[DGthe3]

Muscle cars, and their owners, are loud and proud. They represent the brute force method towards performance. More of a shotgun than a sniper rifle, either way you get the job done but one is a whole lot more fun. There is a rebellious and animalistic side to them as evident in names like Challenger, Mustang, Firebird, and Charger. All of them sound like a beast. And all offer an 'in your face' style and share a long hood with a relatively short back end. They offer accessible performance, both in terms of price and driveability. Generally, they outperform other types of performance cars that cost more than 25% more. Plus, when driving them on the street, the power band is so wide that you can get up and go in nearly any gear.

As far as the muscle car wars, its been reduced to mostly bickering due to globalization. Sure, there will always be Ford guys, Mopar guys, and GM guys, (and girls). But nearly all will place muscle cars above imports. the original muscle car wars had their opening shots in the late 50s and ended with legends like the 454 Chevelle and the Hemi 'Cuda. In the day, those cars could beat anything in a straight line, and will still hold their own against todays cars. Each manufacturer wanted the bragging rights, and associated sales that having the most powerful car on the market would bring.

But in the end, it comes down to having an emotional connection with the car. You should get a grin every time you fire it up. And it should be very difficult to fully explain to people who don't understand in the first place. I would rather have a mint 454 Chevelle SS than a Veyron if both were offered to me for free. Call me crazy, but thats the way it is.