Modern Muscle Cars

[csv8]

More than 35 years after the death of the original muscle cars, Detroit is once again poised to produce modern muscle cars by the thousands. This time around, they will come with all of the required safety and emissions equipment in place, not to mention sophisticated suspensions, stickier, longer-lasting radial tires that are much better for cornering and wear, ABS disc brakes, traction control, stability control, electronic fuel injection instead of carburetors, and six-speed manual and automatic transmissions for highway fuel economy. Add to that serious stereo equipment instead of 8-tracks and cassette players, iPod ports, and clean, green V-8 engines that make more real power than the old monster engines. Let's take a look at some.

It's going to be difficult for the newcomers to make a dent in the new muscle car market because, for one thing, the Ford Mustang never went away, and the high-performance Shelby versions are already available, in lots of variants.

The $26,000 Mustang GT comes with a 300-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8. The Shelby GT has the same nasty look of the GT 500, but comes with a slightly less awesome 325-horsepower 4.6-liter engine for about $37,000. The $42,000 GT 500 ($47,000 for the convertible) comes with a supercharged 5.4-liter double-overhead-cam, 32-valve V-8 that makes 450 horsepower, more than any '60s Mustang ever had.
Shelby Automobiles builds a GT 500 KR "King of the Road" version with 540 horsepower and a host of upgrades for $50,000 and up. And if you're really serious, Shelby will be happy to take your new GT 500 and build a Super Snake out of it, with engines of either 600 or 750 horsepower, 20-inch wheels and tires, Baer brakes, suspension and exhaust upgrades and carbon fiber body parts -- a $28,000 package on top of whatever you paid for your GT 500.


Dodge Challenger ConceptAt Chrysler, the Plymouth Barracuda won't be back, but they've decided the Dodge Challenger certainly will, likely sporting a 6.1-liter, 425-hp version of the old Hemi engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. Looking a bit more mature and a bit chunkier than the last Challenger of 1974, but very similar in style, the Challenger is scheduled to hit the showrooms next year as a 2009 model.

Oldsmobile is gone for good, and Buick won't be making the trip back to the '60s, but GM is still in the game. The first of their modern muscle cars to appear was the revived Pontiac GTO that was built in Australia and sent to America. It was introduced in 2004, packing a 350-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 engine, in a slick but bland body shell. The exterior was tarted up a bit in 2006, and the engine was upgraded to a 400-horspower 6.0-liter, but it still didn't catch on with the traditionalists or the youth market, so it's on hiatus.

The Chevrolet Camaro, which is scheduled to be revived as a 2009 model in both coupe and convertible versions, is probably the most aggressive-looking of the new muscle machines, and it will most likely come with a 400-hp V-8 engine, a six-speed manual, and all the performance accoutrements. It's expected that Pontiac will follow in 2010 with either a revived GTO or a Firebird, based on the same GM engines and rear-drive chassis as the new Camaro.

There's no question that these muscle cars will be cleaner, safer, more agile and more responsible than the versions of four decades ago. But there are a number of factors that may influence their market success in spite of an aging, wealthy group of potential buyers and 35 years of "pent-up demand." The prices of these cars are going to be significantly higher than their muscle-car ancestors.



Chevrolet Camaro ConceptAnd the Big Three face greater challenges today, starting with very high fuel prices, the government push for much better fuel economy, tailpipe emissions that are cleaner still than present-day regulations, and ongoing pressure from the safety lobby and the insurance industry, which have traditionally been dead-set against people having fun with quick, fast, flashy muscle cars.

When the original American muscle cars appeared in the early 1960s with their big, powerful V-8 engines, four-speed manual transmissions, sexy bodies and even sexier advertising, gasoline was selling for about 30 cents a gallon and there was plenty of it.

Every GM division but Cadillac produced a muscle car. In 1964, the General started with the Chevrolet Chevelle SS, carrying a 327 cubic-inch V-8. Then came the legendary Pontiac Tempest GTO, with a much bigger, more powerful 389 cubic inch V-8 and an option for three two-barrel carburetors and 348 horsepower.

On April 17, 1964, the world first saw Ford's Mustang, a small, lightweight sporty car built on the Ford Falcon economy car platform with an optional 260 cubic-inch V-8 engine. Ford sold 417,000 of them in the first year. To keep pace with the competition, the Mustang's engines quickly spiraled through the '60s up to 289, 302, 351, 390 and finally 428 cubic inches, and horsepower grew to 360 on the rare 428 Cobra Jet.



2005 Pontiac GTOThe Buick Special Gran Sport, or GS, followed quickly in 1965, and the Oldsmobile 4-4-2, which souped-up the Cutlass, also broke out in 1965. In the heat of crosstown competition from Ford and Chrysler, engine sizes grew and grew, to 454 cubic inches for the Chevrolet, 455 cubic inches for the Pontiac, Buick and Oldsmobile. At one stage, Buick advertised more than 500 foot-pounds of torque.

