Linkoln

Look any car RWD, V8, lots of bang for the buck, sedan (though convertible), can put hood cowls and look cool and some common yet recognizable should be considered a muscle car and can clock in 0-60 in under 7 seconds and is American.
Also must be made in between the years 1960 and 1973.

seĀ·dan ( P ) Pronunciation Key (s-dn)
n.
A closed automobile having two OR four doors and a front and rear seat.

Vettes and Vipers are excluded to me because they are not practical, much more pricey, and not as common as ala mustang, also thier performance rivals that of porches, ferraris, and so forth. They are GT vehicles.

Or we can go with a the dictionarys idea.

muscle car
n.
A high-performance automobile, often with flashy, sporty styling.

hippy

Big block and small block are relative terms, it simply refers to which engine block is larger or smaller from a particular manufacturer's engine line up. You can bore and stroke a 351W to 427, and it's still a small block. Also, the 4.6 is HUGE. Even though it's displacement is only 281ci, the engine is actually bigger than the FE series, even the 427 cammer. Corvettes and vipers are not muscle cars, they are sports cars. In my opinion the mustang was supposed to fit in between the sports car and family sedan. In that respect it was meant to be in a class with european GT cars, like maseratti and ferrari. To me, a GT is a powerful car that has more than 2 seats, is comfortable, has some luxury features and handles well. In modern terms, I would say the bmw 645 is a good example, as is the Ferrari 456 and 612. The mustang is like a poor man's 612 or 645. There are too many cars now, you could compare the mustang to everything from the Ferrari 612, bmw 3 series, to a suburu wrx and mazda rx8. Especially if the line up includes everything from a 220hp v6 to a 500hp v8, with different styling, options and features. It's grocerytrolleyGTfamilysportsracemachine. It is all things to all consumers who don't want an SUV.

Galaxie

I would say the mustang is a pony car... a fun affordable car that can suit a wide variety of tastes and needs. Just look at the price range for the 2004 Mustang. A base V6 is in the teens while a loaded Cobra is close to 40.
Name another car that can be sold with such a wide price range.

History has shown us that pony cars can take on many forms.
Just look at the 1969 Mustang. The car could be optioned to resemble an econobox, but it could also be loaded up to be a muscle car.

-6 cylinder mustangs as grocery-getters
-Boss 302 for the ultimate handling car
-Mach 1 for the straight line.
-Shelby for the rich boy's toy

Over the years many people have bought 4-cylinder mustang II's and foxes as their first cars, although they didn't have the cajones to run a straight line, it was a realatively fun, affordable car. At the same time, you could order a V8 if you wanted more of a "womp" The reason the Mustang has sold so well time and time again is because it appeals to the widest range of people. It has also changed with the times, (see Mustang II). It will continute like that if the car is to maintain its appeal.

ManEHawke

Ok here's the conclusion that can be recieved by all this. The Mustang is ANYTHING you want it to be.
You can get what you want. This is actually a really diverse car.
If you want muscle you can find the mustang for that.
If you want a car for a new driver there the v6.
If you want classic.
Super
Ect...
See the greatness on this American beauty.

Dan

Whatever you want to call it, the category its in is pretty vacant right now.

ManEHawke

yep

TampaBear67

Well I think the Mustang has More than lived up to the Expectations Lee and the Gang had in mind for it! The original concept for the Mustang was for Americans, (the Younger Crowd and Military Men, who had seen or driven smaller sporty european makes) to buy an American car that was Smaller, Lighter, and Sportier than what Detroit had to Offer in the 60's! It took the World by storm!

Over it's 40 year history, It has made Not just a name for it's self, but for an entire Genre of Automobiles, known as Pony Cars. But it has also taken on many other guises over that long history as well. I have NO RESERVATIONS calling a 69-73 Mustang In Boss or Mach1 Trim a Muscle Car, just as I have no real problem with the Mustang II, as it was the Right Mustang for it's time. As was the more Euro 79 plus, Fox Mustangs.

That's the Sheer Beauty of the Mustang! A sweet little V6 can be optioned up to the hilt and still be a nice, sporty, practical grocery getter, or a Bare Bones, No Option GT can be a Muscle Car! Then you have the Cobra which I think ford is trying to make into a poor mans M3, all be it, a not so poor man. (Just My Speculation) My point being, The Mustang is all about what you want it to be!

rhumb

Interestingly, I think where you'll find the most modern day muscle cars of the big cube, big torque mid/full size sedan/coupe definition is in the various German marques.

