New Muscle Cars

New Muscle Cars

Even from the first day that Ford dazzled us with the first classic "muscle car" in 1964 in the form of the Mustang, America has been in love.

Almost everyone has a favorite classic muscle car. Yours might be the 1962 Dodge Dart 413 Max Wedge 426 Hemi, 1965 Ford Thunderbird 427, 1968 Dodge Coronet or the Australian 1970 XY Falcon 302.

With the incredible performance that these cars offered, the Ford Mustang became the top selling car for many of the years during its "performance era." Times would seem to be very different, though, and there are many factors that would seem to dampen the muscle car's popularity. High gas prices and government regulation would seem to be a force to a real damper on all that horsepower. But these horses can't be corralled and the muscle car still flies off the showroom floor, especially to the new generation. And for them, there is a new generation of muscle cars hitting the dealer lots.

Cadillac CTS-V

This high performance Cadillac makes an impressive introduction to the muscle car ring. While the Cadillac name may not exactly be synonymous with performance, the CTS-V delivers with superior handling, a comfortable and roomy interior as well as significant power. Showing off its impressive 400 horses of power with a 6.0 liter V8 and 395 pound feet of torque, this ride sits you in a stylish car with a surprisingly low and great performance.

Pontiac GTO

GM finally brought back the "Goat", much to the delight of muscle car enthusiasts. One of the original muscle cars, the GTO was introduced in 1964 and ran through the 1974 production year. Gm was hoping to keep the awesome power of the GTO without breaking the bank. With a 6.0 liter LS2 V8 under the hood offering 400 horses, the new breed of GTO ran from 2004 to 2006. But, this is one car that can't be held down and will be sure to emerge again in the future.

Infiniti G35

Typical of the new breed muscle cars, the Infinity G35 offers sleek styling, great performance and top notch handling. Sporting a powerful 3.5 liter V6, 306 horses strong, the Infiniti G35 give you the old school muscle car style combined with the newer, technological plusses of the 21st century. With this car, performance is its strong suit. It offers great handling and a nice, "sporty meets luxury" look and feel.

Lexus IS 350

Another sprightly muscle car with high performance, the Lexus IS 350 offers a powerful V6 with 306 horsepower. Its advanced safety technology give it an edge over some of the other high performance cars out there. While you most likely equate the Lexus name with luxury, the IS 350 puts out top performance as well.

Ford Mustang

You can't say muscle car without thinking about the Ford Mustang. The classic muscle car, this pony has seen some major changes over the past twenty years. The modern Mustang, though, still packs a powerful punch with a wicked performance V8 version with 300 horses galloping under the hood in the GT version. The retro chassis will take the old timers back and introduce new enthusiasts just discovering this classic to a new love.

There are many other muscle cars that could fit on this list and make a good showing against their high performance cousins. Take some time to take a look at the next wave of muscle cars and find the performance package that turns you on. Styling, power and performance make a muscle car, but you have to drive one to really appreciate it.