Are the days of Factory Muscle almost over?

[SVT666]

I found this editorial a couple weeks back, but when I heard the Cobalt SS Supercharged has been discontinued because of emissions, I thought this might be of interest to everyone.

Hemi666



Are the factory muscle-car days over?

Edtorial by Sam Haymart

History is about to repeat itself, but can the aftermaket tuners save the day?


06-03-07: Whether you buy into the Great Global Warming Swindle or not, the politicians America elected to Washington on the last go around certainly do. This combined with higher prices for gas that honestly aren?t going down again have brought a great deal of both legislative and market pressure on the American automakers to change. In the past couple of years and now into the future, they are going to be focusing on cars that pollute less and use less fuel as a matter of survival rather than will.

The Democrat controlled Congress, working hard to pay off their far left base is currently working on a sweeping new package of energy legislation that will dramatically increase the required Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAF?) standards to numbers well beyond what we have today. The legislation in it?s current form will require that automakers increase the mile per gallon ratings of cars and trucks by a whopping 40% by 2020. This is the equivalent to a 9.0 earthquake hitting the city of Detroit.

What is loomingly frightful is that this legislation is headed for a slam dunk in both houses of Congress and President Bush, not known as a friend of the American auto industry has indicated he is more than anxious to sign it. While it seems to fly in the face of conservative values to smack industry over the head with a baseball bat, the President is invested heavily in this new wave of laws in hopes of appeasing his political foes.

In addition to this, the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the EPA has the right to regulate carbon emissions, a first. While it has not been decided if and when the EPA will begin putting a clamp on carbon, it is inevitable that they will. The only way to reduce carbon emissions is to reduce the amount of fuel being burned. It's simple math, there are no magic tricks for this one. Inevitably, reduction in carbon emissions means less horsepower, pure and simple.

Add these political and legislative pressures to the fact that the days of cheap gas are over and you have a sea change. With major developing countries like China and India now competing with the US for a finite supply of oil, the prices and supply are going to be hit like never before. This consistent $3.00 a gallon gasoline and higher price of fare is not only affecting what car buyers, enthusiasts or not, are planning on buying but what Detroit is planning on building in the future.

In the past few years we have been living in a muscle-car heyday. We have more power, responsible and reliable power than ever in the history of the automobile. It?s nothing to go out and find a 500+ hp Shelby Mustang, a 425hp Hemi Dodge or a 600hp Viper. They are a factory made, warranted and reliable choice right off the showroom. We have been more fortunate than we know.

In the coming years Detroit is going to be facing a new paradigm of making their cars 40% more efficient, mandated by law. They will be forced to spend more of their R&D in the areas of alternative fueled cars, small cars, hybrids, and even electrics. The money and time for muscle cars wont be there. Yes, this sounds like the same tripe we all heard in the 1970?s and again the 1980?s. But this time we have global pressures on oil supply that aren?t going away. We have a solid if not diabolic sell job on the psyche of the world citizen that we are all killing off the earth with our selfish mechanized actions. While this may be folly at it?s core, perception is reality and for the most part the sheep of the world are eating it up.

So, where does that leave us? Well to start with we suggest that if you want a factory built 500hp Shelby GT-500 or a big-block Hemi Chrysler, or even a 6.2 liter Camaro SS next year we suggest you buy it while you can. These cars are going to quietly disappear one day, just when we least expect it. Chrysler is already signaling that they may be dropping some if not all of their SRT-8 line of vehicles for 2008 model year. No more 425hp 6.1 liter Hemi Chargers? The reason, slow sales and of course their need to keep their CAF? up.

Ford has been chastised by the press, ourselves included for not ponying up the power lately with bigger more powerful engines on some of the special edition Mustangs. Where are the big V8 rear wheel drive sedans? Instead, they are farming out the souping up of regular Mustang GT?s to aftermarket tuners like Carroll Shelby himself. The new supercharged Harley Davidson F-150 pickup will have its supercharger installed at the dealer by way of Saleen. This may indeed be the wave of the future for the hardcore high performance cars.

