What’s next for Detroit Muscle?

While these harsh realities compromised all cars to some degree, muscle machines fared the worst by far. The compact 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360 was a “sensible” vehicle that signaled the twilight of the muscle car era. They did, after all, have the most to lose. The 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 was the last Boss and, with a 330-bhp solid-lifter 351-cid ram-air V-8, among the best. Packing a 455-cid V-8, the 1971 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am featured the biggest engine ever put in a pony car. Signs of loss appeared as early as 1971, when General Motors’ engines and some Chrysler Corporation mills were recalibrated to run on regular-grade gas instead of premium.

Muscle cars wouldn’t have much muscle without horsepower — but what exactly is horsepower? Of course, the world of modern muscle cars wouldn’t be complete without a Pontiac GTO. These machines combine the speed and power of their hallowed ancestors but add new elements of safety, handling, reliability, and even fuel economy. NASCAR race cars embody the muscle car philosophy of power. See Consumer Guide Automotive’s New-Car Reviews, Prices, and Information. How Horsepower Works answers that question. Another golden age of American high performance has been ushered in with a range of remarkable modern muscle cars. Are you thinking of buying a 2007 muscle car, or any other car? Read How NASCAR Race Cars Work to find out what makes these charged-up racers go.

Modern technology has combined with good-old speed-hungry engineering and wily marketing to create a new golden age of high performance. Men and women who coveted great muscle machines when they and the cars were both younger are paying big bucks to recapture that excitement. Now, 400 horsepower engines are common, as are quarter-mile times under 13 seconds. Hemi, Cobra, GTO, even Challenger and Camaro are on the docket once again. A 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda convertible that originally listed for around $6,000 sold at auction in 2006 for $2.1 million.

How Horsepower Works answers that question. The return to old-time power, passion, and prominence took time but proved well-nigh unstoppable once a second energy crisis passed (1979-82). With gas plentiful again and relatively cheap; many buyers eagerly embraced performance anew, even if it might be less fiery and flashy than they remembered. See Consumer Guide Automotive’s New-Car Reviews, Prices, and Information. ­After several years in the wilderness of a vastly changed automotive landscape, muscle cars began working their way back to the fast lane. NASCAR race cars embody the muscle car philosophy of power. Are you thinking of buying a 2007 muscle car, or any other car? Read How NASCAR Race Cars Work to find out what makes these charged-up racers go.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, the GTO’s first challenger came from Oldsmobile, home of the Rocket, which announced its 4-4-2 package at almost the same time. Though that was shy of the Pontiac’s 325 or 348 bhp, critics thought the 4-4-2 handled a bit better, and it proved nearly as fast in the benchmark 0-60 and quarter-mile tests. This was available for any non-wagon Cutlass, which shared a basic design with the Tempest/GTO, Buick Skylarks, and Chevrolet’s new midsize Chevelles. Olds sold just 2,999 of the ’64s, mainly due to poor promotion, but that mistake would not to be repeated. The designation meant 4-barrel carb, 4-speed manual transmission, and 2 exhausts. The V-8 was a 330 pumped up to 310 bhp.