The Five Best 2010 and 2011 Muscle Cars

When it comes to cars, the term "muscle car" is loaded with meanings both good and bad. Many people who grew up in the era of the classic 1960s muscle cars like the original Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, Pontiac GTO and Dodge Challenger look back on these hugely powerful rear drive coupes as representations of their often misspent youth.

What many of these people forget, however, is that in the 1960s all of those muscle cars had engines that were far too powerful for the brakes to handle. These muscle cars also cornered with all the precision of a charging rhinoceros.

Muscle cars back then may have looked and sounded cool but they weren't very much fun to drive unless you were going straight. Thankfully this has all changed for the newly resurrected, V8 powered 2010 Chevy Camaro, 2011 Ford Mustang and 2010 Dodge Challenger. These modern day muscle cars now handle, stop and steer just as well as they accelerate.

But are there any other options besides those three that we all know about? Well, the modern day muscle car has to have two doors, be relatively affordable and possess enough power to rival those Big Three V8 powered bruisers. So let's see who else can keep up.

2011 Ford Mustang GT

Arriving at dealerships now, the 2011 Mustang GT boasts an all new 400 horsepower 5.0 liter V8 and new 6-speed transmissions (automatic or manual). The Ford Mustang is the originator of this species and as such it is the best of its kind. Having tested all of these muscle cars, it is the 2011 Ford Mustang GT that I would spend my own money on if only by dint of the high quality interior.

2010 Dodge Challenger R/T

This 5.7 liter Hemi V8 powered muscle car is relatively affordable, cool enough to handle exterior colors like yellow and orange and it is also the most brutally visceral muscle car on this list. From behind the wheel of the Challenger R/T you will feel like a rebel and an outlaw. And you just might be considering how fast this thing accelerates.

2010 Chevy Camaro

I find this new version of the Camaro to be comically hideous from an exterior styling perspective. V8 models come with 400 horsepower plus and feature a tacky, plastic-fantastic interior that is not appropriate for a vehicle that costs this much. The 2011 Mustang GT is just a much better car from pretty much every vantage point and I only recommend the Camaro if you absolutely must drive something with a bow-tie badge.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track

It has 300 horsepower from its 3.8 liter V6 engine, an available six speed manual, standard rear wheel drive and as the Genesis Coupe is a Hyundai it is really affordable. So, yes, this is a muscle car. But it would be a lot more "muscular" with the V8 from the Genesis luxury sedan. Track models get sport suspension, Brembo brakes and a number of other performance modifications.

2010 Nissan 370Z

A brutally powerful 3.7 liter V6, a meaty six-speed manual transmission, rear drive and two seats equals one of the most pure sports car/muscle car experiences that you will ever come across. A recently updated cabin really improves the interior ambience as well. This stuff matters because you are going to want to drive the 370Z a lot. It really is that much fun to drive.

Source:

Edmunds.com