All-American muscle | Six of the Best
The Mustang GTD shows a very, very exciting future for the Yank tank - time to consider some past heroes
Ford Mustang GT350, 2016, 6k, £59,995
The GTD follows a long line of illustrious (and brilliant) nameplates when it comes to souped-up Mustangs: Boss 302, GT500, Mach 1, SVT Cobra R and so on. It was 2014 when the GT350 made its return, and in spectacular fashion as well. Taking the S550 Mustang as its base - already the best handling Mustang in history - the ‘350 evoked exactly the same road racer vibe of the classics, with firmer suspension, retuned steering, more aggressive geometry, bigger brakes… everything to make it faster around a track. Including, incredibly, a 5.2-litre flat plane crank V8, revving all the way beyond 8,000rpm and making 520hp. It made for a Mustang experience like no other, really at home on a challenging road or circuit. This moody black car has covered just 6k, and costs £60,000.
Dodge RAM SRT-10, 2006, 34k, £34,950
This was meant to be about the best in US driver’s cars, because there really have been some gems recently. But when there’s also a V10 truck for sale that looks like this, it must be involved. The Night Runner Ram is powered by the very same 8.3-litre behemoth as used in the Viper of the time, complete with 500hp and 525lb ft of torque. Even in a truck as vast as this double cab (said to be the less common variant of what is already a very rare beast) and with just a four-speed auto, 60mph came up in just over five seconds. And economy was rated at 9mpg. Probably no surprise that it’s covered an average of 2,000 miles a year in its life, that was all the owners could afford. If size matters as much as speed, this could be perfect - everything about the Ram is ginormous. Including, the bills. And the parking space required.
Ford GT, 2007, 14k, £364,950
A dead cert for the list, the Ford GT really did come from nowhere 20 years ago. Having unsuccessfully tried to create another groundbreaking supercar for decades since the GT40, Ford decided that to move forward it actually needed to look back - and create the best homage for the 21st century it could. That description sells the staggering ability of the 2003 GT short, but its inspiration couldn’t have been clearer. And yet it never looked like a pastiche, or a copycat clone - it was a sympathetic, stunning update of an icon. Drove exquisitely, too, with a supercharged V8 and deft, communicative chassis that made the GT more approachable than it looked. All of this makes them extremely sought after now, especially given just 28 were officially sold in the UK. This one has been registered here 2007, has all four factory options (including the gorgeous carbon seats) and costs £364,950. Special, special car.
Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition, 2016, 15k, £119,995
You know to expect something properly bonkers when the boss calls it ‘The Big Nasty’. That was exactly the case for the Corvette C7 Z06, as announced and nicknamed by GM boss Mark Reuss back in 2014. There had been some very serious Corvettes before this car, but the Z06 was properly extreme: 650hp from the dry-sumped supercharged V8 (with titanium valves!), huge ceramic brakes, super sticky Michelins and claims of proper downforce as well. The Z06 was comfortably faster than the old ZR1 around Chevy’s test track, and the name seemed more than appropriate given the look of the thing. This isn’t any old C7 Z06, either, but a UK-supplied C7.R Edition, the special built to celebrate Corvette Racing sportscar racing success. With the manual gearbox, too. It’s provided 15,000 miles of fun since 2016, and is set for many more with a recent fluids refresh. It costs about what a seven-speed 911 does - only with an additional 200hp…
Chevrolet Camaro SS, 2014, 69k, £24,995
Proof it’s not all six-figure supercars and monster trucks, here’s a £25k Camaro that - for those that don’t mind left-hand drive - looks a great alternative to the obvious rear-drive two-doors out there. After the uninspiring fourth generation, the Camaro was brought back to its best (after many years off sale) the fifth time around. It looked fantastic, drove well enough, and made a brilliant V8 - in this case the much loved Chevy 6.2 LS3 - accessible with a manual. Alongside the Mustang, Challenger, Charger and V-badged Cadillacs, the Camaro helped kick off a resurgence of great American fast cars. This SS is as driver-focused as it gets short of a Z/28, with the six-speed and more than 420hp. There’s said to be full service history to support the mileage, and it’s been owned by the seller since their import in 2021. Maybe the wheels are a tad shiny and the tints dark, but it still looks like a lotta fun.
Dodge Challenger Superstock, 2021, 9k, £119,950
Another guaranteed entry, the Challenger has been the rowdiest and most raucous of all the reimagined icons over the past 15 years. It’s bowing out in typically unapologetic fashion with models like the Superstock. It’s got a little more power than a Redeye and some bits borrowed from the Demon to make it an 800hp monster of the drag strip. While it’s most definitely possible to spend less on getting the Challenger aesthetic and somewhere close to the performance with a ‘regular’ Hellcat-engine model, there really is something irresistible about a big red Dodge sat on those drag radials. It’s actually covered almost 10,000 miles in a couple of years, so somebody has been keen to enjoy the Superstock (bravo, sir). And with plenty of good Challengers imported over the years, a prospective owner should be well supported by a UK-based network. See you at Santa Pod, eh?
I’d save my money and go for a C6 Z06. Still quick today and based off one of the most successful racing cars of its era. Surprisingly good value when they can be picked up for 35 -40k.
Problem with all of them is that they are bigger than is comfortable/convenient for many (most) UK roads
As such, whilst I can smile and admire them, actually wanting one is never going to happen whilst I live in UK
Problem with all of them is that they are bigger than is comfortable/convenient for many (most) UK roads
As such, whilst I can smile and admire them, actually wanting one is never going to happen whilst I live in UK
As a bit of context the Camaro SS laps the Ring and Laguna Seca within tenths of seconds of a Porsche gt4
The Mustang gt350r even quicker, a solid mid 7minute lap, quicker than a R35 GTR putting it around similar times to Ferrari 458, Pagani Zonda.
So much for can't go around corners!
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