While companies like Ford, GM and Chrysler have the CAF? standards to meet, once the car leaves the factory door the requirements are met. The car can then go out to any tuner and be massaged with all the superchargers, turbos and whatever else it takes to put the power to the people. Provided that tuner can meet smog regulations which they are doing fine at by the way, then the car can be sold though the dealer just like Saleen, Roush, Shelby and Steeda cars are being done today.

The point is that the coming regulations aren?t likely to kill the high performance muscle car. They are likely however to kill the factory high performance muscle car. Sad as that might seem on the surface, the changes ahead might mean big time business for our stable of aforementioned tuners who have frankly been hit with a shovel in the past few years since the factory has gotten into the game.

We can only hope that someone is able to fill the void when Detroit no longer has the moral and fiscal fortitude to crank out mega-liter 500+ horsepower machines from their plants. In the meantime, go get them while you can and take good care of them because history is about to repeat itself.

[GoCougs]

My general comment is that the damage caused by the unfounded  man-made global warming hysteria sweeping through US gubment is sure to extend infinitely beyond the simple obsolescence of high-horsepower vehicles.

My specific comment is that CAFE is a socialistic disaster on numerous levels.

The irony is the companies that could easily get away with low-volume, V8 beasty muscle cars (read: due to an already high CAFE such as Toyota or Honda) have no interest in building them.

[Nethead]

Was this "Rush Limbaugh's Thoughts on God, Motherhood, Patriotism, and the American Automobile"?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Hybrid muscle-cars FTW! 

[Vinsanity]

So, where does that leave us? Well to start with we suggest that if you want a factory built 500hp Shelby GT-500 or a big-block Hemi Chrysler, or even a 6.2 liter Camaro SS next year we suggest you buy it while you can. 

that's exactly what I plan on doing. once I have my 2009 Camaro SS, we can send all the hippies to float away on their beloved melting glaciers for all I care

[SJ_GTI]

Damn those liberals for taking away our muscle cars!! 

[afty]

Yeah, this reads like right-wing FUD.  I especially like this sentence: "Chrysler is already signaling that they may be dropping some if not all of their SRT-8 line of vehicles for 2008 model year. No more 425hp 6.1 liter Hemi Chargers? The reason, slow sales and of course their need to keep their CAFE up."  What, slow sales isn't reason enough to drop a model?  I don't think we need a conspiracy theory to explain this.

[Raza]

that's exactly what I plan on doing. once I have my 2009 Camaro SS, we can send all the hippies to float away on their beloved melting glaciers for all I care

I'm going to get myself a Challenger coupe some time in the future.

[crv16]

but when I heard the Cobalt SS Supercharged has been discontinued because of emissions

Politicians and companies all like to have their scapegoats...

More likely, the SS is being discontinued because they are not selling in large enough numbers to support the investment required to bring emissions up to snuff.

[SVT666]

Politicians and companies all like to have their scapegoats...

More likely, the SS is being discontinued because they are not selling in large enough numbers to support the investment required to bring emissions up to snuff.

Soooooooo, emissions are the reason?  Regardless of how many are sold, it's emissions that are killing it.

[SVT666]

I'm going to get myself a Challenger coupe some time in the future.

What aren't you going to buy sometime in the future?

[SJ_GTI]

Soooooooo, emissions are the reason?? Regardless of how many are sold, it's emissions that are killing it.

I am not saying emissions cannot possibly be a reason to stop making a car, but it seems odd that every other car being sold in 2007 was able to pass these mysterious emission standards (even cars like the Bugatti Veyron) yet the Coballt SS Supercharged was not. It seems like the Cobalt's engine must have either been really dirty, or its just a canned excuse.

[SVT666]

I am not saying emissions cannot possibly be a reason to stop making a car, but it seems odd that every other car being sold in 2007 was able to pass these mysterious emission standards (even cars like the Bugatti Veyron) yet the Coballt SS Supercharged was not. It seems like the Cobalt's engine must have either been really dirty, or its just a canned excuse.

