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Muscle Cars That Will Leaving You Begging For A Summer Joyride

We’re right in the heat of summer as temperatures reach scorching heights. When you think of summer, car fans think of taking a joyride in a loud-revving muscle car. Classic muscle cars have a look and feel to them unlike anything else on the road, and that’s why they are so popular with automotive fans. These are the cars that you’ll routinely see at summer cruise nights and hot rod shows.

Cars like the Pontiac Firebird and the Chevy Camaro with their open-air T-Tops and fun characteristics make driving a pleasure. The summertime is the perfect season to take your car out on a warm Saturday and see what it can do. A fun muscle car is something that makes the summer season all the better. Some muscle cars are the epiphany of summertime, so we looked at the types of muscle cars that will make you beg to have a summer ride. Remember the best muscle cars for a warm summer night here.

Photo Credit: Mecum

Pontiac Trans Am Turbo

What’s the first thing that most people notice about the Trans Am? The T-Tops. The removable roof panels were innovated by GM and made popular during the 1970s with the Trans-Am sports car. The best things about the Trans-Am were its performance and styling. Some believed the removable tops were better than having a convertible. When you take the Trans-Am out on a date night, you had a completely different feeling (via Driving Line).

Photo Credit: Mecum

With the signature black and gold paint, accents, and the t-top, the Trans-AM was made for late-night cruising. The excellent styling of the car and the performance of the turbocharged engine were both unique features. There were also V8 versions of the car which were far more common and popular, but those in the know wanted the turbo.

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From Bullitt To Eleanor: Hollywood’s Most Iconic Movie Mustangs

Cars and movies go hand in hand nearly since the first motion picture graced the silver screen. Over the decades, hit movies have featured countless car chases and stunts. But one car stands out as the most popular movie machine – the Ford Mustang. Since the Mustang’s 1964 introduction, this model was featured in hundreds (if not more) of movies and TV series. If you’re a car fan, you probably have a few of your favorite movie Mustangs.

And movie Mustangs weren’t only found in American-produced films but in a lot of foreign movies as well. It’s safe to say that the Mustang is most likely the ultimate movie car. Indeed, most movies featuring cars made in the last half of the century had at least one pony car featured or in the background. That’s led to some truly iconic movie Mustangs, so we looked at the best ones that made an impact on many hit movies. Enjoy our list of the most iconic movie Mustangs here.

Photo Credit: IMDB

Back into the Future II

The exciting thing about the Mustangs featured in this movie is that they were artistic visions of future models, not regular production cars. Since Marty and Doc travel in time, they encounter future cars and, in this case, a red Fox-body Mustang GT convertible with strange add-ons (via Futuropedia).

Photo Credit: Pinterest

By the late ’80s, the venerable 5.0-liter V8 engine was pumping 225 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, translating to quite competent 0 to 60 mph times. The Mustang was once again an affordable performance car with cool styling, lots of options, and enough power to spin the rear wheels in any gear. That is why we consider the 1988 to 1993 Mustang 5.0 GT as one of the best ’80 muscle cars. This car marked a return to the roots with a strong V8 engine and exciting performance.

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Forgotten Corvettes That Only True Auto Fans Remember

Ever since the first model saw the light of day way back in 1953, Corvettes have been known for their cutting-edge style, engine-revving power, and overall beauty. The initial Corvette was the first fiberglass production car ever made. Soon thereafter, Corvette models gained other impressive components like fuel injection, independent rear suspension, and disk brakes.

Production Corvettes were always interesting. But there was also a subset of Corvettes that were lesser known to the general public. So today, we’ll concentrate on Corvette concepts and prototypes. Ever since the first Corvette concepts from the ’50s, the fan-favorite model managed to shock and amaze car enthusiasts with its bold approach and designs. Check out the best concepts and prototypes of Corvettes that only true auto fans remember here. We’re certain you’ll be amazed.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Corvette SS

The Corvette SS debuted in 1957 as a fully functional racing car developed by Zora Arkus Duntov, the “Father of Corvette” himself. Duntov was a racer and always wanted to create the ultimate competition version. GM’s management allowed him to start a racing program and SS was the first car introduced (via Auto Evolution).

Photo Credit: Flickr

The Corvette SS featured many firsts and was a very capable racing car setting the track record at Sebring International Raceway. It was also the first in a long line of racing Corvettes that dominated the race tracks all over the world. The car started a great trend for Corvettes to find success on the asphalt for decades to come.

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Luxury Muscle: The Most Expensive Hemi-Powered Cars Of All Time

Chevy had its big blocks, Ford had its Cobra Jet, and Chrysler had the Hemi. For over six decades, the Hemi engine has been the top-of-the-line option in various Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth models. The secret of the Hemi is its cylinder heads with hemispherical combustion chambers, hence the name. The hemispherical combustion chambers patent has several advantages to it.

