The 2000s and 2010s has been a great era for muscle cars. It was an era when muscle car manufacturers had to up their game as the competition was becoming fierce in the performance car market, with many new companies joining in, and sadly, many good companies disappearing for good.

Some of the best muscle cars ever were born in the 2000s, and many existing muscle cars also were heavily improved due to the influence of foreign carmakers and a more demanding market.

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10 Cadillac CTS-V

Front 3/4 view of the CTS-V Wagon in black
landroverbellevue.com

Cadillac really increased their standards massively with this one, making it one of the greatest Cadillacs ever produced. Before the CTS-V, Cadillac was a brand for old folks. The CTS-V changed that and actually changed the view people had of muscle cars back then.

The first CTS-V model was brought out in 2004 and its chassis was developed in Europe, more specifically at the Nürburgring. The CTS-V was a serious contender to its European rivals and by the second-generation in 2008, it was one of the best-handling sedans on the market. It was fast, loud, and comfortable.

Via techpneu.info

Originally, the CTS-V pushed out 400hp stock from its 5.7-liter V8 but by the time the second generation came along, it was pushing out 556 hp from a supercharged LSA V8 from the Corvette ZR1. The final 2016 model was the most refined as it had strong European rivals hence why it pushed out 640 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque from a Corvette Z06 supercharged 6.2-liter unit. It hit 200 mph and even today it remains the most powerful Cadillac ever.

9 Dodge Challenger

Via hennesseyperformance.com

The Challenger is a full-on muscle car that finally made a proper return in 2008. It was everything we wanted. It was retro, traditional, and heaps of fun. The original SRT-8 model packed a 428 hp V8 and 420 lb-ft of torque. Now, the current SRT Hellcat pushes upwards of 700 hp.

via dragtimes.com

It was a key rival to the Mustang, and it made the pony car scene so much more exciting. The latest Hellcat SRT model proves why Chrysler is the king of muscle cars. It's an absolutely spectacular car that brings back those 1960s Muscle Car vibes.

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8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Side
via CNET

The Camaro ZL1 1LE is a monstrous muscle car that hit the Nürburgring with a 7:16:04 time. This is one seriously track-focused muscle car. Under the hood is a 6.2-liter LT4 supercharged V8 from the Z06 Corvette. Its o-60 is 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 198 mph.

Camaro ZL1 1LE Red Woods
via: Pinterest

Some people call it an incredible sports car, and it's easy to understand why; it sounds deadly, feels angry, and it's beautiful. The power in this car is insane and the supercharger noise is like a symphony.

7 Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R

via Autocar

The Holden HSV GTS-R is an Australian muscle car that is powered by a huge 6.2-liter LSA supercharged V8 with 587 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque. This monster hits 60 in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. The HSV GTS-R was sold in the USA as the Chevrolet SS and Pontiac G8 and is definitely an underrated GM car you should own.

Vauxhall VXR8 GTS speeding on the road
Via carmagazine.co.uk

It is a scary car and everything about it is pure muscle. It's a loud, brash, violent, and beefy car that will bully most sports cars.

6 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

Via Motortrend

The GT350 was a fine car produced from 2015 to 2020. It was powered by a 5.2-liter flat-plane V8 pushing 526 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. It hits 60 in 4 seconds and flat out does 185 mph. The GT350 is a great track car, rivaling the likes of the Z/28 and the Porsche GT3.

2015 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
Via autogespot.com

It is full of muscle and it sounds thunderous, providing by far one of the best sounds you will ever hear from a car. It looks brutal and its looks might scare other cars off the track. What a sensational machine.

5 Dodge Charger

Dodge Charger Hellcat
ourautoexpert.com

The Charger has been a brilliant muscle car since the '60s and in 2006, they decided to bring it back, but in sedan form. Not to worry though, because this thing is probably the most aggressive-looking sedan on sale today. The current model comes in either V6 or V8 form with the top models producing way past 700 hp Even the V6 models are quite beefy, though.

Dodge Charger parked outside
Via thecarconnection.com

The Hellcat model was one of the best performance sedans of 2020 beating the likes of the BMW M5 and E63. It's just so fast, and it sounds awesome; we all love that supercharger whine.

4 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6

Back In The Day, These WS6 Pontiacs Were Fast Considering They Weighed A Little Under 3,500 Pounds
Mecum Auctions

The Firebird Trans Am WS6 is an absolute monster. It creates thunder everywhere it goes with its huge 5.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 and its crazy bodywork was very aggressive. It pushed out 325 hp and hit 60 in just 5.2 seconds, capable of 160 mph. The WS6 was essentially a performance package for the standard Trans Am that was launched in 1998.

Pontiac Trans Am WS6
Via dragtimes.com

It featured a functional ram-air system, stiffer suspension, and thicker sway bars. While it might get smoked by any modern muscle car, it's a Pontiac car we would definitely buy right now.

3 Equus Bass 770

drivezing.com

The Equus Bass 700 is like the best hits album for 1970s muscle cars. Its design inspiration is from the likes of the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, AMC Marlin, Plymouth Barracuda, and the Pontiac GTO. It is an expensive car, with prices starting at over $500,000. It is a beauty though, and probably the most muscular car ever made.

Equus Bass muscle car
autorebellion.com

The latest model has a Corvette ZR1-derived 6.2-liter LS9 supercharged V8 pushing out 640 hp and 605 lb-ft of torque. Connected to a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, it shoots to 60 in 3.4 seconds and flat out exceeds 200 mph.

2 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

2020-Ford-Mustang-Shelby-GT500
via motorauthority

The latest GT500 has really set a new benchmark in 2020, and it's easy to see why. It's a vicious car with 760 hp (800 hp in the SE model) and 625 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 time is 3.6 seconds with a top speed of 180 mph, which happens to be 22 mph slower than the 2013 GT500. Still, this thing looks so much cooler, and it's also barred from Europe due to emissions.

orange 2020 Shelby GT500
guideautoweb.com

The GT500 has always been an icon but the 2020 model takes things to the next level. With rivalry from the ZL1 and the Hellcat, Ford had to make the ultimate muscle car and the GT500 is almost that indeed.

1 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
Via silodrome.com

Launched in 2000, this thing was limited to 300 units worldwide. It pushed out 385 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque. Even its name was aggressive, matching the exotic styling perfectly. The only color option was performance red, and its dark charcoal black interior with Recaro seats was beautiful. It hits 60 in 4.6 seconds and flat out managed 177 mph.

Ford SVT Cobra
Via Motor1

The Cobra R is just as deadly as the Cobra snake. We absolutely love it, and it shows just what's so good about the Mustang.

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