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Muscle Car vs. Sports Car: What’s the Difference?

Muscle cars and sports cars both deliver exhilarating performance, but they can take different roads to the same destination. Sports car is a more general term for any nimble two-door car that favors performance over all else, while the classic muscle car is a big American V8 coupe that prioritizes acceleration over handling. If you’re considering buying one, here are some factors to consider.

Muscle Cars vs. Sports Cars: Which Should You Buy?

A muscle car could be for you if you like the boxier, muscular aesthetic of muscle cars and don’t care too much about sporty handling. Muscle cars also offer roomier interiors and trunks, making them more practical than sports cars.

However, because there’s only one true muscle car left in the new-car market, the Dodge Challenger, it will be harder to find one. Used 2008-and-newer Challengers are reasonably easy to find in Carfax used car listings, but other American V8 coupes, like the 2004-06 Pontiac GTO, are harder to come by. If you broaden your search to the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, you’ll have plenty to choose from.

Just look at the Carfax report – some muscle car owners can be hard on their vehicles.

You can find classic ’60s and ’70s muscle cars on Carfax, but they are rare. You might have to head to a classic car auction to get a well-maintained example, which will cost you.

Unlike muscle cars, sports cars are designed to balance acceleration and cornering ability. That means they are better overall performers. There are also far more sports cars on the market than muscle cars, so you’ll have a wider array of choices, new and used.

At the affordable end of the spectrum, you have the Mazda Miata. There are plenty of used Miatas in Carfax’s used car listings. If you spend more, you’ll get bigger engines and more rarefied luxury badges. New Porsche Boxster and Jaguar F-Type versions cost around $60,000, but used versions can be had for less than $35,000.

To learn more about what separates muscle cars and sports cars, we dug into the history of these car enthusiast favorites.

What Is a Muscle Car?

Muscle cars are an All-American invention that began appearing in the 1960s and early 1970s. They’re typically rear-wheel-drive, two-door American production cars equipped with a large V8 engine, wide tires, flared fenders, and large hood scoops. They were often the top-performing versions of typical (read boring) daily drivers, such as the Chevrolet Chevelle.

Muscle cars exist primarily to go fast in a straight line, whereas true sports cars also emphasize handling. As such, muscle cars were often purchased for drag racing, whether at the track or on the street. It’s important to note that all muscle cars are sports cars, but not all sports cars are muscle cars.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 / Credit: General Motors

Noteworthy classic muscle cars include the AMC AMX, Chevrolet Chevelle SS, Dodge Challenger, Oldsmobile 442, Pontiac GTO, and Plymouth Barracuda.

A combination of factors during the mid-1970s, including pollution, fuel economy requirements, and skyrocketing insurance rates, ultimately contributed to a significant dip in muscle car sales.

Several American V8 cars are available today, from the Mustang GT and Camaro SS to the Dodge Charger R/T. The muscle car spirit even lives on in SUVs like the 465-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT. However, none of those are true muscle cars.

The lone true muscle car on the market is the Dodge Challenger. Resurrected in 2008, the modern Challenger pays homage to the styling of the first-generation model from 1970. Though its base engine is a 305-horsepower V6, the Challenger is otherwise a V8-powered vehicle. A 5.0-liter “Hemi” V8 generates 372 horsepower, while a 6.4-liter V8 puts out 485 horses. The real powerhouses of the lineup are the supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V8 with 717 horsepower and the Hellcat Redeye with an outrageous 797 horses.

By contrast, the most powerful engine available in the 1970 Challenger was a special-order Hemi V8 rated at 425 horsepower.

What Is a Sports Car?

Built to handle twisty roads with authority, early sports cars came from legendary brands like Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Morgan, and MG. Many of these sports cars came across the ocean during the 1950s and ’60s. Car buffs considered them a welcome alternative to the hulking vehicles from Detroit that otherwise ruled U.S. roads.

