Muscle Cars vs. Foreign Cars

[mitchthephoneman]

I got in a good debate the other day with a few friends, I said that the muscle cars of the 70's and 80's could beat the shit out of any souped up foreign car today.

I am comparing of course cars like the Dodge Charger, Fireberd, Camaro of yesteryear to any modified street legal YingYang Import...

What do you feel about this...:computer: :computer:

 

[Wasch_24]

I think it would be an even battle.

Personally I prefer the raw horsepower found in a muscle car.

 

[Greg]

I think you'd be surprised. Though I love the old muscle cars some of the imports beat them.

For example, the Subaru WRX STI does 0-60 in less than 4.5 seconds, and a 1/4 mile in 13.2 seconds @103mph, stock.

A 1968 Charger R/T (a bad-ass muscle car)? Performance: 426 Hemi V8 425 hp: 0-60 in 5.3 sec, 1/4 mile in 13.8 sec @ 105mph

 

[cvm4]

In a straight line the muscle cars MIGHT have a chance but if you throw in some curves then they're toast.

 

[Poni]

In a straight line the muscle cars MIGHT have a chance but if you throw in some curves then they're toast.

Thats where i think the muscle cars loose also. I'm a big BMW fan, I haven't been in too many cars (exotics aside) that combine performance and handling aswell as they do.

 

[turtle]

Honestly it would depend on what we are talking about exactly. Are we talking stock or souped up by the owner. Talking stock I would guess that there are some imports that will beat a muscle car. If you are talking souped up by the owner than it would all depend on how much money was spent.
There are 2 general rules for straight line speed.
1. There is no replacement for displacement.
2. It's not how fast can you go, it's how fast can you afford to go.
Of course to be fair the imports have 40 years of technological advantage. However, don't forget the trans am cars in 70-71 or so they did the twisties pretty well too.
btw I am a MOPAR FANATIC

 

[Wasch_24]

Well, I know a Subaru WRX STi, a Mitsubishi Evolution (American Version of the Evo VII), the Japanese Nissan Skyline, and a Twin Turbo Toyota Supra would all beat the snot out of most, if not all, Muscle Cars ever made in the U.S.... in stock configuration.

Unleash the hounds and the Skyline, which is capable of more than 1200 HP with very few modifications, and the "rice burners" would really put a whoopin' on any modified muscle car if all were running on gasoline only.

 

[MichiganM]

Unfortunately, stock vs. stock some of the best imports out there will beat a stock muscle car in it's heyday. But the imports we're speaking of are limited to only a few...an STi which still only has 300 horses I believe...a Skyline that is rare as hell and a Supra I haven't seen in over 10 years. There are others out there that are really fast stock.....but most imports stock aren't much to rave about. Curves are where most new cars will pound an old muscle car. The cost to upgrade most newer cars is more expensive than an old car though....so if you're talking dollar vs dollar horsepower and speed than an old muscle car might be the way to go. Of course, they're getting more expensive by the day.

It might just come down to personal preference, because you can make great arguments for both sides.

 

[Wasch_24]

One big player in the imports ability to compete is that back in the 70s-80s Japan agreed to a "gentlemans" agreement to not export their cars with more than 276 HP. Not until recently have they stopped adhering to that.

 

[geoffrie]

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=100430/pageId=56896
Not many cars could outgun this Subie in a stoplight sprint — with all that usable power, this car is scary quick. Zero to 60 takes just 5.8 seconds and the quarter-mile is unreeled in 14.1 seconds. Amazingly, these times are but one-tenth of a second different from those of the Evo.


http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/general/musclecars-50fast.shtml

These are the fastest domestic modern cars in the quarter mile.