Prime example of this are the various Mercedes AMG varients which are putting out simply sick amounts of power. How about a nice CL65 AMG coupe with a hand-built twin-turbo V-12 engine producing 604 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of Freightliner-grade torque! Even their "working man's" E55 AMG will run with a Z06 Vette, Viper or Maranello 575 -- and smoke a Cobra -- even in station wagon form!! Even their full size S-Class sedan can be a smoke'n ride, from darn fast with the SC 5.5 AMG to just plain Gawdawful fast with the TT V12 (60 mph in 4.3 seconds, to 100 in 9.7, and through the quarter in 12.5 at 115 mph).

Then Audi has their S and RSR models, from the quick 4-door and wagon S4, with its 5V 4.2 V8 backed up by a six-speed and AWD to their S6 and RS6 with a piddling 450hp out of a twin turbo V8.

Then there are the boys at BMW with not only the M3, currently available only in coupe form now, but the soon to be introduced 5 liter, 500hp V10 M5 and M6. And the 6 liter, V12 760 with 438 hp and 444 ft lbs of torque is no slouch either.

Even VW now has fitted a W8 into the Passat wagon and sedan -- available with a 6-cog MTX and AWD no less -- and a W12 into their new Pheaton.

Let's not forget the Brits over at Jaguar as they have been stuffing both their S-Type and XJ sedans with their SC 4.2 with a good, thumping 390 hp and a lot of torque to urge these big cats off the cushion.

Of course, all these cars will put a big dent into ones Lotto winnings and have a level of fit, finish and luxury a '60's style American muscle car could only dream of. But hey, it's all there, big multi-jug motor in a big sedan.

Interestingly, American manufacturers now seem to be returning to the muscle car idiom.

DCM's new Hemi powered 300 and Magnum certainly fall into that realm, though the Magnum's station wagon body puts an interesting twist on the theme.

Cadillac has their new, Vette-powered CTS-V, though that approaches the aforementioned German marques in terms of price and luxury. Pontiac has there new GTO, which, while a coupe, is actually a pretty good sized one that is a true 4 seater as opposed to a 2+2 like the Stang.

Ford, sadly, seems slow to this trend in general. While the Lincoln LS has some of the traits, its 3.9 V8, as fine a motor as it is, just isn't strong enough to really make it a muscle car. Maybe if they could somehow borrow and rebadge Jaguar's SC version of what is basically the same motor. Mercury has the Marauder, though that would probably do better some version of the 5.4 or perhaps the Cobra's SC 4.6 to give it real street cred ... maybe next year.

mkoesel

It depends on how you define muscle car. There were plenty of 4
doors sold with Big V8s (Ford Torino sedan for example).

jsaylor

As alluded to above, 4 doors didn't mean you couldn't get a muscle car. At least one 1970 Torino four-door was built with the 429SCJ with a four speed. A vinyl roof and a shaker poking through the hood ??? I kinda like it.

Evil_Capri

There was a 1970 Torino Wagon also with a 4-speed, shaker option. (Was For Sale a year or two ago in Illinois at a Muscle Car shop in Lake Zurich on Rt. 12) I wanted that car BAD!!

hatsharpener

*Rainman voice*
Definately a pony car
*End Rainman voice*

BLAKE

It depends on how you define muscle car. There were plenty of 4
doors sold with Big V8s (Ford Torino sedan for example). [/b][/quote]
I'm sure there were plenty of station wagons sold with Big V8s too, but that was because it took a big V8 to move them down the road, and I surely wouldn't call a station wagon a muscle car.

Same thing with a 4 door in my opinion.

rhumb

Guess it depends on how tightly one defines "muscle car." But in my perhaps looser interpretation, I would certainly call the aforementioned big-block, big power sedans and wagons "muscle cars," as I would too the upcoming Hemi-powered Chrysler 300 4-door and Dodge Magnum wagon. The latter especially I find rather cool. For some reason, I just find the idea of a high/over-powered wagon somehow appealing, must be some sordid childhood memory or something.

But I just love the Hemi Magnum, various Volvo R turbo wagons, assorted Audi S series Avants and that Mercedes E55 AMG uber-wagon. One great thing about them as they make perfect Q-Ships, looking like soccer mom in her dray kid conveyance. I guess another cool thing is the ability to haul all ones stuff and haul hiney at the same time ... how cool'zat

Evil_Capri

You are not alone!!

I too have a high regard for super horse power wagons!!

A BMW M5 wagon would be Super Q!!

Here is the wagon mentioned in my previous post.

HairyCanary

I'm sure there were plenty of station wagons sold with Big V8s too, but that was because it took a big V8 to move them down the road, and I surely wouldn't call a station wagon a muscle car.

Same thing with a 4 door in my opinion. [/b][/quote]
My brother has a 1969 Mercury wagon, it's probably twice as long as my car and half again as wide. But even with the original 429, it's actually reasonably peppy. Probably tips the scales at 6000 pounds . He's going to redo the engine and make it into a sleeper. Can you say 300 shot of N2O?