Modern muscle cars are, by almost any standard, fast. The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat gets to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, while a stock Mustang GT reaches 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds, for just $36,000. Adding a performance package lowers that time to the high 3s.
It took a while, but modern muscle cars have finally earned their right to sit at the classic supercar table and break bread with the Lamborghini Countach and eventually the Ferrari F40. The pedigree that these cars are soaked in far outweighs what modern muscle cars represent, but in terms of out-and-out speed, the competition is tightening up.
8 1985 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 QV - 4.7 Seconds
In 1985 Lamborghini released the LP5000 QV, for "Quattrovalvole". It employed a 5.2-liter V12 engine, and with four valves per cylinder coupled with six carburetors, produced 455 horsepower. Dodge's Challenger SRT 392 from 2015 hits the exact same time, but with a 485 horsepower 6.4-liter V8.
While the new Challenger is within a good shout of being more reliable than the Lamborghini, the question still stands of which one is better to own: A classic supercar, or a modern muscle car.
7 Ferrari F40 - 3.7 Seconds
The F40 debuted in 1987 and is still regarded as one of the greatest cars ever made. Modern muscle cars do not turn or brake as well, nor are they as well balanced as the F40, but in a straight line they are nipping at the F40's heels.
The F40 got its time using a tiny 2.9-liter twin turbocharged V8 that sent 470 horsepower to the rear wheels in slick, refined yet ferocious fashion. A moderately priced Chevrolet Camaro SS hits 60 mph in 4 seconds, but to think a Camaro is in the same league as an F40 is blasphemy.
6 1994 McLaren F1 - 3.2 Seconds
By conventional standards, the McLaren F1 is quite possibly unbeatable by any factory tuned modern muscle car. Specialty tuned cars like the Dodge Demon, which gets to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds, may be the ones to bring the F1 down to mere mortal levels. The McLaren F1 uses a 6.1-liter BMW V12 to make 618 horsepower.
It truly is something unique to behold, especially considering the driver's position is in the direct center of the cabin. All things considered, to say any modern muscle car shares the first number of a 0-60 time with a McLaren F1 is still impressive.
5 Jaguar XJ220 - 3.6 Seconds
The XJ220 is an extraordinarily rare supercar made by Jaguar from 1992-1994. Only 282 were ever made, and its understandable as a road full of these drag racing each other would be absolute chaos.
The XJ220 uses a Jaguar-built 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, outputting 542 horsepower, which is oddly enough more than its 6.2-liter V12 concept. While the concept version had all-wheel-drive in mind, Jaguar, thankfully went with rear-wheel-drive for its production model.
4 1968 Dodge Charger 426 Hemi - 4.8 Seconds
Modern muscle cars can stack against their former selves as well as European supercars. Enter the 1968 Dodge Charger, equipped with a 426 Hemi V8, producing 425 horsepower, though that figure is suspected as underrated.
Dodge had this time matched in 2008, with its Charger SRT8, using a 6.1-liter V8 producing probably a more accurate 425 horsepower. Seeing as how the modern Chargers probably turn better, it's safe to say Dodge has improved on its B-Body design from the late 1960s.
3 1989 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo V6 - 4.6 Seconds
The award for least amount of cylinders on this list almost goes to the 1989 Pontiac Trans Am with a turbocharged 3.8-liter V6. This is the same engine that went in the highly regarded Buick Grand National, which spices up this car's heritage by quite a bit.
To put some perspective, just four years after the Countach rumbled its V12 to 60mph in 4.7 seconds, modest Pontiac had it beat with less cylinders and, with a much lower price tag. Between the Trans Am and the Countach, the choice is a little less obvious.
2 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427 - 4.7 Seconds
With the '67 Stingray, Chevrolet pulled all the stops. They had offered an L89, which compared to the earlier 427 CID was reportedly an obvious choice for street driving, but then Chevrolet pulled something else out of the hat.
The famous L88 427, a V8 with cold air intake and a bigger carburetor, culminating to the tune of over 500 horsepower. It's clearly the oldest car on this list, and still can't be beaten by a modern Charger R/T, which hits 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
1 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE - 4.8 Seconds
Rounding out the list is the Esprit Turbo SE, equipped with the smallest engine in terms of both cylinders and displacement. Its 2.1-liter turbocharged inline-four musters just 264 horsepower, but with aerodynamics and a featherweight chassis the Esprit Turbo hits 60mph in the same time as the 1968 Charger 426 Hemi.
For all intents and purposes, on paper the Lotus Esprit Turbo is a toy, but putting rubber to the pavement deems this little rocket in a class of its own, as it can hold its own against the legendary Countach.