal cars with big engines that go like stink in a straight line but do not stop and do not go round corners.
.

I did think that, but many "muscle car" was built for circuit racing...

[351clevocorty]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

To me an "Australian Musclecar" is a car built during the "musclecar era"... which spanned, as historically noted from 1967 to about 1976.....
ADR27a killed the musclecar era....
To me that means anything built as the highest performance offering of each brand here and to race at bathurst....

This is the best answer one could give to this question, Spells it out plain & simple.

[zx10]

Originally Posted by Nikked

I did think that, but many "muscle car" was built for circuit racing...

Oh yeah for sure, but I am comparing the vehicles to todays standards. When people speak of muscle cars it is very rare for them to talk of the handling (I know that some of you will but it is not the most common talking point) the drivelines and styling are the feature points primarily.


Will be very interesting too see what the youth of today view as muscle cars in 30-40 years time.

[max_torq]

stripes and black interiors?

[burnz]

if it has brake's, then not a mucle car.

[Outback]

The F6 Typhoons is in the same class as Skylines , supra, WRX.

[turboxf]

I don't know if this has been posted yet, but these vids of the 2011 Mustang ARE VERY IMPRESSIVE FIGURE WISE & POWER WISE, compared to it competition in America?

http://www.stangtv.com/forum/new-5-0...beat-6641.html

Also very good reports on the V6 stang

I like the comments on the page after the drag test , sounds like the ford fans over there are very impressed with this 5.0 STANG. IT IS ALSO THE CLOSEST DESIGN FROM THAT FANTASTIC concept one designed a few years ago by an ITALIAN

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Outback

The F6 Typhoons is in the same class as Skylines , supra, WRX.

What, you mean "quicker than commodores class" ?

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Outback

The F6 Typhoons is in the same class as Skylines , supra, WRX.

How the hell did you come up with that? Sure its an I6T, but thats where the similarities end IMO

[bernadette86]

a muscle car should be top of the line hi po car made between 60's to 70's that is death in a straight line and unforgiving in a corner because its for straightline use. and has the ability to kill anything on the road. and a monster at bathurst eating small cars at will

''its not the speed that kills ya its the sudden stop''
running on empty possibly best aussie movie

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Outback

The F6 Typhoons is in the same class as Skylines , supra, WRX.

IF you mean a R32-R34 Sedan Turbo you half correct, supra is a sports coupe.

[Nikked]

I would class GT's F6's, new mustangs and vipers as "Modern muscle"...these cars are still far from Euro and Japanese Performace coupes.

[Tucool]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

To me an "Australian Musclecar" is a car built during the "musclecar era"... which spanned, as historically noted from 1967 to about 1976.....
ADR27a killed the musclecar era....
To me that means anything built as the highest performance offering of each brand here and to race at bathurst....

Again Ditto...... I don't think the word "muscle" can be applied to todays cars
there is just to much refinement .... nearly every part has been engineered to a level that 60's & 70's enthusiasts couldn't imagine ( including me) we will have to find another term to descride modern vehicles... maybe that could be another thread to explore.

[Pis-ton broke]

muscle car = takes ten minites to warm up

[302 XC]

muscle car
comes standard with ARM strong steering (no power steer, thats for girls)
clunky gearboxes
vinyl seats
balloon type tires
massive wheel spin
terrible fuel economy
aero dynamics of a brick wall
and a thumpin great
BIG V8

[Pis-ton broke]

some have an eight track cassette deck and the mordern ones have a cassette deck with am radio!

[351clevocorty]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

some have an eight track cassette deck and the mordern ones have a cassette deck with am radio!

That's been superseded by MP3 compatible of todays so called muscle cars. Can you picture walking into a dealership and asking if a genuine GTHO has MP3 capability.

[302 XC]

you would be surprised nowadays
the wombat behind the counter would ask
"wats a GTHO ????"

[TUF_302]

Originally Posted by zx10

When I think muscle car I think of big metal cars with big engines that go like stink in a straight line but do not stop and do not go round corners.

I would agree with them being relatively cheap eg the blue collar muscle cars of the 70s.

Sounds about right to me,
Basically big HP from big cubes, huge rubber, lots of curves, and plenty of old school style!

[Ryan]

Pretty much like most people. When I think of a muscle car I typically think of 1960s/1970s, V8 (Or even a big cubed 6), bare necessities (No power steering, air con, power windows etc), the handling of a bath tub on wheels, and fast down the 1/4 mile.

[ryanannett1987]

big block v8's 350ci or more. thats a muscle car

[VioletGT]

When i think muscle i think v8.

[Jamies460]

I tend to disagree that the Muscle cars were only built in the 70's..... In my opinion the last of the Muscle cars were the Ford XD & XE, Look at Dick Johnsons XD that won bathurst- Then along came the Mighty XE.... It could of won Bathurst that year if it had not decided to go Bush that fateful day...........

[Bluntman]

I'm new here and going to chime in on this. I don't believe there has been a true muscle car built since the mid 70's. There is no firm definition of a muscle car as it is a slang name. And cars can get built into muscle cars. Like the 57 Chev belair 2 door, I wouldn't call it a muscle car off the factory line but have seen some worked versions that are nothing but muscle cars.
I agree with what others have said though on what makes a muscle car - tough lines, bare interiors, huge engines and lumpy cams. Oh and two important parts no one has mentioned yet... chrome bumpers and only two doors!

[mik]

to me an xy ho ph3 to me was the epitomy of a true muscle car heavy clutch, grumpy engine on cold start up, average brakes for the performance, goes like stink and is a great highway car, and has look of meanness and sounds magnificent, hg 350 monaro was pretty close, newer ones might handle well go faster basicly do every thing better but are still soft in comparison.

[Saraco]

Originally Posted by Bluntman

I'm new here and going to chime in on this. I don't believe there has been a true muscle car built since the mid 70's. There is no firm definition of a muscle car as it is a slang name. And cars can get built into muscle cars. Like the 57 Chev belair 2 door, I wouldn't call it a muscle car off the factory line but have seen some worked versions that are nothing but muscle cars.
I agree with what others have said though on what makes a muscle car - tough lines, bare interiors, huge engines and lumpy cams. Oh and two important parts no one has mentioned yet... chrome bumpers and only two doors!

Not a true muscle car? What about a 283 FUEL INJECTED '57 CHEV or the rarest of all a 1957 CHEVROLET 150 2 door sedan NASCAR SPEC from Chevrolet, aka THE BLACK WIDOW!

[Nikked]

Muscle cars can have 4 doors aswell!