There are quite a few differences between muscle cars and sports cars although they look like they perform the same. To a clueless spectator they won't see that much of a difference. If you're one of them and are planning to buy one or the other, better read on because we'll discuss the finer points of how muscle cars are a better choice than a sports car.
Then, we'll take a U-turn and explain why a sports car is a better path to choose. These are eye-catching vehicles that finds the right owner and driver, find out if you're a muscle car owner or a sports car driver.
10 The Powerful Engine
Muscle car experts would say that some of today's muscle cars are not technically muscle cars. The historic idea of a muscle car is simple: fit the most powerful engine into a small car. They'd say that the muscle cars, the real ones, were born in the sixties and early seventies.
The qualifications are simple: a 2-door car with the biggest engine that it could carry. The first muscle car was manufactured by Pontiac, a 389-cubic-inch displacement V8 engine was slapped onto a midsize car, and they called it the Pontiac GTO. Car companies and their engines only became bigger and more powerful after that. Sports cars may also have the speed, but they do not have this base power in them like the muscle cars do.
9 That Handsome Look
Put a muscle car side by side with a sports car and the word handsome will be associated automatically with a muscle car. Speaking of a handsome muscle car, the Ford Mustang is probably the Brad Pitt of muscle cars. Just take a look at the Ford Mustang Boss, they won't call it the Boss if it didn't look that handsome. The perfect placement of curves on the muscular body of a muscle car is what makes it handsome. We look at it and we say that's a man's car. Some of the other best-looking muscle cars ever made were the Plymouth Barracuda, Ford Mustang GT350R, and the Dodge Hellcat.
8 The Bigger Interior
One deciding factor for some car buyers is the interior space a muscle car has. It may have a very large engine, but it still has enough space to accommodate more than two passengers. The trunk space is definitely more spacious compared to a sports car's. We can get one for ourselves and our women, then still be able to put our kids in the back for a nice road trip. Basically, we'll be more comfortable with the ample space a muscle car offers. The 2019 Chevrolet Camaro's base price is $25,000, with some packages and power added to it, it could be your dream muscle car.
7 Elevated And Thick Build
It's logical to think that in case of an accident, there's more protection if we are driving a muscle car than a sports car. The build of a muscle car has more steel and padding in it than a sports car, muscle cars are heavier and it's not just because of the engine. It's because muscle cars are manufactured with more weight and generally a tougher skeleton than the lightweight design of a sports car. Plus, sports cars tend to have a lower elevation, taking them out in rainy weather would be unwise because the car is so close to the ground that a little flooding on the road is bad news. This is not a problem with the more elevated muscle car.
6 Acceleration
Most people can say that a sports car will beat a muscle car in a race, but it really depends on the track. A muscle car will decimate a sports car in a straight line race, the acceleration that a muscle car's engine possesses is enough to beat a souped up sports car.
This scenario was played towards the end of the first Fast and the Furious film when Dom's Charger beats Brian's Supra even after the latter turbo-boosted twice. The classic Mustang muscle car has a present version, the 2020 Ford Mustang GT Fastback costs $35,630. It has a 6-speed manual transmission and a 5.0 L engine that produces 460 HP and a torque of 3200 lb ft (4,600 rpm).
5 Better Handling
The sports car will just simply say that not all roads are a straight line, there are turns left and right all over the country. A sports car undoubtedly had the upper hand in handling over a muscle car back in the day. But the present day muscle car's drivability is better now, but still the sports car has it in its DNA. We buy cars, apart from looking good in them, to have good control over it and not just because we want raw power and speed. One of the most popular sports cars ever made, and with the best handling, is the Porsche 911. According to Porsche Fremont, the base price of a 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera is $91,100.
4 Price Tag
This is a bit of a toss-up really, there are pretty expensive sports car out there. The previous item is a perfect example at 90k, it's a Porsche, what're you gonna do?! But when it comes to a broader canvas of the market, it breaks down to the muscle car being a little pricier because of its larger and more expensive engine. Take the Mazda MX-5 Miata, released to the world in 1990 and breaking ground at the same time, it's arguably the most popular sports car of all time. The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata is priced at $25,730, an iconic sports car with a not-so-demanding price tag.
3 Sleek Look
The handsome and burly look of the muscle car is not for everyone. Some people might say that if you buy a muscle car your IQ will drop 2 points. These people want sophistication, a kind of mysterious vibe around and about them. The sleek, conservative, and impressive build of a sports car is the perfect companion. Designed to convey a speedy representation of a vehicle, the sports car may not be handsome and muscle-bound, but it's a different kind of good-looking and more. A perfect example is the Lamborghini Countach, this car was sold in the seventies. That's four decades ago, and the model looks like it was made for the future and was designed just last year.
2 Cruising Around
A car that's great at handling is the driving partner every man wants when cruising around town. Life is not a race, as they say, and how often are we going to measure each other's egos at a traffic stop, rev it up, and see who wins, close to zero it seems. What we need is a reliable car that's easy to maneuver, not too loud and vibrating all the time. The Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster is a very good example of that partner. Priced at $89,150, the 2019 MB SL 450 Roadster is a car that's a combination of luxury, sophistication, and comfort driving any man longs for.
1 Fuel Efficiency
Historically, sports cars tend to be more fuel-efficient than their muscle car counterparts, but times have changed and technology has allowed these fuel-hungry beasts to adapt to the changing times. The Camaro and Mustang 2019 models have an efficient 25 MPG fuel economy, muscle cars have evolved from their identity as gas-guzzlers. But sports car have done the same over the years. The Hyundai Veloster is one of the new sports cars in the market today, and it's also one of the most fuel-efficient in the world. With a 30 MPG according to the Department of Energy's Fuel Economy website, this sports car annual fuel cost is only $1,300 on 30-miles per gallon in city and highway driving.