Heroic yank tanks | Six of the Best
Sometimes there really ain't no replacement - here's the best of the best, all the way to 8.4 litres...
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, 2017, 10k, £63,950
For sheer theatre behind the wheel, there’s never been much beating traditional American muscle. From startup to stop light, they make driving entertainment in a way that nothing else can really match. Thank distinctive design, epic V8s and an affinity with rear-wheel drive for that. In recent years that traditional charm has been mated with some real chassis smarts, too, for a true have-your-apple-pie-and-eat-it situation: V8 swagger when it’s needed (all the time) with a chassis to take full advantage as well. The sixth-generation Camaro was most certainly one of those, significantly overhauled compared to the (very good) fifth-gen machine and all the better for it. While looking the absolute business, too. From factory the ZL1 got a 659hp supercharged V8, 11(!) heat exchangers, forged wheels, mag ride and 198mph potential. This Garnet Red Tintcoat auto comes from the Camaro’s 50th anniversary year, and has covered just 10,000 miles since then - some way to spend RS3 money…
Dodge Charger 440, 1968, £69,900
But if only a classic will do, they come little cooler than the Charger. While the two-door Dodge muscle car made a memorable 21st-century comeback with the Challenger - from Scat Pack to Hellcat, it really was a machine like little else - there’s really nothing to rival the original Charger. While known now as a movie star as much as a mere car, the big Dodge was much loved before its more recent Hollywood appearances. Bullitt helped, of course - seldom has a vehicle ever been better cast as the baddies’ car. But it was the incredible style of the Charger, combined with an abundance of V8 potential under the bonnet, that ensured the big Dodge was one of the original muscle car icons. This one is powered by a 440 cubic inch monster - that’s 7.2-litres - and offers up ‘the unmistakable soundtrack that only a big-block Mopar can deliver.’ Yes please.
Ford Mustang GT, 2017, 30k, PH Auctions
Credit where credit’s due to Ford: while the UK efforts of its rivals have been piecemeal at best (and non-existent at worst), the Mustang offering has been extensive for more than a decade. We haven’t had the really silly stuff in right-hand drive, but the V8 has remained a constant, as has a manual gearbox. Ford’s commitment has been rewarded with enthusiastic sales, too, to such an extent that the four-cylinder was dropped years ago. This PH Auctions ‘Stang is a 2017 example, back when the Ecoboost was still a thing, but this is Coyote-powered alright; the vendor says ‘it sounds exactly like a V8 should’. Add that to a flawless recent MOT history, a big service this summer and a smart spec and it’s easy to see why this Mustang might appeal. Especially with a steering wheel on the correct side…
Jeep Cherokee SRT8, 2013, 66k, £17,990
Options are a little more limited for those craving an American V8 with easy access for the family, but cars are out there. There’s the Chrysler 300C, for one, which was offered with both 5.7 and 6.1-litre V8s, plus the four-door Dodge Charger if LHD isn’t a problem. This time around we'll go for an SRT-grade Jeep, though - because why not? The kids would much rather you spend the money on a 6.4-litre V8 than after school clubs anyway. This wasn’t as powerful as the European super SUVs of the time, despite the capacity, but it could offer an unforgettable soundtrack as recompense. Looked kinda smart, too, the SRT accessories complementing the Cherokee quite nicely. It looks like a whole lot of family-friendly V8 for a lot less than £20k, basically - and way more interesting than yet another X5 in the car park.
Chevrolet Corvette, 2003, 62k, £23,995
Of course we couldn’t do a celebration of American icons without a Corvette; the difficulty was knowing which to highlight. On PH there’s everything from a C1 Roadsters to the latest Z06s, via split window Stingrays and bargain basement C3s, so it’s not an easy choice. This weekend it’s the C5’s time to shine, and don’t dismiss it on the basis of being an auto drop-top. See not only is this a Euro-spec 50th Anniversary Edition, it’s supercharged, meaning that what was once a 400hp ‘Vette in a very fetching shade of Metallic Anniversary Red is now a 560hp one - and that sounds much more exciting. The seller suggests the sound and speed are ‘absolutely intoxicating.’ It’s being sold at less than £25k with a little over 60,000 miles, plentiful paperwork - and even a ‘C5 HOT’ plate…
Dodge SRT Viper GTS, 2015, 20k, £139,990
Another certainty for inclusion, the Viper always looked mad by the zany standards of Stateside sports cars. No mere V8 would do for Dodge, not even a 6.0- or 7.0-litre one. Nope, its modern day Cobra would get a V10, the size of a small county and with the torque to relocate Mount Rushmore. It would be the Viper’s USP throughout its long life, and somehow only became larger and larger with time. By the time of the final generation, of which this Launch Edition is one, the V10 was up to a phenomenal 8.4-litres. Power had increased more than 50 per cent compared to the original Vipers, too, at 640hp - from retro roadster had come a bona fide supercar alternative. But still with a manual gearbox, still with rear-wheel drive, and still with a fair amount of fear factor. This one is low mileage, has been in the UK for more than a decade and comes in Viper GTS Blue with the white stripes - as if there’s any other spec to have…
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k. I would love one.For me it would be the Camaro
Wife s current daily driver.
Prior to that her other V8 which was highly modified suspension wise and actually handled and went on track occasionally.
For me it would be the Camaro
Wife s current daily driver.
Prior to that her other V8 which was highly modified suspension wise and actually handled and went on track occasionally.
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