The smaller, lighter Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird coupes came along in 1967 to carry the muscle car load, and although both are currently out of production, revivals are in the works.

At Chrysler, it was no different. The Plymouth Barracuda was introduced only slightly after the Mustang as a 1965 model, with an optional 273 cubic-inch V-8 engine. Before the escalation had subsided, Barracuda engines had grown to 440 cubic inches and as much as 425 hp. At Dodge, the similar Challenger carried the same 425-hp 426 Hemi and 375-hp 440 wedge engines.

Even tiny, economy-oriented American Motors Corporation got into the act, with the AMC Rambler SC/Rambler, the Javelin, and the tiny AMX, all sporting bold designs and V-8 engines up to 401 cubic inches.

On the stock-car racing circuit, NASCAR at the time maintained an international engine size limit of 7.0 liters or 427 cubic inches, so Ford, Chevy, Plymouth and Dodge duked it out on the ovals with their 426s and 427s and a single four-barrel carburetor. But there were no such limits in drag racing or on the streets. Hence the use of the huge Chrysler 440, GM 454 and 455, and Ford 428, 429 and 460 cubic-inch engines in some of the later muscle machines.



None of this power and speed escalation escaped the notice of the car insurance companies, the safety lobby, or the environmental movement. A combination of very high insurance rates, the increasingly stringent mandates of the Federal Highway Safety Act of 1966 and the Clean Air Act of 1970 put so much pressure on Detroit's Big Three that the American muscle car was all but gone by 1972. The first Arab oil embargo in 1973, and the federal requirement for unleaded fuel and catalytic converters on all cars in that same year, finished them off.

Detroit had no choice but to abandon the profligate, gas-guzzling muscle cars and concentrate its efforts on lighter, smaller, safer, cleaner and more economical cars for the remainder of the '70s and '80s, pushed along by ever more powerful lobbies and the second Arab oil embargo of 1979.

Will history repeat itself? Will the revival succeed? Time, and the market, will tell.

[Poetic Justice]

Awesome read. I'd really like to see Ford Aus do well and have enough money in the bank to toy around with something like a modern day XA coupe or something of the like.

[v8ltd]

Very nice write up. Oh how I wish Australia would bring back the Landau!

[flappist]

Originally Posted by v8ltd

Very nice write up. Oh how I wish Australia would bring back the Landau!

The closest equivelent to the Landau is the Force 8. Due to its sales success and the fate of the monaro and mustang I suspect you will not have your wish granted in the near future.

[[Tonko]]

Awesome read,
mmm, New Shelby super snake......mmmmmm

[Dilan]

I wouldn't mind seeing that Camaro hitting our shores.

[nugget378]

Since when has the muscle car died?
They are alive and well in my garage,and in many others.
These are a little like a clayton's muscle car,they have the lines,but they fall short, for one colour coded plastic bumpers dont really cut it when were talking muscle cars..

[banarcus]

clayton's muscle cars have their place. Plastic or not, they have muscle and reliablilty and perform the near about if not better then the originals..

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by banarcus

clayton's muscle cars have their place. Plastic or not, they have muscle and reliablilty and perform the near about if not better then the originals..

God I hope they are WAY better than the originals, not just perform near! Alots happened in the past 30 years so if they dont its a bit of a worry. As far as 'Muscle Cars' go ...... yeah I think you missed the point Nugget was saying and I agree with him. They will NEVER be able to the same effect on many like those with chrome, rattles and pure noise!



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[nugget378]

Originally Posted by banarcus

clayton's muscle cars have their place. Plastic or not, they have muscle and reliablilty and perform the near about if not better then the originals..

Sure they have their place,and the ones pictured are all beautiful cars,but they do lack that certain something to me.
There are a few cars that do fit that mould today,and are todays version of the factory lightweights of yesteryear,stripped down all out performance is the key,not comfortable cruising with some retro lines.

[montyv8]

Originally Posted by nugget378

but they do lack that certain something to me.

raw-ness ;)

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Dilan

I wouldn't mind seeing that Camaro hitting our shores.

Only a matter of time IMO.

[Jayden]

My pick of the bunch if I could have one would be the red and black shelby GT500 super snake, most sinister modern muscle ive seen so far. The Camaro and the Challenger have tons of improvement room though for model updates. Will be interesting to watch.

[outback_ute]

I thought the GT500 had 500hp, not 450?

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

I thought the GT500 had 500hp, not 450?

The '500' is just a number. It was dreamed up at the time cos it looked good and was a higher number than the opposition, simular thinking to Falcon 500 was just a number not linked to anything. This is from Shelby in the history of Mustangs .....



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[smciner1]

Originally Posted by auslandau

The '500' is just a number. It was dreamed up at the time cos it looked good and was a higher number than the opposition, simular thinking to Falcon 500 was just a number not linked to anything. This is from Shelby in the history of Mustangs .....