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray / Credit: General Motors

The Chevrolet Corvette is widely considered the first bona fide American sports car. Wrapped in sleek fiberglass bodywork, it was unveiled in January 1953 as a concept car at General Motors’ Motorama exposition in New York. Public reaction was so positive that the automaker rushed the car into dealers’ showrooms by June 1953. It has been in continuous production ever since. A dramatically restyled, mid-engine version of the venerable ‘Vette, pictured above, is debuting for the 2020 model year.

In their purest form, sports cars emphasize speed and handling over anything else, including passenger comfort and practicality.

Most, though not all, are two-seaters. Those with a smallish back seat are called “2+2” models. Sports cars can be found in either coupe or convertible body styles with sleekly styled, aerodynamic exteriors.

The engine can be front-mounted, rear-mounted, or mid-mounted just behind the driver. Sports cars are traditionally rear-wheel drive, though all-wheel-drive configurations have become more common in recent years. All-wheel drive allows enhanced handling and better wet-road traction.

The current crop of sports cars includes the Audi TT, BMW Z4, Chevrolet Corvette, Fiat 124 Spider, Jaguar F-Fype, Lexus RC, Mazda Miata, Nissan 370Z, Porsche 911, Subaru BRZ, and Toyota Supra.

The Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro are members of a subclass called “pony cars.” They’re characterized by a long hood, short deck lid, and rear-wheel drive. Both models offer a choice of V6 and V8 engines and are available in ultra-high-performance variants.

History of Muscle Cars

The consensus is that the first muscle car was the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. This car was a first on many levels, not the least of which was its introduction of the first high-compression overhead valve V8. It had a 303-cubic inch engine displacement, a two-barrel carburetor, and an output of 135 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque split in a relatively wide RPM power band (3,600 and 1,800, respectively). This gave it powerful low-end speed from its torque and high-end muscle with horsepower. This was a winning combination at the time, as evidenced by the car’s near-sweep of the 1950 NASCAR season with eight wins out of ten races.

In 1951, Hudson introduced the ground-breaking Hornet, which even today holds legendary status as a renowned race car. Although its production period was limited thanks to the financial shakiness of Hudson, the car recently made a comeback on the big screen in the popular animated series Cars.

Chrysler C-300
Chrysler C-300

Mid-50s: Popularity Contest

By the mid-1950s, every major manufacturer in the U.S. was on board with the idea of muscle cars for the masses. These vehicles were designed to maximize engine size and output in eye-catching body designs that spoke of heavy reliability and lightweight speed simultaneously while minimizing cost to the consumer to make them as affordable (and thus popular) as possible.

Notables in these trends were the 1955 Chrysler C-300, which boasted a whopping 300 horsepower (more than double the Olds 88 of just six years before). This car became the new car to beat at NASCAR, grabbing records and wins with abandon.

In 1957, though, another car many claim as the first actual muscle car was introduced: the American Motors Rambler Rebel. It was a relatively compact car for the time, with a power output of 255 horses, and was one of the first production vehicles to feature unibody construction. This AMC car also featured an unusual piece of technology for the period: fuel injection.

Pontiac GTO
Pontiac GTO

1960s: The Muscle Car Era

By the 1960s, muscle cars were an established part of American culture. They were purchased by young and old as street racers, show-off cars to wow friends, weekend race machines, and more. Nightly hot rod races, usually unsanctioned, were held across the nation. Weekend track days were filled with drag races and oval-track runs by cars that, during the week, were driven to work as commuter vehicles by their owners.

It was during the ’60s that muscle cars came into their own, and many believe they peaked in the late 60s and very early 1970s before the oil crisis and new federal laws nearly killed the muscular dreams of everyday motorists.

Race divisions and brands for American automakers were suddenly in. Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth had Mopar, GM’s Pontiac introduced GTO, and more. Speaking of the GTO, it was initially introduced in 1964 as an option package on the Pontiac Tempest. The GTO was developed in a project led by John DeLorean, who was Pontiac division president at the time. DeLorean, true to form, quietly ignored General Motors’ internal limitation of 330 cubic inches on small cars to build the Pontiac GTO and compete with the Dodge Polara 500 and Plymouth Sport Fury, both of which had shrunk in size as their engines grew.

