Is the V6 Consisdered a muscle car?

[squat]

Not another one of these threads.

I've owned many V8s in my short life, but they've all been in trucks. My G8 and now my Charger are both V6s. Something that most people don't know is that only about 60k G8s were ever sold. It's a fairly rare car. Because of that there were not a lot of performance options for the V6. I wanted to add some power to my G8, but not a lot. It was my DD and I didn't care if it could blow the doors off everyone.

God damn if there wasn't some smug asshole with a V8 in every one of those threads telling us we shoulda bought a V8. It got to the point that the mods had to institute a rule and start banning people. I haven't really run into that with my Charger.

I guess my point is that whether is a 6 or an 8 or the new Mustang 4 w/ turbo I would consider it a muscle car. You can't really classify the cars differently based on engine size. A sports car is a two seater like the Corvette.

Most people that make these remarks are driving a Corolla or some other POS and are just trying to make themselves feel better that they don't have one. I usually respond with my MPG (30) and my HP (300+). If they still run their mouths I just ignore them. There really isn't anything you could say to them that would make any difference. These people would probably dog on Lenos Camaro because it's a 6.

[jdsblueray2013]

Whatever.... Muscle or performance, it's one those, so however you choose to think of it.

[Angrybird 12]

Mods, please kill this thread, it can only turn ugly...

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Angrybird 12

Well so do a lot of 4 cylinder compact cars, should they be labeled as Muscle cars too?

Originally Posted by Ksmoke

It might not be a "true" muscle car. I can definitely say when I think of muscle car, I think of a V8. I personally own a V6. When I purchased it made more sense to buy the V6 and it has 323 hp stock which is more then enough to kick up some dirt and have some fun. Regardless of engine size if you think of camaro, challenger, mustang etc your still gonna think of it as a muscle car.

"Performance car" is probably a better term, but only because the term "muscle" can't be separated from the classic V8 rumble that makes it sound more powerful. Back in the day, there was a much wider performance gap between sixxer-powered and V8 versions of the original ponycars and musclecars than exists today.

Today's V6 engines should not be seen in the same context as the 1-barrel carb, 4500 rpm pushrod sixes of the 1960's and 1970's, but unfortunately way too many people never got the memo (or didn't bother to read it).


Just as an aside, the V8 rumble you hear these days is most likely coming from some truck . . . which I am convinced detracts from what the rumbly sound used to mean. Pure disappointment when you want it to be coming from an SS396 or a 440 Road Runner and it turns out to be just another F150 or Silverado.


Norm

[RedRaider2014]

Usually I respond with "What do you drive?" Typical Answers are -
A F-150 Shoulda got a Chevy
B Honda (any japanese car) Lol
C CBR 750 Thats not a sports bike Shoulda got 1000cc
D Suv - Going to soccer practice I see, dont forget the snacks.
E Other - Unless your helping me pay for it, GTFOutta HERE!!

[BlaqWhole]

With all due respect, the V6 Camaro, as impressive as it is in HP, desperately lacks torque. It might have like 5 more hp than the LS1, but the LS1 has like 60 more ft lbs of TQ. Also, the V6 Camaro bone stock is a mid 14 second car. That hardly qualifies it as a "Muscle Car" by today's standards. Another thing, the V6 itself is not a Muscle Car because people do not buy it for performance...it is bought because it is cheaper than the SS, it qualifies for cheaper insurance, and it gets better gas mileage. If someone wanted a car strictly for performance, and the car had to be a Camaro, they would not choose the V6 option unless they could not afford the SS. Not saying this to cut on the V6, just putting things in perspective.

Originally Posted by benji276289

It's not. J/K...the Camaro V6 is as powerful or more powerful than any American muscle car in history from about 1973 until the midpoint of this century's first decade.

The 70s saw lots of restrictions on the power output of cars. Manufacturers at that point only had like a decade or so of making cars and none of the technology that we have at our disposal these days. So you can't really compare the 70s (which was 30 some years ago anyway) to now. The 80s saw fuel introduction becoming standard. Again, this hurt performance due to lack of technology and experience. Now the 90s, take a 93 LT1 Camaro and run it against a 5th Gen V6 and that LT1 will win easily even tho it has less hp. Why? Less tq and lighter body. As far as the mid 2000s, the only V8 a Camaro with a V6 can keep up with is a convertible automatic 99-04 Mustang GT. Even then its a driver's race. And you're still comparing against a 10+ year old car.

Originally Posted by rscheff3

2013 Camaro V6:
-323 HP
-6 speed manual
-0-60 5.x
-top speed (electronically limited) 155
-lateral gs 0.92

2010 Mustang GT:
-315 HP
-5 speed manual
-0-60 5.x
-top speed (drag limited) 151
-lateral gs 0.95

If the Camaro V6 isn't a muscle/sports car then mustang gt wasn't a muscle/sports car until 2011...

Unless of course you just define muscle car by number of cylinders and noise but if that's the case then it's a total crap shoot. How many loud V8s are out there?

Yea and stock to stock a 2005 - 2010 Mustang GT will walk a newer V6 Camaro in the quarter and on a roll-on. And your V6 Camaro is not pulling 0.92 lateral G's stock.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

"Performance car" is probably a better term, but only because the term "muscle" can't be separated from the classic V8 rumble that makes it sound more powerful. Back in the day, there was a much wider performance gap between sixxer-powered and V8 versions of the original ponycars and musclecars than exists today.

