For most of the last century, many American cars were largely considered to be inferior, particularly when compared to European cars. Some American cars were known for having poor designs, weak power plants, and overall poor build quality. Thankfully, that has changed in recent years.
Over the last decade, American automakers have built amazing cars that can rival their European competitors in every way. From some of the fastest supercars to futuristic electric cars, menacing muscle cars, and even pickup trucks, these are some of the best American cars of the last decade.
10 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
The Challenger has always been among the most popular muscle cars since its debut for 1970. Its fantastic design and power have kept gearheads coming back, which is why it's still in production to date.
Of all the Challenger models and special editions you can buy, the SRT Demon is the most extreme. The SRT Demon comes with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 tuned to produce up to 840 horses, enough to make it the most powerful muscle car ever. With the ability to cover the quarter-mile in just 9.65 seconds, the SRT Demon is one of the best drag racing cars ever.
9 Hennessey Venom GT
When it comes to building amazing custom cars, few companies can match what Hennessey has achieved over the past few decades. However, after years of working on other companies' vehicles, the company decided to establish the Hennessey Special Vehicles subbrand to build its own vehicles from scratch.
The Venom GT was the division's first-ever production car, and it turned out to be much better than everyone had anticipated. The Venom GT is built on the Lotus Exige's chassis, but has many modifications to improve looks and performance. It's powered by a monstrous 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 belting out a crazy 1,244 hp, enough for a 270-mph top speed.
8 SSC Tuatara
In the late '90s, Jerod Shelby, who's not related to the renowned Carroll Shelby, established SSC North America with one main goal; to build the fastest car in the world. It didn't take long for Shelby to achieve his goal, as the SSC Ultimate Aero TT broke the production car speed record in 2006 with its 256-mph top speed. Sadly, it didn't take long for Bugattis and Koenigseggs to obliterate this top speed.
So more than a decade later, SSC built the Tuatara to reestablish its dominance. Powered by a 5.9-liter twin-turbo V8 capable of producing up to 1,750 hp, the Tuatara can achieve a top speed of 283 mph, making it the fastest car in the world.
7 Ford GT
If you are a fan of Ford and its cars, you know that the legendary GT40 is one of the most important vehicles the Blue Oval brand ever made. To honor the icon, Ford built the GT in the 2000s. Everyone fell in love with the GT, which is why Ford introduced a second-generation model in 2016.
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The 2016 GT is a work of art. Like its predecessor, it has a GT40-inspired design and a powerful engine to match; a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 belting out 660 ponies.
6 Tesla Model S Plaid
The EV market in the US seems to be growing every day, with Tesla leading the charge. One model that has helped Tesla climb to the top of the EV industry is the Model S, which debuted in 2012. The Model S has a swanky design, advanced tech, more than enough range, and if you get the latest 'Plaid' version, it's extremely quick.
The Model S Plaid adds an extra electric motor to the base Model S' two, resulting in a crazy 1,020 hp. With a 0-60 of under 2 seconds, the Model S Plaid can obliterate most of the fastest muscle cars on a drag strip.
5 RAM TRX
Americans love their pickup trucks. In fact, pickup trucks have been the best-selling vehicles in the country for decades now, and the demand doesn't seem to be slowing down. With so much competition in the pickup truck space, companies have created the performance pickup truck market to attract more buyers.
One of the best performance trucks ever made has to be the Ram TRX. Powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 generating over 700 hp, the Ram TRX takes just 4.1 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph, which is incredible for a 6,000-lb vehicle.
4 Dodge Viper ACR
The Viper needs no introduction, as it's one of the greatest American sports cars. When it was unveiled in the early '90s, the Viper quickly showed gearheads that Americans could also build a beautiful sports car with extreme power.
The Viper was in production for over two decades, during which it spawned several fantastic special versions. The ACR is one such version. The fifth-generation ACR debuted in 2015 with an all-new carbon fiber body kit and a monstrous 8.4-liter V10 under the hood with 645 hp on tap.
3 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
When it comes to American luxury cars, it doesn't get better than Cadillac. Cadillac has built many awesome models over the years that compete directly with the BMWs and Audis of this world, one of which is the CT5-V Blackwing.
The CT5-V Blackwing has killer looks, a luxurious interior, and a mighty 6.2-liter supercharged V8 cranking out 668 hp. A 0-60 of just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph make the CT5-V Blackwing one of the fastest four-door sedans ever.
2 Corvette C8
The Corvette is the pride and joy of the American auto industry. Since its introduction in the '50s, the Corvette stuck with the same winning formula - a front-engine sports car with a superb design, fantastic driving feel, plenty of power, and a much lower price tag compared to European equivalents.
However, in 2020, Chevy made a huge change in the Corvette's formula when they introduced the eighth-generation model with a mid-engined layout. While many were skeptical at first, the decision turned out to be a huge success, as the C8 is now considered to be one of the best Corvette models ever.
1 Hennessey Venom F5
After the huge success of the Venom GT, Hennessey Special Vehicles went back to the drawing board and developed yet another fantastic supercar to replace it - the Venom F5. Like its predecessor, the Venom F5 has killer looks and tons of power to go along with it.
Powering the Venom F5 is a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 belting out 1,817 ponies, giving it a top speed of 271 mph. However, Hennessey believes that the Venom F5 is on track to become the first-ever 300-mph car soon.