American cars are popular for straight-line speed. Burning through tires to reach a quarter-mile distance in as little time as possible is a pastime that's been adopted by generation after generation.
When it comes to road racing on tracks that are not oval-shaped, Europe and Asia may have gotten the jump on American cars a few decades sooner. However, American cars already had the power to compete, and just needed the ability to take a corner at a respectable speed. Luckily, American sports cars caught up in spectacular fashion, all the while somehow keeping affordable price tags.
8 1991 Dodge Viper R/T
Dodge's early '90s V10 powerhouse Viper is often accused of being slower than it deserves to be, thanks to a lack of traction control and thus an innate inability to get all of its power to the ground. However, under proper care and attention, this violent beast can be coaxed around a track to deliver competitive lap times.
By all accounts, the Viper is a $40,000 supercar, perhaps born in the wrong decade, and its lack of traction control, ABS, airbags, and even door handles make it the perfect track car, especially considering it has serious cornering capabilities, holding almost 1 g in lateral force.
7 1990-1995 Corvette ZR1
Assisted by Lotus Engineering, Chevrolet fitted the C4 ZR1 with an LT5 exclusive to the Corvette. It had dual overhead camshafts, 32 valves, and a special fuel management system that allowed all 375-horsepower available throughout the power band. New cylinder heads and camshafts later procured over 400 horsepower from the 5.7-liter Gen II LT5.
Unfortunately, Chevrolet halted further development of the LT5, and a Gen III was never fully realized beyond a few machined parts. Couple the LT5 with Lotus F1-derived Bilstein suspension and the C4 ZR1 becomes an ideal track car.
6 1965 Shelby Cobra 427
If picturing a Shelby Cobra going around a corner inspires visions of losing traction and spinning out, that's the wrong Cobra. The 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 got a big power bump from its 289 CID predecessor, and its suspension was tuned by Klaus Arning, the same wizard that tuned the GT-40's suspension.
The 427 is a 7-liter V8 that pumps out 485 horsepower to the rear wheels, which is ample for an anorexic 2,529-pound sports car built in the '60s. The Cobra 427 can go from 0-100mph and back to 0 in 14.5 seconds at the hands of an everyday driver.
5 1992-2002 Pontiac Trans Am
LS-equipped Trans Ams complete the straight-line performance milestone. With a rear-wheel-drive and manual transmission, the Trans Am is a proper sports car. From the factory, its handling capabilities are questionable at best, however, with some basic upgrades like sway bars, shocks, and springs the corners are no match.
The platform that the Trans Am offers is cheap, and malleable which is perfect for track cars that will be upgraded in the future. If that wasn't enough, it's not too expensive or difficult to squeeze some extra ponies out of the LS1. Headers alone will net a decent chunk.
4 1999 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
The newest generation Mustang gets a lot of credit for being the first Mustang with independent rear suspension, which is untrue. The first Mustang blessed with IRS is the 99-04 SVT Cobra. Not only that, these Cobras got the DOHC 4.6-liter modular V8, with 320 horsepower.
While it may look big on the outside, the '99 Cobras feel light on their feet and can try to squirrel away from traction if the driver isn't careful. These require constant nagging and surveillance but tamed they will perform competently.
3 Pontiac Fiero GT
In what can safely be called America's answer to the Toyota MR2, the Pontiac Fiero GT found its spirit as a track car in its own right. Fieros are known for being unreliable, unsafe, and down on power, but whipping around corners is what it's built for. A rear-mid-engine car will feel squirrelly at low speeds, but the faster it goes the better it handles.
There's enough grip to rip the pavement off with each revolution, and things like understeer and body roll take a back-row seat. With a special suspension tune, the Fiero GT will carry out the driver's every bidding.
2 1984-1986 Ford Mustang SVO
Ford did something interesting in 1984. It took the fox body and gave it some character in a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four, about 200 horsepower, and only a manual transmission. It's got a limited-slip differential and four-wheel disc brakes to boot, as well as fuel injection, which the GT didn't get until '85.
All these features make for great fun on a race track, especially in such a compact vessel. Ford only produced this gem for two years, and in the very limited quantity of around 10,000. Ford wouldn't get another turbocharged inline-four until the new Ecoboost would be released in 2015.
1 1968-1970 AMC AMX
By rights, a 1970s car has no place on this list, but the AMC AMX deserves an exception. It wasn't nearly as cumbersome as a similar year Barracuda or Firebird. It optioned a handling package, giving it stiffer sway bars and heavy-duty shocks and springs, and could be equipped with a 6.4-liter V8 that produced 340 horsepower.
The car also weighed less than 3,000 pounds, which makes it lighter than some of the much newer cars on this list. The car can take corners at high speed with an understated body roll, earning it a spot on this list.