Drive Genius

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 wasn’t the only “Drag Pack” variant the automaker sold in 1970. Its other muscle car of the era, the Torino, also came in the spec. The latter’s Coke bottle-style body wasn’t the only thing that separated it from the more famous Mach One. It’s Super Cobra Jet engine, a 429-cubic-inch big-block V-8, had a smidge more displacement. Thanks to that, the mill put out a claimed 375 horses, although enthusiasts believe Ford undersold the model and that the true figure was closer to 400 hp. Whatever its actual output, the most hardcore Torino was an undeniable beast, able to cover the quarter mile in under 14 seconds at a top speed of 101 mph.

Ford didn’t leave all the muscle car fun to its main brand. Mercury also had a couple in its lineup at the start of the 1970s. Chief among those was its best-seller of the era, the Cougar. As with so many vehicles released during the height of the “Horsepower Wars” there were plenty of flavors to choose from, the best of which was the high-performance Eliminator variant with a 428 Super Cobra Jet V-8. The mill, which makes more than a few appearances on this list, was brawny, generating an exhilarating 400 hp. The Cougar Eliminator may not be as fondly remembered as the Barracuda, Camaro, or Mustang, but it could hold its own.

The Mercury Cyclone wasn’t long for this world. In the eight years the model was on the market, it underwent a name change (it launched as the Comet Cyclone), was the subject of a dramatic redesign and saw four different generations released into the wild. Though it never quite caught on, the last iteration, which debuted in 1970, has its partisans. All you need to do is to look at the variant to see why. The high-performance model came with spoilers in the front and back, racing stripes, and an available 429-cubic-inch Super Cobra Jet V-8. The engine had a factory-rated output of 375 hp, but to this day some enthusiasts are convinced it had even more might than that. It was also rare, with only 341 examples rolling off the line.

Oldsmobile, sadly defunct since 2004, was once a glittering jewel in the General Motors crown, with models like the Rocket 88, Toronado, and Vista Cruiser Wagon reflecting the higher vision of the once-illustrious marque. In the muscle-car domain, the 442, made from 1968-1971 as its own designated model, was named for its four-barrel carburetor, four-speed transmission, and dual exhausts. The 4-4-2 designation was pure GM marketing spin, but the car’s performance was real. The highest-output W-30 package was powered by Old’s 455 ci V8 engine, underrated at 370 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque, but wickedly fast in its day. It was the official Indy 500 pace car for 1970 and rightly so, as it represents Oldsmobile’s ultimate performance car.

Australia’s Holden is no more, after a proud 164-year history that began making saddles, ended as a subsidiary of GM, and made many of the country’s most iconic vehicles in the middle. Those cars included the Commodore, the Ute, and the Monaro, which was a sports car launched in 1968 that is the continent’s finest muscle car expression. The GTS version had a 5.0-liter V-8 under the hood, which was said to make 240 horsepower. The styling was very of its time, but nowadays, it looks undeniably good. The finest examples still fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction. “Get one,” an old Holden ad urged readers, “before you’re too old to understand.”

The second-generation F-Body Firebird and Camaro had a distinctly European flair that was well received by the public and still looks “right” 55 years hence. The new design featured smooth curves, a body-colored front end, and a distinctive rear spoiler. The cockpit-like interior featured front and rear bucket seats, and an expansive dash evoking the most exclusive European sports cars. The Ram Air IV’s 400 ci (6.6-liter) V8 engine was exclusive to the top Trans Am model, and equipped with an automatic or manual transmission, developed 345 hp and 370 hp, respectively. Fender flares, a shaker hood scoop and heat extractors in the front fenders were design accents unique to the Trans Am. Out of close to 49,000 Firebirds made in 1970, fewer than 3,200 were the highly desirable Trans Am.

The 1980s were a pretty bleak decade for American performance cars, which all suffered from emissions regulations that reduced once-mighty engines to power-strangled shells of their former selves. But one exception was Buick’s one-year-only GNX, short for “Grand National Experimental.” Its inspiration was the Grand National Regal, a sporty staple of the Buick model lineup. GNX production was limited to a mere 547 units made in collaboration with ASC (American Specialty Cars) and McLaren Performance Technologies. Instead of a predictable V8, it was powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine that featured an intercooled turbocharger—novel for the time—and made a much underrated 276 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque (more like 300 hp and 420 lb-ft, respectively). At nearly $30,000, the GNX wasn’t cheap, and remains a top-notch collectible today.

Good Morning

Until Chrysler announced their radical Viper concept in 1989, Chevy’s Corvette reigned supreme as America’s only true sports car. The Dodge Viper changed all that. The first generation (1991-2002) grew marginally more civilized over a decade, but the first cars were essentially rag-top roadsters with no airbags, no air conditioning, and flimsy plastic side windows. The striking GTS coupé, introduced in 1996, might be considered the high point of Viper design. Second-generation Vipers, made from 2003-2010, featured “modern” touches like ABS brakes, long after other manufacturers had universally adopted them. In 2013, Dodge put the Viper under the SRT (Street and Racing Technology) division. That third generation (2013-2017) was positively refined by comparison to its predecessors, although drivers still had to stir their own 6-speed gearbox. When production ceased in 2017, about 32,000 examples had been made throughout a 26-year run.

Mopar’s 426 Hemi V8 engine powered the biggest, baddest muscle cars during America’s Golden Age of hillbilly high-performance. The Middle East oil crisis shut down that party in the early 1970s, but a smoldering roach kept the Dodge flame alive and a towering inferno called the Dodge Challenger SRT, offered as a variety of models from 2015-2024. The 2023 Dodge Demon 170 developed an absurd 1,025 hp on E85 fuel, with a staggering 0-60 mph time of 1.66 seconds. The most powerful muscle car ever made, it was also Chrysler Corporation’s last gas-guzzling gasp, prefiguring the extinction of the internal combustion engine and the current all-electric Challenger.