The Most Affordable Modern American Muscle Cars

What makes the powerful American muscle car so strong today is the fact you can get them for a fraction of what a luxury car is priced.

While some say the world is dominated by the German and Japanese cars, when it comes to muscle cars the US started the trend and has some of the biggest muscle car fans.

There are some powerful and unique American cars available, especially modern American muscle cars. But what makes these American muscle cars 1) affordable for the common car fan and 2) loud and fast to boot?

First, some history on the modern muscle car, as that will lead us to the best in American muscle cars. An American muscle car of quality should have some “amp” to it, be loud like the corvette and fast, going from 0-60 in no time.

Oddly enough, the vintage cars we now call muscle cars were just V-8 engines put into small cars. The movement for better and better muscle cars drew definite interest from the automobile industry, and we’ve seen lines like the Pontiac GTO rise, fall, and rise again.

The Pontiac GTO was the first muscle car, but today we also have the Cadillac CTS-V and the Chrysler 300 Hemi.

In terms of the very best modern American muscle car, there are still some options if you want to race a bit over the speed limit. But the best 3 may have just been mentioned.

Let’s consider the Cadillac CTS-V. The pros here are the modern muscle cars’ incredible power. It’s got a supercharged 6.2 V8 engine, with some incredible horsepower numbers pushing 550. And you can go 0-60 in 4.3. The only clear con to this modern American muscle, if you could call it a con, is the basic seats and the price tag, nw at $60,000.

Next on the list is the most expensive, the Cadillac CTS-V. The pros here are the incredible power. It’s got a supercharged 6.2 V8 engine, with horsepower numbers pushing 550, and you can go 0-60 in 4.3. The only clear con to this modern American muscle car is the price; since this line is still out, you pay about $60,000.

The Chrysler 300 Hemi is second on horsepower to the Cadillac, but nice look with a big grille and lots of noise. She clocks in around 5 to 5.5 in 0-60 with her 340+ horsepower. The big saver for this vehicle is new models are less than $25,000. For value for money, you’ve got a winner.

The best modern American muscle car is? It’s a tough call. For history, the GTO might get it. For sheer power, the winner is the Cadillac CTS. For a combination of price and power, you’ve got the Chrysler 300 Hemi. It’s almost a draw. For modern muscle cars, even with the high price tag, the Cadillac CTS-V is a winner.

Modern American muscle carshave always interested Mike Stone, a former auto journalist who likes to lend is ideas and automotive thoughts for Streetside Auto.com.