It used to be that car journalists and car publications understood cars. Understood really basic things about them, at least. Such as what a muscle car is. Then one comes across something such as this:
“Muscle cars were key to Detroit automakers’ prestige and appeal to younger consumers, but years of government emissions regulations and soaring fuel prices made it seem like the glory days were gone forever . . . The idea there would someday be an emissions-free badass propulsion system that makes 670 hp, 627 lb.-ft. (850 Nm) of torque, goes 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.3 seconds, and does the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds would have caused the audience’s heads to explode . . . But that’s what Dodge engineers have delivered in the propulsion system for the Charger Daytona, and why it has made our 2025 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems’ winners list. It boasts all the things that define the powertrain of a true American muscle car: high horsepower and torque, enabling blistering quarter-mile times, and ‘an engine’ that sounds like a beast from the gates of Hell.”
This would have been returned-to-sender (as from the copy desk, back to the naif who wrote it) when car publications were edited by people who understood basic things about cars, such as what a muscle car isn’t. More finely, knew the difference between a muscle car and a performance car.
A “bad-ass propulsion system” can be defined as one that produces a great deal of power and delivers impressive performance. A Tesla S Plaid can be said to have a “bad-ass propulsion system” but no one who knows anything about cars would describe a Tesla Model S as a “muscle car.” It is a performance car, no doubt. But performance (and power) does not make a car a muscle car. If they did, then every performance car – electric and otherwise – would be a muscle car and that is obviously ridiculous. It muddies the meaning of the term such that it becomes meaningless.
What then defines a muscle car? More finely, what distinguishes a muscle car from a performance car? Everyone who knows anything about cars knows the answer to this question. It is as basic as knowing what the difference is between the men’s vs. the women’s symbol on the doors of public restrooms. They are of course both restrooms. – just a muscle car and a performance car are both cars. But they are not the same kinds of cars, just as the men’s room and the women’ room are not the same rooms.
Ok, so what’s the key – the essential- difference?
It is that a muscle car has an engine and specifically, a V8 engine. Nothing else and nothing less will do. It does not matter how powerful – or not – the engine is; just as (conversely) it does not matter how powerful an electric motor (or an inline six or a turbo four) is. The electric Charger described by the naif may have a “bad-ass propulsion system” and it does run the quarter mile quicker than any muscle car but that no more makes it a “muscle car” than a female who can bench-press more than a man makes her a man.
There’s something missing – and we all know what it is.
A key point to make here is that it’s not a question of better – or worse. That is the mistake the naif and others of his tribe make when they evaluate a performance car such as the electric Charger by muscle car standards of performance. If that is the standard, then a Porsche 911 is also a “muscle car” – which is of course silly. It is a high-performance sports car. These words convey a specific meaning, which is necessary to understanding. It would be incoherent to describe a 911 as a “muscle car” and it is equally incoherent to describe a high-performance electric car as a “muscle car.”
A muscle car – the actual thing – need not even be particularly powerful or particularly high-performance. One example – and there are many – will serve to make the point. The 1973 Pontiac GTO’s most “bad-ass” available engine made all of 250 horsepower and the car ran the quarter-mile in the 15 second range. This is power – and performance – comparable to that offered by numerous current-year crossover SUVs with turbocharged four cylinder engines such as the 2025 Mazda CX-30 Turbo. Is the latter a “muscle car”?
The question is obviously silly. Or ought to be.
But the ’73 GTO absolutely is a muscle car, irrespective of its power or its performance because it has a V8 engine under its hood and it’s a big one (455 cubic inches, 7.5 liters). That engine may only make less than half the power of the “bad-ass propulsion system” in the EV Charger but it makes sounds that no electric propulsion system, however “bad ass,” can ever make except artificially. Same goes for sixes and fours – however “bad ass” they may be in terms of the power they make. They cannot sound like a V8 because they aren’t V8s and they will never have the size-that-matters to people who understand that size is what matters – under the hood – when it comes muscle cars.
