Classic muscle or a modern sports car? Faced with this life-changing question, it would be easy to go for American muscle, right? After all, bigger engines surely must win out.
The sad truth is, in a straight fight with a modern sports car, classic muscle cars would get annihilated. A classic '69 Dodge Charger, fan-favorite, and one of the most popular muscle cars of all time sported a tasty 440 Hemi V8 motor good for at least 375 hp—as good as any European sports car of the time—and could reach 60 in 6.1 seconds. The problem isn't just about power or weight-related issues, as modern sports cars come packed with the latest toys including launch control, limited-slip differentials, and that's before any talk of stickier tires and better suspension set-ups.
Comparing or choosing between the two isn't going to be easy. Muscle cars give you more street cred, but a modern sports car will be faster and more enjoyable.
10 BMW M240i
First up is BMW's 2 Series coupe. Given the appearance of the famous blue and white propeller badge on the bow, accompanied by M-sport branding, you might think the M240i coupe is out of reach, but picking up Munich's finest comes in under $50k.
Up against the Charger, BMW's M240i makes do with a "tiny" 3.0-liter straight-six turbo punching out 355 hp, which is in theory a win for U.S. muscle. However, when the chips are down, it's the other way round, as the M240i scorches to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds—almost a full two seconds clear.
9 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Blink and you will miss it, literally, as the 370Z's days are numbered. Nissan already has its successor waiting in the wings for launch in 2023; maybe or hopefully Nissan will put gearheads out of their misery. For now, the fastest Z, Nismo's 2020 limited edition will do nicely.
The 370Z is an old school, front-engineered, rear-wheel drive with no turbos. Under the hood, Nissan's 3.7-liter V6 gets boosted to 350 hp, driving the rear wheels via a nicely weighted six-speed manual. This is enough to propel the Nissan from zero to 60 in a mere 5 seconds, which is more than a second faster than the Dodge.
8 Toyota Supra
A new generation Supra with a sting in its tail, gearheads still misty-eyed over the previous generation struggle to get their heads around the new car core design. At its heart a German interloper with Toyota branding, arguments aside there is no escaping the Supra one seriously quick motor.
The Supra is a legend in its own time, as Japan's take on the fast affordable sports car market verges on the boundaries of supercar territory for well under $70,000. Even the entry-level 2.0-liter turbo leaves the Dodge trailing in the sprint to 60 needing a mere 5-seconds, despite losing out in the power stakes with just 255 hp.
7 Honda Civic Type R
No comparison of modern sports coupes on a budget would be complete without the original turbo-nutter Honda Civic Type R. Honda, like all Japanese carmakers, knows a thing or two about high-performance turbocharged engines.
Incredibly, the Type R smashes out a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds. This level of junior supercar performance is all the more surprising by the Civic Type R's layout, with Honda placing their 2.0-liter 306-hp turbocharged motor up front, driving the front wheels. Who'd have thought we'd ever see a front-wheel-drive car smash a muscle car?
6 Ford Mustang GT
Proudly flying the flag for all American gearheads, Ford's Mustang surely has to be a contender for the best value for your buck sports car you can get—and we're not even talking about lesser EcoBoost models either.
Forking over just $40k secures a current model Mustang GT Fastback, as standard versions come fitted with a 460-hp 5.0-liter V8 motor paired with a storming 10-speed automatic transmission that delivers the perfect getaway. A zero-to-60 time comes up in just 4.4-seconds.
5 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF
The best-selling small sports car of all time is another Japanese master class in the art of driver and car in harmony regardless of whether anyone at Mazda really believes in all this "Jinba Ittai" philosophy, or else relies on a bank of sophisticated computers to calculate the perfect balance between power and performance.
Firstly, addressing the power side of the puzzle, the MX-5 RF comes as standard with Mazda's 2.0-liter in-line four rated at a mere 181 hp. However, it's in a lack of weight where the MX-5 extends its advantage, needing a scant 5.7-seconds to reach 60 mph.
4 Subaru WRX STi
Enter Subaru's WRX STi, a four-door sports sedan renowned for packing a serious punch, sporting a turbocharged flat-four engine that makes a valid argument for fewer cylinders translating into more. Sure, turbo-lag can be bothersome, but keep the 2.5-liter boxer engine in its power band and the sprint to 60 mph passes in a mere 5.3 seconds.
The best and sole survivor of a generational battle of street-legal rally cars of the late '90s, Subaru and arch-rival Mitsubishi realized power alone was not all that was required for better performance, transforming everyday sedans into supercar slaying all-wheel-driver monsters.
3 Audi TT Coupe
If you're in the market for a two-door, two-seater sports with bonafide sports car handling, then look no further than Audi's TT Coupe. Even base models will leave muscle car owners in a cloud of dust.
Under budget and packing Audi's immensely powerful and robust TFSi engine, the TT uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged unit teamed up with a modern seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to ensure none of the 228 hp available goes to waste. The popular sports car reaches 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.
2 Volkswagen Golf R
Small and mighty, Volkswagen's Golf is the original instigator of the hot hatch scene since the late '70s. Each year since, the Golf keeps coming back for more with a newer and more powerful version. In the "R" spec, it’s one of the finest affordable sports cars money can buy.
On paper, the Dodge Charger should walk this one with less weight and more power to its advantage, as the Golf R packs a 2-liter four-cylinder motor that turns out 315 hp in a bodyshell tipping the scales at 3,300 lbs. However, power without control is useless, and with Volkswagen engineers bestowing the Golf with all-wheel drive, it easily makes up for the horsepower deficit.
1 BMW Z4 sDrive30i
Stretching our imaginary budget to the breaking point, BMW's entry-level Z4 sDrive30i will come as welcome news for anyone craving a fast BMW without M-Sport branding.
What you get here is all the makings of Toyota's Supra in a classier BMW roadster body. Under the skin, the Z4 packs a four-cylinder turbocharged motor capable of 255 hp, mated to an eight-speed paddle-operated transmission. Stick the Z4 in sport mode, floor the throttle, and 5.1-seconds later you'll be doing 60 mph.