That means that the Hemi engine is somewhat of a holy grail amongst car collectors. Even today when we have modern Hemi engines, they are still prestigious power plants to have. In the muscle car world, the Hemi is simply a legend. That’s why we have compiled a list of the most expensive cars with this glorious motor under the hood.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Chrysler 300C SRT8 – Price: $30,000

The Chrysler 300 C is a very interesting car. That’s because it is one of the last, if not the last true American, boxy-looking sedans with V8 power and a chrome grille. It’s also a very successful model which has been on the market for over 15 years. During that time, Chrysler produced numerous variants.

Photo Credit: 3d Car Shows

Most of them had modern 5.7-liter Hemi and other versions, but one is especially interesting for this list – the mighty SRT-8 (via Car and Driver). Under the hood was a 6.1-liter Hemi with 425 HP that connected it to Hemi models of the glorious Mopar past.

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Chevy Guys Don’t Want You To Know These Mustang Facts

The Ford Mustang is one of the most well-known and best-selling sports cars in the world. It was also the car that ignited the entire pony car segment. General Motors created the Camaro in direct response to the Mustang and the success it was having. The Mustang has been in continuous production since it first hit the market, whereas Camaro production ceased in 2002 and returned in 2009. The rivalry between the two automotive brands has been fierce with both Ford and Chevy guys being extremely loyal to their brands.

Camaro owners are often very protective of their brand and will defend the car at all costs. But the Mustang also has a lot of great attributes that should be considered by drivers. There have been many different special editions and body styles of the Mustang released over the years. With the V8 performance and affordable price tag for most of the generations, the Mustang has endured the test of time. We looked at the best things about the Mustang that Chevy guys don’t want you to know.

Photo Credit: Muscle

The Camaro Has Been Discontinued Twice

The first and most important thing about the Mustang brand has been its pure staying power. Production has remained continuous since 1964, albeit there have been some mistakes along the way like the Pinto-based Mustang II. The Camaro on the other hand was first discontinued in 2002 and now it’s been announced that the Camaro will be discontinued in 2024 (via Motor Trend).

Photo Credit: Hagerty

The Mustang, on the other hand, has never been discontinued and the brand is doing better than ever. With the Coyote V8 engine under the hood, the Mustang packs a huge amount of power and a reputation like no other. On the other hand, Chevy guys don’t like to admit the fact that the Camaro is continuously getting discontinued by GM.

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Interesting Facts About Kitt From ‘Knight Rider’ That Will Blow Your Mind

The Pontiac Trans Am was one the most successful cars to appear in hit movies and on TV. It had a massive string of successes that included appearances in ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ and ‘Knight Rider.’ The latter show was an especially successful run for the Trans Am at a time when the third-generation GM F-Bodies were providing questionable performance. The futuristic styling of the car and star David Hasselhoff put the TV show on the map. The ‘Kitt’ car, as it’s called, is one of the most influential TV cars to this day.

It showed the world that special effects and technology could be used on a television set as well as the big screen. It also helped Pontiac stay afloat at a time when the brand was transitioning from the muscle car era. There was a lot more to the Kitt car than just the outward appearance and a lot of planning went into it. We looked at some of the most interesting facts about Kitt and they may just blow your mind. Check them out here.

Photo Credit: Simki

Automotive Crime Busting Star

Before Kitt being the focal point of a TV show, there hadn’t been a network television show where a car was the focal point. Sure, you had the Dukes of Hazzard, but the infamous General Lee Charger wasn’t truly the focal point of the show. Kitt was a sidekick. Sometimes, it would display an attitude or humor depending on the episode. A lot of creative writing went into the show, and much of that was for the car (via TV Insider).

Photo Credit: Simki

Fans were enamored with all of the technology that went into the car. Also, the slick black styling of the Trans Am helped in general. Kitt went on to be one of the few crime-busting stars who just happened to be a car. Knight Rider was one of the most popular shows from the era and the car was a major reason for that.

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Strange 1990s SUVs Most Drivers Have Never Heard Of

Amongst many other things, the 1990s were a time when the SUV came into mainstream acceptance. All of a sudden, it was chic to drive an oversized behemoth that guzzled gas. The SUV is a versatile kind of vehicle, and back in the 1990s, they were big business. The most obvious success stories to come out of this decade were the Ford Explorer and the Chevrolet Tahoe, as well as the Jeep Grand Cherokee. But there were also a few strange SUVs that you might not have ever seen.

We looked back at strange 1990s SUV models that most drivers have never heard of. These were not your average SUVs and nowadays they’ve gone on to become collector’s items. See if you’ve ever heard of them right here.

