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While the US is still the dominant force in the global muscle car segment, Germany has challenged it with some incredible models over the years.
While nobody properly admits that they like muscle cars, everyone secretly does – apart from possibly Greta Thunberg. Muscle cars – like the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger – are just a bit silly and ridiculous. They are normal-sized coupes or 2-door sedans which have big engines and make a lot of smoke when pulling away from the lights.
Throughout automotive history, the country which pretty much invented and popularized the muscle car was – and still is – the USA. American companies like Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge are known for their muscle cars with most of American car culture revolving around them. Interestingly, while the US is the king of the muscle car, there have been other countries’ manufacturers which have tried taking the crown. One of these is Germany. The Germans may be known for their meticulousness when designing and building a car, but they are also known for sometimes going completely mad – like AMG engineering a completely new 6.2-liter V8 to fight its rivals from Munich and Ingolstadt.
While the US is still the dominant winner in the global muscle car horsepower war, Germany has had some pretty great models with which to do battle. With that, here are ten of the coolest American and German muscle cars ever produced.
The Lotus Carlton - also known as the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton or Opel Lotus Omega – was a sports sedan from the 1990s which showed BMW that they weren’t the only practical and fast automaker on the market. The Carlton beat the E34 M5’s top speed and could do the 0-124-0 mph test in just 17 seconds.
The Carlton was fitted with a heavily modified version of Opel’s inline-6, enlarged to 3.6 liters, and added two turbochargers to it. The engine internals were upgraded and as a result, the car produced an impressive 377 hp, mated to the same 6-speed manual found in the C4 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.
Related: The Lotus Carlton Is An Unassuming Supercar Slayer From The '90s
The Ford Mustang is probably one of the most well-known cars on the planet thanks to its initial and continued success. The Mustang is currently in its sixth generation and is currently better than ever. Along with all the excellent special edition models such as the GT350, Bullitt, and Mach 1, Ford also introduced the full-fat GT500 variant.
The current GT500 is fitted with a modified version of the GT350’s Voodoo V8 – which is a modified version of the standard Coyote V8 found in the normal Mustang GT. The Predator V8 produces a ridiculous 760 hp and 625 lb-ft of torque thanks to a big supercharger bolted to the engine. The GT500 also marks the first time a dual-clutch transmission has been used in a Mustang.
The BMW M3 is the standard for the small executive sport sedan and multiple companies have tried kicking it from its pedestal. The E92 generation M3 is officially considered to be a sports car, but thanks to the 4.0-liter V8 under the hood, it is more muscle car than BMW likes to admit.
The M3 produces 414 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque going to the rear wheels only via either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The 4.0-liter V8 screams all the way to its peak power at an astonishing 8,300 rpm, making it one of the best driver’s cars ever made.
Related: Here's How The BMW E92 M3 Compares With Its Rivals
The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak is a mouthful to say, but it is currently the ultimate version on sale. The Jailbreak features the awesome 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8, which in this application produces 807 hp – just one hp down from the Demon in its ‘normal’ mode.
The Redeye Jailbreak gives its new owners multiple more options to choose from, essentially offering the chance to create a One-of-One Challenger for collection purposes. Sadly, the internal combustion engine horsepower war is seemingly coming to a close as Dodge has already unveiled their idea of an electric muscle car.
Related: This Is What Makes The 2022 Challenger Hellcat Jailbreak So Special
The Mercedes-Benz CLS is essentially a more stylish version of the E-Class – much like the Audi A7 is to the A6. The CLS63 AMG however, was a completely different animal from the E63 AMG on which it was based.
The CLS63 AMG had the same 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 as the E63, but it sounded angrier and more brutal. The CLS also looked better than the E63 with its beautiful swooping lines and sculpted arches. Don’t let the looks deceive though, as it was definitely a muscle sedan underneath all the German luxury.
The Chevrolet Camaro is one of the American ‘Big Three’ muscle cars which rule the segment – much like the BMW M5, Mercedes-AMG E63, and Audi RS6 reign supreme in Europe. The current Camaro has many different variants available; however, the best of the lot is definitely the top-spec ZL1.
The Camaro ZL1 is fitted with the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 out of the C7 Corvette Z06, which produces 650 hp – all of which is sent to the rear wheels only via either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic. The Camaro has won multiple head-to-head tests involving both the Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Ford Mustang GT500, mostly thanks to its superior handling.
Related: Here's Why The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Is So Special
The BMW M6 was the coupe version of the M5 – like the current M8 – and was both a luxurious GT car and a rampaging monster. The M6 had the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 as the M5, which produced 570 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque.
The M6 featured a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission as standard; however, the North American version had the option of a 6-speed manual. In addition to the 190-mph top speed, the M6 could easily do a burnout and become a smoke machine around a track – just like a proper muscle car.
The modern Dodge Charger is the 4-door version of the Challenger and shares most of the parts. As a result, the Charger in its highest trim is among the three fastest sedans in production, up there alongside the Bentley Flying Spur Speed.
The Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody is the mid-tier of the Hellcat variants, producing 707 hp from its 6.2-liter supercharged engine. The power goes to the rear wheels only via an 8-speed automatic – a modified unit from ZF. The Charger is one of the coolest sports sedans on sale, definitely one we will miss in a few years.
The W204 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG was a muscle car from the get-go. It had AMG’s absolutely ridiculous 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 in it and produced 450 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque. This all while its main competitors had engines around two liters of displacement smaller – an entire Golf GTI’s worth of engine size!
While the normal C63 AMG was already a lunatic, the best version was the Black Series, which produced 510 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The power went through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic to the rear wheels only, making it a vehicle in which the driver needs to be properly awake to drive fast. It is one of the best German muscle cars ever made.
The Ford Mustang GT350 is a weird vehicle. While the Mustang itself has undergone a major change with the sixth generation – turning into more of a sports car than a muscle car – the GT350 took the sports car route and improved it massively. The GT350 was the first Mustang that could properly keep up with European sports cars around a track, with corners, rather than just in a straight line.
The Voodoo V8 with its modernized internals makes it one of the most unique Mustangs ever, definitely worthy of collector’s status. Fortunately, it is still a Mustang, so it can just as easily do the sideways muscle car antics as it can go around a corner, making it one of the best American muscle cars ever made.
Michael De Kock is passionate about cars and everything from avocados to particle accelerators. He has studied psychology and knows a little bit about fixing cars (old Land Rovers mostly). He also blogs and has a book, 125 Creative Writing Prompts for Petrolheads, available on Amazon. His philosophy in life: Stop the hate - Adopt a V8.