Muscle Cars
Muscle Cars are making a comeback. According to federal statistics, the power-to-weight ratio in muscle cars has been rising steadily since the 1970s, as automakers adapted to tougher fuel economy standards. The share of big engined cars hit an 18-year high of 29 percent in the 2004 model year, according to industry publication Ward’s Automotive Reports. And while 200-horsepower engines were once found in luxury cars, they’ve now become the standard for midsize family sedans. And, though “muscle” like the new 400-horsepower Corvette is fairly low volume, it’s “what drives excitement and gets the traffic on the showroom floor.
But its only within the past few years that the Big Three have had the technical and financial resources to indulge in models like the Ford GT, a $140,000 sports car with a 500-horsepower engine going into limited production this summer. After last year’s Dodge Tomahawk – a motorcycle concept powered by a V-10 engine from the Dodge Viper – there was a need for something just as outrageous for Chrysler.
The 850-horsepower, 12-cylinder engine in Chrysler’s ME Four-Twelve was developed by AMG. The ME Four-Twelve was aimed to compete with European muscle cars such as the 660-horsepower Ferrari Enzo and the $1.4 milliom 1,001-horsepower Bugatti Veyron (this car has been engineered with an electronic limiter that restricts going in excess of 250 mph.) The moving tail spoiler generates enough down force to keep it on the ground.
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