Photo Credit: Motorious

1996 Bentley Dominator

To the common driver, the Bentley Bentayga is referred to as the company’s first SUV. And that’s true in the fact that it is the first mass-produced SUV with a Bentley badge on it. But that’s not necessarily the full truth, as there was a Bentley SUV that was specially built in 1996. The Bentley Dominator was a custom-built model for Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei, who has a car collection spanning 7,000 vehicles (via RRSilver Spirit).

Photo Credit: Motorious

When you have that much money you can afford just about anything, and that’s the case with the Dominator. The SUV had most of its parts sourced from Land Rover with the exception of the Bentley 6.75-liter V-8. There are only six Dominators that were ever built and they’ve rarely come up for auction.

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These Are The Best Cars Set To Come Out In The Next Five Years

It’s no secret that the car industry suffered a lot of problems in the last couple of years. From the global pandemic and chip shortage to the rising costs of materials, all of it spelled trouble for car brands. However, the future still looks bright for the auto industry since manufacturers are preparing to present a wealth of new models and technologies in the next five years.

As expected, most of those cars will be electric, but there are more than a few ICE-powered cars that will be on sale. We will also see the debut of new names as well as the return of old ones. New classes will be added, and the existing ones will get new players. Here are the best cars that are set to come out in the next five years.

Photo Credit: Top Gear

Hyundai N Vision 74

After excellent reception by car fans and the car press, Hyundai decided to put this fantastic concept into production. We don’t have an exact release date or specs at the moment. But, astonishingly, this incredible design will be born as a production car (via Top Gear).

Photo Credit: Hyundai

Presented last year, the N Vision 74 is one car we can’t wait to see on the road. Blending ’70s aesthetics with modern material and technology, the N Vision 74 looks like a long-lost concept car but with a modern twist, which was precisely the idea behind it. It was well-received and car fans are now waiting to see in what exact form will be resurrected. Will it have a hybrid or hydrogen powertrain, or will it be fully electric? A turbocharged ICE engine? At this point, it’s anybody’s guess.

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1970s Cars That Deserve More Credit Than They Get

One of the most forgotten and overlooked decades of the automotive industry was the 1970s. With the fuel embargo and the fact that automakers had to downsize cars in size and power, the decade didn’t have very many hits overall. For the most part, it wasn’t a very exciting time in automotive design. But there were still quite a few well-known cars that came out of the decade. And some of these hidden gems have come to light recently.

Indeed, car enthusiasts are starting to experience more and more of what the decade had to offer. Cars like the AMC Gremlin that were once considered obsolete have now become classics. Even the Pinto-based Mustang has started to gain a decent following these days. It could even be said that the decade wasn’t as bad as most enthusiasts remember it being. Many of the cars had their own unique style, whether it was the velour interiors or the move toward digital dashboards there was a lot to like about the decade in general. We looked back at some 1970s cars that deserve more credit than they get.

Photo Credit: AMC

AMC Gremlin

If there’s one car that’s synonymous with cheap ’70s hatchbacks, it was no doubt the Gremlin. The car was designed and sold by cash-strapped AMC in an attempt to jump on the economy car craze of the decade. With stiff new competition from Honda and Toyota, domestic automakers had to come up with a plan. AMC recycled a lot of parts from their existing vehicle line and it showed in the quality of the car (via Motor Trend).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

While the Gremlin wasn’t the most technologically advanced car, it did have a unique design. The interior of the Gremlin was a lot larger than other compact cars at the time, and that was one of the best-selling features. The Gremlin had a 304 V8 engine, which was unheard of in a compact. Its body was widely used in NASCAR and dirt track racing. There’s no denying that the Gremlin was one of the most underrated cars of the decade.

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Surprising Facts About The ‘Starsky and Hutch’ Ford Gran Torino

There have been many memorable cars featured on TV shows over the past several decades. From the original Batmobile in the early ’60s to Walter White’s beige Pontiac Aztec on Breaking Bad, many cars have become part of a popular subculture. Along those lines, millions of viewers will immediately recognize the bright red 1974 Ford Gran Torino from the legendary TV show “Starsky and Hutch.” This even includes car fanatics who weren’t born when this show was first on the air.

Even though the show and its plot are easily forgettable as a template of the “buddy cop” genre, the car isn’t. Overall it’s one of the most recognizable cars ever to be featured on television. Building on that recognition, the story of this famous red Gran Torino is an interesting one for car fans to dive into. We dove into the surprising facts about this legendary TV car you probably don’t know, so check them out right here.

Photo Credit: Motor 1

“Striped Tomato”

This nickname for the Gran Torino was used throughout the show but wasn’t part of the script. In fact, when producers saw the car, they weren’t very enthusiastic about the model and its color combo so they called it “Striped Tomato.”

Photo Credit: Ford

However, writers adopted the phrase and used it in dialogue, so the nickname stuck. After all, a big red Ford Gran Torino coupe couldn’t be called any different (via Star Cars). Now, the nickname will go down in auto history just like the car itself.

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