Sigh. That a car publication needs such things to be explained is a measure of just how out-of-tune car publications have become.
“Not only does the Charger Daytona Scat Pack’s dual-motor propulsion system have incredible specs, it also can rattle windows all over the neighborhood with a ferocious synthetic exhaust roar.”
God almighty.
And they ask me why I drink.
. . .
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Eric,
I am guessing most “car” magazines no longer have a copy desk. It got cut in the last budget cut……….
And a recording of a real engine is really stupid.
Hi Rich,
I’d guess they probably don’t! Just the same as the graphics/make-up departments they used to have. All those people got cashiered – leaving writers to do the writing, the editing, the headline writing, the formatting, etc. Soon I suppose AI will replace the writers, too!
There was a pro EV puff piece in a Seattle ‘news’ site (KOMO) touting advancements in EVs – costs less to own than a gasser, etc. Then the Seattle EV fans chimed in the comments, it was nauseating. And of course the usual PNW attitude came shining thru – smug, if you’re pro gasser you’re a rube, get with it you don’t know what I know etc.
“Why, the battery will last the life of the vehicle these days!” Ralf. Uhh huhh.
Morning, Sparkey!
These people – the EV apologists – are delusional at this point. They are like the people who continue to get “vaccinated” for “COVID.” That little Hyundai EV I wrote about a couple weeks ago? Not a hateful thing. But it’s basically just a compact-sized crossover with an electric drivetrain. It costs $42k to start. One could buy something very similar (without the EV drivetrain) like a Soobie Crosstrek for about $28k. The EV costs about $15k more up front and does not cost less to drive because of the cost of electricity and will likely cost more to own overall since EVs depreciate must faster and need an expensive component (the battery) much sooner than most cars will ever need a new engine or transmission. You also must deal with the EV’s shorter range, inconveniently log recharge times, etc.
Point being: Buy an EV if you like the electric drivetrain. But the idea that it’s going to save you money (or time) is something only a fool can believe.
Video of an EV converted AE86
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE2oDKguy3Q
For the moment check your assumptions. Absolutely the fake noise is stupid.
The rest of the car I think shows that the willingness to tinker is still alive. No, it’s not motorheads picking a cam for their small block and that’s sad. I wish things never changed, too. But they do. We can cry all day about the corruption that’s forcing EVs but is that going to change anything? So what’s wrong with in parallel figuring out a different thing? If there’s to be EV I like seeing people who are willing to make them less crappy.
They kept the stick shift and not as a pointless middle box. They tuned the motor to have a torque curve that is the same as the original 4A-GEU engine. You have to engage the clutch as you accelerate, there is not infinite power and torque all the time and the motor RPM hits a max where you have to shift. It’s still got it’s solid rear axle with a limited slip.
There’s no Big Brother spy systems pre-installed. It’s got shit range (like 90 miles) but it’s only 100 lbs heavier than the original Corolla it started as.
In non-clown world something like this would I bet be kind of fun to use as a commuter instead of Leaf and might actually sell in a competitive market. I think driving around town is one use of an EV that actually makes sense. Errand trips are tough on ICE but not for fancy golf carts like this, you’re not doing any damage to the car with short trips, not fully warming it up, stop-and-go driving. I could really see driving this instead of my truck to work daily.
I agree, Kyto – believe it or not!
I do not mindlessly oppose EVs as such. I oppose EVs being forced on us via the gradual elimination of alternatives to EVs (via the regs). I dislike homogenous appliances with the character of a piece of cardboard. If the market could freely operate, we might just be able to have – as alternatives – EVs such as you describe.
Your assessment of muscle cars is pretty spot on. It was trying to shoehorn too much engine into a pretty ordinary car, slap on some graphics and sell it at a price a normal working stiff could get one.
I’d call the hot hatchbacks more muscle car than any EV. The GTI and WRX have more in common with a GTO in that respect. They lack the V8 rumble and sound, not a small part to be sure.
