American Muscle 2013: A Year in Review

Muscle Cars. It's just one of those things that Americans do best. It was our in to the automotive market back when the Germans were leading the way in passenger cars. Muscle cars were sleek, sexy, and above all, they had a big ol' powerful engine.

Here's one of the first American Muscle cars--The Pontiac GTO. Isn't she a beauty?

American Muscle has had a long a varied history, and it certainly isn't going away any time soon. Let's take a look at the past year and what's new in this high-speed, (generally) high-ticket segment.

First off, we can't ignore the 2013 Ford Mustang. The Mustang is a regular in American Muscle, and a favorite. (Disclaimer: I had a yellow Mustang back in the day. So, the following review might be a tad biased, maybe.) I think most would agree, this is a good looking car.

But more than looks, the 2013 Mustang boasts a reasonable starting MSRP of only $22k and at that price includes a 305 horse power V6 engine, HID headlights (love 'em) and 6-speed manual transmission (obviously). All of this makes the Mustang a great choice for the American Auto enthusiast who doesn't want to spend a small fortune on his car, but still wants to have all the thrills of a much pricier auto. 

Next up: the 2013 Dodge Challenger.

This is a bit of a throwback style for Dodge, notice the similarities in the body lines (especially the side profile with the body-to-window glass parting line) and the consistencies in headlamp shape and placement. Even the grill looks relatively unchanged over the years.

 But again, despite what is going on in the styling department, it's really what's under the hood that makes being behind the wheel so great. The 2013 Challenger, with its slightly higher sticker price (starting MSRP of $26k) comes standard with a 305 horse power V6 (is something going on here...?). HOWEVER, a beaut though she may be, the standard model comes with an Automatic transmission. Check minus, Dodge. How can an American Muscle car NOT come standard with a stick? It defies logic. It also depresses me. Before I freak out, let's move on.

Last but certainly not least, the 2013 Chevy Camaro.

Wowza. 

I could probably leave it at that, but I won't. The Camaro has a starting MSRP of $23k (not even $1,000 more than the Mustang), and it has a V6 engine with an impressive 323 ponies under the hood. Now, if it was my money on the line here, I'd splurge the extra $800 and take the extra 18 horses for a gallop, if you know what I mean. Not to mention, of all the body styles, Camaro makes me turn my head the most.

All-in-all, 2013 was a good year for American Muscle cars. And just these three are all really impressive showings for the segment. I might even say that you can't really go wrong with any of them (except for if you opted for a Challenger with an automatic transmission, which would most definitely be wrong).