Muscle Car of the Year Nominees

What makes a muscle car a muscle car is something that will get plenty of arguments. According to some purists none of the current crop would make the cut. The fact that all modern muscle cars have independent rear suspension is one deal breaker for them.

For us we count mainly four cars as modern muscle cars. The Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger. These all offer variants with more horsepower than brains and yet these modern cars are able to take a turn much better than their classic models. Between these we will choose our Muscle Car of the Year.

Ford Shelby Mustang GT350

The Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 is a car that Carroll Shelby himself would be very proud of. The car is powered by a V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft that offers 526 horsepower. With its performance suspension it handles very well on the track. On the road it still feels very special although not as civilized as the Mustang GT, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

707 horsepower would seem to say it all. The Challenger SRT Hellcat has a massive supercharged HEMI V8, but surprisingly it isn’t just about power. It may be fast on the track and drag strip and be capable of killing tires faster than you can say Hellcat, but on the road it is very well mannered.

Chevrolet Camaro SS

The 2016 Camaro SS gets a V8 LT1 engine lifted from the Corvette which outputs 455 horsepower. It is a quick car that can launch from 0-60 mph in just 4.0 seconds. This time is aided by the eight-speed automatic (the manual takes 4.3 seconds) and the fact that the sixth generation car weighs 390 pounds less than the 5th generation.

Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

The Charger SRT Hellcat is very similar to the 707 horsepower Challenger version. Performance numbers are about the same, but the Charger adds two doors to the equation. This makes it possible for folks with a family that want the practicality of four doors to have the muscle car that they want. On the road and track it is both civilized and quick.

And The Winner Is…

The Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 manages to take the victory. With its high revving V8 and its handling it is a race car for the street. It is similar to the Porsche 911 GT3 in philosophy and we love the fact that only a manual six-speed is available for the transmission. It is a true driver’s car and offers performance levels that rival much more expensive European cars.

For next year the Shelby had better keep an eye over its shoulder for the sixth generation Camaro Z/28. The SS is quite a machine and when Chevy releases their new version of the track focused machine it will be a dog fight. Until then the GT350 is the king of the muscle cars and will be a nominee for our Performance Car of the Year.