Comparing the New Muscle Car Engines
Written by Muscle Car Tech   
Sunday, 02 March 2008
Muscle cars have always inspired fierce loyalties, even as early as the vehicle's beginning in the Sixties. It was a race to see who was the fastest, and Detroit auto makers constantly tweaked their engines and came out with ever more powerful motors to keep pace with the increasing horsepower demands of car drivers. It seemed that the storied rivalry between Ford, Chevy and Dodge would die forever when the muscle car era ended in the mid Seventies, but Detroit is once again positioning muscle cars to be the must have vehicles. New versions of the Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger promise to reignite the storied rivalries and introduce a new generation to the familiar hum of a muscle car engine.

 

Muscle cars have always inspired fierce loyalties, even as early as the vehicle's beginning in the Sixties. It was a race to see who was the fastest, and Detroit auto makers constantly tweaked their engines and came out with ever more powerful motors to keep pace with the increasing horsepower demands of car drivers. It seemed that the storied rivalry between Ford, Chevy and Dodge would die forever when the muscle car era ended in the mid Seventies, but Detroit is once again positioning muscle cars to be the must have vehicles. New versions of the Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger promise to reignite the storied rivalries and introduce a new generation to the familiar hum of a muscle car engine.

 

 

The new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will give muscle car fans something to get excited about with 420 pounds per foot of torque and a 425 horsepower V8 engine. The 6. liter Hemi engine is designed to blow the doors off its rivals. Of course, all of that beautiful power will come at the expense of fuel economy. The EPA estimates that the Dodge Challenger SRT8 will get 13 miles per gallon in the city with 18 on the highway. This gives the new Dodge Challenger a combined fuel economy rating of 18 miles per gallon. A driver can expect to pay over $5.00 to drive 25 miles in one of the revamped Dodge muscle cars.

 

The new Chevy Camaro has yet to release any official engine specifications, but there have been concept engines that have set the public buzzing. Many rumors have floated through car clubs and the blogosphere about the future engine specs. The 2006 Chevy Camaro concept car was powered by a 400 horsepower V8 with a six speed manual transmission. Chevy has verified that the new Camaro will be available with a V6, but true muscle car fans will opt for the big V8.

 

Like the Chevy Camaro, there has been no official word on the engine for the new 2009 Ford Mustang, but rumors place the V8 engine with horsepower of at least 350. The current 2008 incarnation of the Mustang is available with the 4.6 liter 300 horsepower V8, but there is much speculation that the newer Mustang will pack more power to compete with the newly revamped muscle cars coming out of Detroit. Chevy has announced that the Camaro will directly compete against the Mustang, so look for Ford to up the ante to keep its customers away from the reintroduced competitors. Gas mileage for the current Mustang powerhouse is a dismal 15 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway.

 

Many people thought the muscle car era was over, and with increased environmental regualtions and soaring gas prices, it seems like it could be a bad time for Detroit to introduce new lines of muscle cars. But the engines are bigger and faster than ever and so is the excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of these new muscle cars.
 
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