New Camaro: Muscle car or Sports car???

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

It's a muscle car because of its heritage and because it defines what a muscle car truly is.

Last time I checked, the definition of a muscle car wasn't so specific. A muscle car is just a 2x2 rear-wheel drive car that is either small (AKA a pony car) or midsize with a V8 dumped into the engine bay at an affordable price. Cheap thrills, basically.

The Camaro, I believe just raises the bar for the term as it adds refinement to the muscle car namesake, yet it's still a musclecar. Just because you renovate your living room for the better doesn't mean it's no longer called a living room. Heck, if we are going to stop calling a muscle car as such just because of an IRS and a higher quality interior, let's stop calling Aston Martin's grand touring cars or Lambos "exotic supercars" since they got upgraded technology too. It's just progression is all.

People have added so many subtleties to what a musclecar is these days.

If it had too many options or if you couldn't strip it, it's not a muscle car. Really? What of the late 70's Trans Ams? Not a lot of power, but they're considered musclecars and they had more options than you have teeth (assuming you have a good set of whites).

If everything was too showy or upscale, screw that, it's not a muscle car, it's a "personal luxury car" - really? What of the Mercury Cougar?

Or god forbid, the age old notion - if it's a sedan, it's not a muscle car.

The term Muscle Car lowers down to the RWD aspect, the V8 aspect, and most importantly the cheap price aspect.

The only reason the new Camaro would not be a muscle car is if it's priced too expensive. But in the end, we feel a warm gooey feeling inside when we call it a muscle car since what is a Camaro as a sports car? The Vette's younger brother that rides the short bus? No. It's a freakin' muscle car - always has been, always will be. Not because it has a V6 or a V8 or it has IRS or a live axle with rusty gears... it's because it's a Camaro. A performance vehicle that has offered true, honest American power at a price the average person can afford, and to this day has never failed to compromise despite its little vacation in 2002.

[fbird777]

Originally Posted by nUcLeArEnVoY

It's a muscle car because of its heritage and because it defines what a muscle car truly is.

Last time I checked, the definition of a muscle car wasn't so specific. A muscle car is just a 2x2 rear-wheel drive car that is either small (AKA a pony car) or midsize with a V8 dumped into the engine bay at an affordable price. Cheap thrills, basically.

The Camaro, I believe just raises the bar for the term as it adds refinement to the muscle car namesake, yet it's still a musclecar. Just because you renovate your living room for the better doesn't mean it's no longer called a living room. Heck, if we are going to stop calling a muscle car as such just because of an IRS and a higher quality interior, let's stop calling Aston Martin's grand touring cars or Lambos "exotic supercars" since they got upgraded technology too. It's just progression is all.

People have added so many subtleties to what a musclecar is these days.

If it had too many options or if you couldn't strip it, it's not a muscle car. Really? What of the late 70's Trans Ams? Not a lot of power, but they're considered musclecars and they had more options than you have teeth (assuming you have a good set of whites).

If everything was too showy or upscale, screw that, it's not a muscle car, it's a "personal luxury car" - really? What of the Mercury Cougar?

Or god forbid, the age old notion - if it's a sedan, it's not a muscle car.

The term Muscle Car lowers down to the RWD aspect, the V8 aspect, and most importantly the cheap price aspect.

The only reason the new Camaro would not be a muscle car is if it's priced too expensive. But in the end, we feel a warm gooey feeling inside when we call it a muscle car since what is a Camaro as a sports car? The Vette's younger brother that rides the short bus? No. It's a freakin' muscle car - always has been, always will be. Not because it has a V6 or a V8 or it has IRS or a live axle with rusty gears... it's because it's a Camaro. A performance vehicle that has offered true, honest American power at a price the average person can afford, and to this day has never failed to compromise despite its little vacation in 2002.

/thread

[NOODLESgoneWILD]

GM calls it a performance car...so call it what ever you want! i call it "my precious"

[DET MUSL]

I'm willing to call this a sports car and here's why. While at the Woodward Dream Cruise this year I got to talk to a guy who worked for Pedders suspenions and races his G8. He when on to give me a long list of cars he's driven and he says that "this platform has one of the best IRS's I've ever driven." I think that says a lot! It's a muscle car at heart though like someone above stated.

[flaguy]

Originally Posted by BowtieGuy

Fuel Injection

I know it's normally EFI, but thats what he meant.

Thanks for clarification. I'm a turbo guy...FI to me means forced induction.

Learning all kinds of new acronyms over here lol

[Mr Twisty]

That's a good question. Short answer is YES, and YES. The best comment I've ever heard on the subject was years ago, a race car driver commented... "Americans build cars to survive running into a brick wall, Europeans build a car that you can drive around it." Now we can do either

[Vash]

It's a Sport Coupe in more professional term. A "Pony Car" in U.S. history / lore. And the V8 models are indeed also "Muscle Car".

In UK also known as a "Yank Tank" etc etc

[flaguy]

Originally Posted by Vash

It's a Sport Coupe in more professional term. A "Pony Car" in U.S. history / lore. And the V8 models are indeed also "Muscle Car".

In UK also known as a "Yank Tank" etc etc

Yank tank....that's awesome

DIBS on license plate "yanktank"

[Mr. Wyndham]

Imo, the 5thgen is a sports car with Muscle car lineage - which makes it that much better than either one alone.

[kevin2323]

muscle with better handling.

[Jamestwilliams]

I truly believe sports cars shouldn't have rear seats classicaly anyway but that's just me. However the automotive world seems to have gone beyond that, so I can accept 2+2 sports cars or sports coupes as the case may be, I will not however accept four door coupes (dodge charger) as that is an oxymoron. That's my rant sorry. Sports Car, Muscle Car, Pony Car, as long as it's a Camaro I don't care what else you call it.

[camaro&T/A]

Originally Posted by Jamestwilliams

I truly believe sports cars shouldn't have rear seats classicaly anyway but that's just me. However the automotive world seems to have gone beyond that, so I can accept 2+2 sports cars or sports coupes as the case may be, I will not however accept four door coupes (dodge charger) as that is an oxymoron. That's my rant sorry. Sports Car, Muscle Car, Pony Car, as long as it's a Camaro I don't care what else you call it.

I don't think dodge calls the Charger a 4 door coupe. Mercedes invented this idea with the CLS. not as bad as the BMW X6, suv sedan and sports car all at once?? I don't think so!

[stovt001]

Muscle cars are mid/full-size family cars with their sedate standard engines replaced with large, powerful engines, traditionally V8s. As such the Camaro is not a muscle car. A great example of a muscle car is the Olds 442. Take your standard Cutlass (great car, I own one, but not truly a muscular beast) drop in a big block, 4 barrel carb, 4 speed, and dual exhaust (hence the 442) and you have yourself a muscle car. Modern example would be the G8 GT. In most regards it is your typical large family sedan, but make it RWD, drop in a V8, hook up a competently sporty suspension (a modern touch) and there's a muscle car.

The Camaro, on the other hand, has always been a pony car. They were designed from the ground up to be small-ish, sporty, affordable coupes, mostly with 6 cylinder power, but stepping up to V8s for the upper performance trims. Unlike muscle cars, they were and are designed to be at least competent in the turns.

It wouldn't be unusual to take any Camaro out on a road course, but it would be comical to say the least to take my Olds Cutlass on a road course. That's really the difference between a muscle car and a pony car.

[carsismeZ06]

I would go with sports car because it has independant suspension all around, has 50/50 weight distibution, brembo brakes, and big tires, and is focused on handling, so sports not muscle.