The new GT500 (Supercharged 5.4) is rated at 500 HP and the GT500 KR at 540 HP.

[jakkes]

tuning options will range from a warranted 600 HP V8 to over 725 HP (unwarranted).

MMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm 725hp super-snake

[schnoods]

The New Dodge Challenger looks great IMO.

They brought out a Dodge Nitro, Crossfire, Avenger here in Aus, shame they're missing 2 cylinders and Hemi heads.

[Interceptor]

closest thing there has been to a muscle car in Australia since the 70's has been the ED XR8 Sprint, everything else gets lumbered with luxury bullshit to the gills.....

[majin_andrew]

What is that mustang that Jakkes posted pictures of? It looks awesome! Is it a 'Super snake'?

[Steffo]

Originally Posted by auslandau

The '500' is just a number. It was dreamed up at the time cos it looked good and was a higher number than the opposition, simular thinking to Falcon 500 was just a number not linked to anything. This is from Shelby in the history of Mustangs .....

The GT500 has 500hp 480ftlbs. That article at the start of this thread is wrong.

[Outbackjack]

Australia's small population means that cars like these will never be built or sold here in numbers that will put them in the reach of the average wage earner..... It is likely that some wealthy enthuiasts will be able to import them, but veryone else will have to sit back and watch.... Otherwise they are picture perfect.

[schnoods]

I know the original GT350 was named after the length of the factory (350 yds or ft ?) and reading up on it, the origin for the name of the GT500

Shelby GT 500 Mustang: On the heels of his stunning successes with the AC Cobra and the GT 350 Mustang projects, Carroll Shelby found himself in need of a bigger powerplant for the cars he was building. All the other U.S. manufacturers were now installing huge, powerful engines in their "muscle" cars and if his Mustangs were to remain competitive, big-block engines would be necessary. His final decision went to the 428 cubic inch engine from Ford and that meant heavier suspension and drivetrain components to mate with the big V8. The final car was exactly 500 pounds heavier than the GT 350 and the ever-pragmatic Shelby figured that was enough reason for the name - GT500.

I assume the modern day equivelent is just paying homage.

[Steffo]

Originally Posted by schnoods

I know the original GT350 was named after the length of the factory (350 yds or ft ?) and reading up on it, the origin for the name of the GT500



I assume the modern day equivelent is just paying homage.

The modern day equivalent is paying homage to the name, but was given 500hp in the last second. It was originally slated to have 450hp 450ftlbs, then 475/475... just as they released it, 500/480 and that's how it stayed.

[Bent8]

Awesome read. I'd really like to see Ford Aus do well and have enough money in the bank to toy around with something like a modern day XA coupe or something of the like.

On the subject of the XA/XB Coupes...I was watching a show that featured a 72 Mustang Mach 1 and I thought to myself, that looks very similar to the XB coupes we had here in Aus. I wonder if Ford Aus took some design cues from the Mach 1 to design the XA/XB coupes...

Here's 2 pics so you can compare for yourself, is it just me or do they look strikingly similar??...

Mustang Mach 1


XB GT Coupe


They even have the same colour scheme...

[5.4 GT]

Originally Posted by Bent8

On the subject of the XA/XB Coupes...I was watching a show that featured a 72 Mustang Mach 1 and I thought to myself, that looks very similar to the XB coupes we had here in Aus. I wonder if Ford Aus took some design cues from the Mach 1 to design the XA/XB coupes...

Here's 2 pics so you can compare for yourself, is it just me or do they look strikingly similar??...

Yeh i've thought that for a while too... They look very similar ey!!

[Jayden]

no secret the australian fords, holdens and valiants got pretty much all their ideas from the states minus a few design styles. Ive been making a pixel car of that 71 stang over a few nights now, looking at lots of pics, its actually cooler than I always thought it was. just lowered and magnum 500 rims makes it nice. at least its side profile anyway.

[peachey80]

[QUOTE=Bent8]On the subject of the XA/XB Coupes...I was watching a show that featured a 72 Mustang Mach 1 and I thought to myself, that looks very similar to the XB coupes we had here in Aus. I wonder if Ford Aus took some design cues from the Mach 1 to design the XA/XB coupes...

Here's 2 pics so you can compare for yourself, is it just me or do they look strikingly similar??...



I wonder if they came out with a rust option like our coupes.....

[sleekism]

What is the weight/size difference between a early 70's Mustang and Falcon.

If the Mustang could squeeze in big blocks they must have been pretty hefty I would like to see someone squeeze one in a 65 Coupe.

On this subject has anybody here sampled the new range of crate motors from US and/or tried these:

BOSS 302 or 5L Cammer crate in Falcon??

426 Hemi crate in Valiant Pacer??

LS7 crate in Commowhore or Kingswood??

BO

[blueoval]

How awesome would it be if you could get those power upgrade options from ford here in your GT?

The US get all the goodies. :(