AMC tried a comeback during the mid-60s that was partially successful. While the Rambler Marlin was essentially a flop, it led to the 1967 Rambler Rebel, considered one of the greatest and most underrated muscle cars of the time. However, this relatively pedestrian-looking sedan competed with some of the most iconic 1960s muscle, with the now-highly collectible Plymouth Barracuda and many others dominating the public’s eye.

By the late 1960s, many of the most well-known muscle cars we love today were becoming too expensive for the average buyer. As engine sizes grew and technologies were added, these cars started pushing the $5,000 price point, which was well beyond what most could afford. In response to consumer demand, automakers began offering more budget-minded muscle cars, which had less performance but the same assumed credibility as their more costly brothers. The Plymouth Road Runner and the Dodge Super Bee were the most well-known.

The distinction between muscle and pony cars was often blurred during this period. The 1970 Plymouth Duster is an example of this, with muscle car power but pony car size. Meanwhile, the last gasp of American muscle was coming as the muscle car peaked for the period with the introductions of the 1970 AMC Rebel Machine, Dodge Challenger, and Plymouth Road Runner.

1970s: The Near-Death of the Muscle Car

Three things happened in the early 1970s to nearly kill off the muscle car. First, in 1970, the federal government passed the Clean Air Act, which required smog controls on cars and trucks. This was followed by the OPEC oil embargo, which led to price controls and gasoline rationing. Simultaneously, the insurance industry began adding surcharges to policies on high-powered cars to allay associated risk factors. This made muscle cars too expensive or impractical for most buyers, and once-familiar power models disappeared from advertising and showroom floors.

Many cars parked in barns and garages by enthusiasts were undrivable regardless, as fuel for them was unavailable. The oil embargoes and Clean Air Act had changed gasoline forever, making 101-octane fuel almost impossible to find where once it had been commonplace. Removing lead from gasoline lowered octane ratings to our now-standard 91, and the viscosity many high-performance engines depended on.

At this time, many once-powerful nameplates for muscle cars were relegated to down-tuned luxury performance models and décor packages. Many believe that the last true performance muscle car of the 1970s was the 1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD455.

Some nameplates survived due to their exclusivity or ability to adapt quickly to new social trends. The Chevrolet Corvette, for example, and pony cars like the Camaro and Ford Mustang held on.

2020 Dodge Challenger / Photo Credit: FCA
2021 Dodge Challenger / Photo Credit: FCA

Late 1980s to Present: Resurgence and Modern Comeback

During the mid-and late-1980s, renewed interest in muscle cars had carmakers continuing production on some models, primarily by adding fuel injection and overdrive-equipped transmissions. Some cars also found new fame in foreign markets, most notably in Australia, where many remained in production for a long time.

By the mid-1990s, American interest in muscle cars was slowly returning. Sport-equipped models of popular sedans, such as the Chevrolet Impala and Mercury Grand Marquis, were seeing market growth and interest. It wasn’t until after the 2008 economic crisis and bankruptcy restructuring by GM and Chrysler that genuine interest in muscle cars returned, however.

Today, most iconic muscle cars are relegated to collector’s stables and car shows. However, many of those nameplates have made comebacks, including the Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Ford GT, not to mention the resurgence of the holdouts in the Chevrolet Corvette and others. Many modern muscle cars use nostalgic throwbacks in their body design to elicit more interest and solidify their muscle car heritage. The Challenger is the most obvious example of this. Others, like the Corvette, are entirely new and different cars, winning awards internationally for their appeal.

Whatever the look, one thing is for sure: the muscle car is perpetually growing. There is no “grown-up” for this automotive segment, as there is always a way to get bigger, faster, better, and prettier. Today’s American muscle car is as grown up as it gets, but that will change with another generation and another after that.

Aaron Turpen contributed to this article.

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