FASTEST MODERN DOMESTIC CARS
# YEAR/MODEL ET/MPH ENGINE HP TRANS SOURCE
1 1997 Viper GTS 12.05@116 V10 450 6-Speed MM 8/97
2 2002 Corvette Z06 12.5@114.9 LS6 350 405 6-Speed MT 2/02
3 1990 ZR1 Corvette 12.8@113.8 LT5 350 375 6-Speed MT 4/90
4 1997 Hurst/Firebird 12.99@103.11 350 350 automatic MCR 4/97
5 1992 Viper RT/10 13.1@108 488 V10 400 6-Speed CD 7/92
6 1995 ZR1 Corvette 13.1@112.0 LT5 350 405 6-Speed MT 8/95
7 2001 Corvette Coupe 13.1@109.1 LS1 350 350 6-Speed MT 3/01
8 1997 Corvette 13.20@109.3 350 LS-1 345 6-Speed MT 5/97
9 1997 SLP Camaro SS 13.20@108.8 350 LT4 330 6-Speed MT 2/97
10 1990 Pontiac Firehawk 13.20@107 350 350 6-Speed CD 6/91
11 1996 Camaro Z28 SS 13.46@106.48 350 LT-1 310 6-Speed MCR F/M 96
12 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 13.5@107.4 350 LS1 325 6-Speed MT 12/99
13 2002 Camaro Z28 SS 13.5@107.3 350 LS1 325 6-Speed MT 12/01
14 1995 Mustang Cobra R 13.67@102.82 351 300 5-Speed MCR A/S 95
15 1996 Corvette GS 13.7@105.1 350 LT-4 330 6-Speed RT 2/96
16 1987 Buick GNX 13.70@102 231 Turbo V6 300 automatic HR 4/87
17 2001 SVT Mustang Cobra 13.8@103.3 4.6L V8 320

 

[geoffrie]

AC Cobra 427

Done.

 

[Wasch_24]

The Import list is missing the STi WRX, it is different, and the Evo...nice find though Geoffrie

 

[Jwrussell]

Imports all day long would be my guess. I love pure muscle, but those damn "rice-burners" are fast as shit. BTW, Nissan just put up a concept of the new Skyline to be released in the states. Cool at some angles, not so cool at others...hard to tell sofar:

Skyline concept

 

[Greg]

AC Cobra 427

Done.

Nasty nasty automobile.

 

[geoffrie]

The Import list is missing the STi WRX, it is different, and the Evo...nice find though Geoffrie

Right, that's why I did not post it and had to cite the Edmunds article. It mentions BOTH of them - actually it's a comparison of the two. Good read.

Also it seems that the 2004 had more horsepower than the 2006?

 

[Wasch_24]

Imports all day long would be my guess. I love pure muscle, but those damn "rice-burners" are fast as shit. BTW, Nissan just put up a concept of the new Skyline to be released in the states. Cool at some angles, not so cool at others...hard to tell sofar:

Skyline concept

Seems to be taking ques from the 350z as well as the Maxima/Altima.

I like it so far.

 

[pdonlin]

Depending on the style of the race I think the "souped up" ricer would have the greatest advantage. That is assuming that you are talking about the traditional ricer races through city streets (2fast2furious BS).

Having said that, a souped up muscle car of the past, or even more so a souped up muscle car of today could destroy most of the ricers out there. You can only push a 4 cylinder vtec engine so far... throw a few mods on a GTO of today and you get over 600HP and thats without nitrous, which the ricers need to even be a contendor.

 

[MichiganM]

Yeah absolutely. We start comparing muscle cars of today with rice burners and it's no contest. A stock ZO6, a great example of American muscle will smoke, I mean SMOKE most rice burners out there....STOCK. But the original post never said anything about simply "rice burners"...the Japanese imports. A Porsche and a Ferarri is an import too. After thinking about it though, there are a few great muscle cars that can keep up with a STi. The paperwork I have on the STi here at the dealership says 0-60 in 4.6. A 454 LS Chevelle, a mysterious 427 aluminum block vette and a Hemi Cuda could keep up with one fine. But like I said earlier, this comparison goes pretty deep depending on the type of import and the type of muscle car...stock vs. stock and what not.

 

[Wasch_24]

Stock versus stock it would be a great race between a new Corvette and an STi.

 

[cvm4]

But then again, the STi is a better bang for the buck car vs. any Viper or Z06 etc.