The muscle car, as we know it, is dying. Change is inevitable, of course, and in this day and age, the change of electrification in the automotive industry is transforming its entire landscape, and the world of American muscle cars is seeing one of the most dramatic changes of all.
With Chevrolet sending off its Camaro amid speculation of an electrified replacement, and Dodge ceremoniously bidding farewell to its legendary suite of HEMI V8-powered performance cars and SUVs like the Challenger and Charger Hellcat and 392, Challenger Demon 170, and others, plenty of American performance enthusiasts feel as though the muscle car species is undergoing a mass extinction.
Seeing this sendoff of the very best of American V8 performance from OEMs across the country is certainly bittersweet. But Dodge has already shown us the next chapter with the introduction of the new Charger, which contains the Charger’s first-ever all-electric powertrain, and a powerful six-cylinder model, as well.
Perhaps, the future will embrace a new crop of muscle cars that show off American performance in the form of smaller engines and electrified drivetrains. But until then, the concept of the muscle car many of us know and love today is a dying breed, and that’s certainly a loss worth mourning.
However, what if the beloved dream muscle car, with its brawny V8 and soaring performance figures, isn’t ready to go just yet? Of course, OEMs have reached the point at which they have to switch gears and keep up with the evolution of industry standards, but enthusiasts are still able to hold on to the purist American performance philosophy with cars that are unabashedly loud and fast, with the help of tuning and customization firms.
In the past, tuning houses often epitomized the pinnacle of American performance (think Callaway Corvettes, Saleen Mustangs, Hennessey Vipers, etc.). But for some years, they took a relative backseat as OEM muscle cars got more brash and zany with their performance figures. Today, tuning houses are entering the limelight as the final bastion of the purist muscle car. Look to firms like SVE, who offer the heritage-inspired Yenko/SC Camaro with as much as 1,500 horsepower in the Stage III conversion, or even 800-horsepower versions of luxurious three-row family SUVs like the Tahoe and Escalade.
Meanwhile, the iconic Hennessey offers powerful conversions for plenty of American staples, showing off the everlasting thrill of V8 performance in its Corvette, Mustang, TRX, and Cadillac conversions, even boasting 6×6 trucks for an added head-turning factor. There’s no sugar-coating the fact that the American muscle car has reached the end of an era as we know it, but it’s not over just yet, and thanks to tuning firms across the country, it’s not going out without a bang.
This article appeared in our July 2024 Issue.
