New Camaro: Muscle car or Sports car???

[Jamestwilliams]

Originally Posted by 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.

Definitely true for the most part but the first Camaro wasn't available with a six. Olds Rocket 88, that is the first Muscle car which is exactly what you described, and as such what all muscle cars need to be like in order to be muscle cars. By the way if you've read some of my other posts you'd notice that I stated the Camaro is a pony car and not a muscle car.
Just had to add something, what made a muscle car was that you took a motor out of a full size sedan and dropped it in a mid size coupe or sedan ie Olds 88, GTO, 442 et al. So full size cars don't actually qualify as muscle cars either. It's just the idea of a full size car in the late fifties early sixties is a lot different than what you would call a full size sedan or coupe today.

[Jamestwilliams]

Originally Posted by camaro&T/A

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!

I know Dodge doesn't but some less than scrupulous auto mags have used that term.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by bazguitarman

I do have a question though. Is the new Camaro going to be a muscle car in the traditional sense? Or will it be a modern American sports car like the Corvette?

Some have always considered the Corvette to be a muscle car. . . others have always looked at the Camaro as being a sports car.

I know of all the technical distinctions between a muscle car and a sports car, but I prefer to look at things in terms of functionality. A muscle car has great acceleration and a pretty good top speed. They only handle well enough to head back and make another pass at the drag strip. According to that, the traditional muscle car is dead. The Camaro has always been a bit more than a muscle car. The original Z28's were sports cars in my mind, while the SS was a muscle car. Then in the 90's the 4th was an entry level sports car due to their power to weight and handling. The same will hold true for the new 5th gens.

[camaro&T/A]

I like to think there are two classes of muscle cars. classic muscle, GTO Chevelle etc., and modern muscle, Mustang Challenger Camaro.
actually it's Camaro, Mustang, Challenger. Camaro always comes in First!

[EllwynX]

Personally I (and most people I know) have always used the term 'Sports Car' when referring to the Camaro/Mustang/Firebird...

[KILLER74Z28]

MUSCLE… It’s big, it’s bad, and it’s gona chew you up and spit you out…

[JJay3]

sports car

[MAC]

Originally Posted by flaguy

Yank tank....that's awesome

DIBS on license plate "yanktank"

cept that's 8 letters.


instead of Sports or Muscle...
why not "Musportle" car...

pronounced "mus - portal"

mix of muscle and sports car

[Blaster]

What ever you call it I see 422 HP, 6 speed, retro look, up to date suspension, ah yes my next car payment. Now the real question is can GM do this in a range this working man can afford 28k-32k IMO. I prefer muscle car but I feel that is more to the era of 65-71 so I have to go with sports car with alot of muscle "422" wow...

[Camaro68]

Originally Posted by drivingincamaro

welcome to the site


its a muscle car but it will handle like a sports car imo

a sports car is a g35

+1 I agree with that Muscle car and handle like a sports car