Still, I’d suggest that given the reality that is VW and Subaru tried to sell something with a reasonable power but mostly is fun and provided a “Look at me” factor for hormone toxic young adults. They served as a starting point to customize, too.
Even back in the day no one would have made the mistake of calling a Corvette or really even a Mustang (or actually a Camaro, Eric’s beloved Firebird or Challenger) a muscle car. They were sports cars or pony cars.
One of the highlights of my year is going to the Great Lakes Dragway with my kids and grandkids and watching pre 1967 drag cars run the quarter mile.
There is a whole subculture of us who do non traditional hot rods. This includes rat rods and things like older pickups with 6-53 Detroit diesels squeezed in to the engine bay. (Bonus points for an air or Jack and spring starter, no battery required!).
This is a very visceral reaction to the homogeneity and blandness of modern plastic and electronics Vehicle Shaped Objects (VSO’s). In a world of placeholders, we’re still human, and exemplifying that spirit and creativity.
We had an older couple move in down the street recently. I was on my way home (in the Firebird) from work when I saw the man working outside, so I pulled up and introduced myself. I told him I hope my car isn’t too loud for them when I leave for work in the mornings. He smiled and said nope, he loves the sound of a healthy V8 rumbling by first thing in the morning.
New neighbors: approved.
NYT: Lower-Income Americans Are Missing Car Payments
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/business/car-loans-missed-payments.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u08.ks_I.-213JniSlZxK&smid=url-share
‘Audacious engineers and designers put in time and fought battles to make this wild car a reality.’ — Ward’s
Yeah, it took real courage to fight for an EeeVee when ‘Joe Biden’ wanted IC engines to be banned by 2035, and handed out $7,500 tax credits even for ‘wild’ EeeVees. It’s like George W Bush — born on third base and thought he hit a home run.
“When you start the Charger Daytona up in Drag or Track modes, and then floor the accelerator, you’d swear there was a Hemi under the hood.” — 10 Best judge Christie Schweinsberg [sic]
Heh, heh — she said ‘Drag’ mode. That’s a gay reference, y’all. And from that bulge in her pants, you’d think there was a pork sword under the hood.
‘The nickel-cobalt-aluminum chemistry of the lithium-ion battery cells maximizes power per gram, which Dodge says makes it the battery-electric version of high-octane fuel.’
Still the frayed-collar stenographers allude to IC engine terminology, like vegans lusting for synthetic burgers and bacon.
‘The all-electric propulsion of the Charger Daytona stands out because it allows this modern vehicle to do all the things muscle cars do — with zero emissions.’
This is what happens when non-binary folks with a degree in basket weaving try to write about cars. EeeVee emissions come out of the power plant stack, silly!
‘Ward, I’m worried about the Charger.’ — June Cleaver, ass seen on TeeVee
Well then, I guess that the bicycle I had as a boy with the baseball cards held on by cloths pins to make an “engine” noise on the wheel spokes would qualify as a motor cycle!
Definitely a super bike!
With the exception of this web site, I don’t read any car journals (with the exception of flipping through the 20-year-old Car & Driver at the doctor/dentist waiting room). It’s not surprising that they’ve been tainted in the same way sports broadcasts, etc have.
They ask me why I drink AND grind my teeth…
I usually just say it’ll take to long to explain, just give me the drugs!!!
The real truth about the milage of electric devices…vs gas….
https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/car/what-it-costs-to-charge-a-tesla-monthly-vs-using-gas-for-a-honda-accord/
Interesting article, but it could be called partial truth. For the Honda, both the mileage (32 mpg) and fuel cost ($3.192 per gallon) are cited. But for the Tesla, neither the kWh used for charging, nor the assumed power cost (cents per kWh) are given; only a monthly cost. Show me the data.
I can lip-synch “I Saw Her Standing There”. That doesn’t make me Paul McCartney.
The neighbors that like old cars do notice the sound my rat motored Chevy makes through it’s dual exhaust when I leave to go to a cruise in. I don’t floor it but it exudes a “presence” as they say that an EV will never have.