Today's V6 engines should not be seen in the same context as the 1-barrel carb, 4500 rpm pushrod sixes of the 1960's and 1970's, but unfortunately way too many people never got the memo (or didn't bother to read it).


Just as an aside, the V8 rumble you hear these days is most likely coming from some truck . . . which I am convinced detracts from what the rumbly sound used to mean. Pure disappointment when you want it to be coming from an SS396 or a 440 Road Runner and it turns out to be just another F150 or Silverado.


Norm

I had a rumbling V8 on a 76 Malibu, it was no way close to Muscle car status, top speed I could get it up to was 85mph..... It was a 305V8 2 barrel carb with a set of turbo mufflers on it... Sounded good and that's all...so just because something has a V8 and rumbles loudly does not make it a Muscle car....
I hate these threads....

[squat]

Originally Posted by RedRaider2014

Usually I respond with "What do you drive?" Typical Answers are -
A F-150 Shoulda got a Chevy
B Honda (any japanese car) Lol
C CBR 750 Thats not a sports bike Shoulda got 1000cc
D Suv - Going to soccer practice I see, dont forget the snacks.
E Other - Unless your helping me pay for it, GTFOutta HERE!!

I like these responses. I'm going to steal them.

[JR 1]

Why are so many concerned about these labels anyway? Can a 6th gen V6 outperform a 60's or 70's V8 powered Camaro, Chevelle, etc? Certainly! Does that make it a muscle car? Probably not, but people have different definitions.

Seriously though, just enjoy your Camaro. Whatever label you put on it changes nothing.

[Dropspeed]

According both Wikipedia ans Merrien-Webster a V6 does not fit the description.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_car

From the web

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving."[2] A large V8 engine is fitted in a 2-door, rear wheel drive, family-style mid-size or full-size car designed for four or more passengers. Sold at an affordable price, muscle cars are intended for mainly street use and occasional drag racing.[3][4][5][6] They are distinct from two-seat sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring and road racing. Developed simultaneously in their own markets, muscle cars also emerged from manufacturers in Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.

According to Muscle Cars, a book written by Peter Henshaw, a "muscle car" is "exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder's philosophy of taking a small car and putting a large-displacement engine in it. The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 horsepower weakling."[7] Henshaw further asserts that the muscle car was designed for straight-line speed, and did not have the "sophisticated chassis", "engineering integrity", or "lithe appearance" of European high-performance cars.[7]
However, opinions vary as to whether high-performance full-size cars, compacts, pony car and muscle cars.[8]

[Lacpac]

We can call it anything we want since we live in a society of relativism. Truth is not absolute, it's whatever is true for me. Words and their definitions are being redefined, political correctness abounds, there is no such thing as public opinion, just published opinion. Therefore, I drive a v6 z28, with LFX headers. .. And that's Truth for me.

[BlaqWhole]

You guys talking about "Muscle Cars", a lot of you don't really know what defines a true "Muscle Car". If the Camaro V6 was a true American Muscle Car, then our Muscle Car would be getting beat by Maximas, G37s, 370Zs, some of the 350Zs, the Taurus SHO, the G8 GXP, the Soltice GXP, the Genesis coupe, Eclipse GT, several Honda Accords, some V6 Camrys would keep up with us, every Evo and WRX, etc. And some of those cars would straight up walk us. Would you respect a true American Muscle Car if it were getting wiped by the vast majority of the imports?

[rontammy0]

People today are spoiled when it comes to the modern muscle car. With these cars running in the the 13s ..high 12s stock it's amazing what technology can do. Remember the days with the v8 car..no traction control...no abs...a bear to keep straight . Now those cars were great in their time. I wanted a classic when I was hunting for a musclecar. Then I drove the camaro....2011 mustang gt. I decided I would be better off with a 400 plus hp car with full warranty that I could drive across the country in comfort. We have modern muscle cars...I wouldn't put my camaro in the same category as a hemi cuda...charger r/t..or any of the classics. Those days are long gone..so is the muscle car. Like I said today's cars are modern muscle cars. And we are reliving the hp wars of the old era....sit back and enjoy it, because like before ..it will end.

[BlaqWhole]

Also, cars over a decade old would still be beating us pretty easily if the V6 were our Muscle Car. The Camaro is a muscle car. But just because it is a Camaro does not automatically make it a Muscle Car. By extension of the definition, the SS model (or the top performance models) are the Muscle Cars. The V6 itself is not a Muscle Car.

Originally Posted by Dropspeed

According both Wikipedia ans Merrien-Webster a V6 does not fit the description.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_car

From the web

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving."[2] A large V8 engine is fitted in a 2-door, rear wheel drive, family-style mid-size or full-size car designed for four or more passengers. Sold at an affordable price, muscle cars are intended for mainly street use and occasional drag racing.[3][4][5][6] They are distinct from two-seat sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring and road racing. Developed simultaneously in their own markets, muscle cars also emerged from manufacturers in Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.

According to Muscle Cars, a book written by Peter Henshaw, a "muscle car" is "exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder's philosophy of taking a small car and putting a large-displacement engine in it. The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 horsepower weakling."[7] Henshaw further asserts that the muscle car was designed for straight-line speed, and did not have the "sophisticated chassis", "engineering integrity", or "lithe appearance" of European high-performance cars.[7]
However, opinions vary as to whether high-performance full-size cars, compacts, pony car and muscle cars.[8]

Exactly. The V6 was not designed for performance. The manufacturer optimized the performance, but it is not performance based.