Possibly.  It just seems strange that they will can this car over poor sales when I see SS Supercharged Cobalts all the time.

[Raza]

What aren't you going to buy sometime in the future?

Hey man, if you don't everything, you can't get everything!

But seriously, the Challenger is tops my list of the car I'm going to replace the car I'm going to replace my Passat with with. 

With with with with with.

[SVT666]

Hey man, if you don't everything, you can't get everything!

But seriously, the Challenger is tops my list of the car I'm going to replace the car I'm going to replace my Passat with with.?

With with with with with.

I have narrowed field down to two cars to replace my truck with next year, and one is a factory muscle wagon.  The Magnum RT and my second choice is the Mazda6 Sportwagon GT-V6.  1 problem with the Mazda is that's not big enough for what I want, but I get a mnual tranny with it.

I love factory muscle because aftermarket muscle is pretty expensive.

[Raza]

I have narrowed field down to two cars to replace my truck with next year, and one is a factory muscle wagon.? The Magnum RT and my second choice is the Mazda6 Sportwagon GT-V6.? 1 problem with the Mazda is that's not big enough for what I want, but I get a mnual tranny with it.

I love factory muscle because aftermarket muscle is pretty expensive.

Tough choice.  I'd lean towards the Mazda, but I know you want that muscle. 

Is it space you need for cargo that's making the Mazda seem to small?  Because, I'd suggest a......


Mustang.

[SVT666]

Tough choice.? I'd lean towards the Mazda, but I know you want that muscle.?

Is it space you need for cargo that's making the Mazda seem to small?? Because, I'd suggest a......


Mustang.

I need the space for kids, car seats (Magnum's backseats have 42" of legroom, so the front seats don't have to get shoved into the dash), and all the shit that goes with kids on trips.  Fuel mileage is only 1 mpg worse in the Magnum RT then the Mazda. 

The Mazda intrigues me in that I can get it with a manual and it's got better handling.  Back seats are a little small (37" of legroom) and the cargo area isn't as big.  Besides, if my wife doesn't let me get a manual tranny (she can't drive stick), then the Magnum is automatically (no pun intended) the only choice.

[Tave]

How come the Magnum V8 matches up favorably with the Mazda V6 efficiency-wise? Does it have DOD?

I'd get the Magnum if I got an automatic, like you said.

[SVT666]

How come the Magnum V8 matches up favorably with the Mazda V6 efficiency-wise? Does it have DOD?

I'd get the Magnum if I got an automatic, like you said.

It has DOD.

[sandertheshark]

Are the factory muscle-car days over?

Edtorial by Sam Haymart

History is about to repeat itself, but can the aftermaket tuners save the day?

A hysterical article in response to a hysterical piece of legislation pushed in response to pseudo-scientific hysteria.  That sounds about right to me.

[SVT666]

A hysterical article in response to a hysterical piece of legislation pushed in response to pseudo-scientific hysteria.? That sounds about right to me.

So you don't think that the days factory muscle are almost over?

[Champ]

I have narrowed field down to two cars to replace my truck with next year, and one is a factory muscle wagon. The Magnum RT and my second choice is the Mazda6 Sportwagon GT-V6. 1 problem with the Mazda is that's not big enough for what I want, but I get a mnual tranny with it.

I love factory muscle because aftermarket muscle is pretty expensive.

No Saab wagon?? New 9-3 sport combi will have 285hp AWD.

Or Volvo V70R, of course have to buy used.

[SVT666]

No Saab wagon?? New 9-3 sport combi will have 285hp AWD.

I'm going used because I would rather buy the car after the largest depreciation has taken place (the first two years).? We leased our last two vehicles but I want to buy this one.

Thankfully my lease is up next year and not this year.  A Magnum wouldn't be able to carry the 2500 lbs of concrete mix I have in my truck right now.  Or the 2200 lbs of lumber I had in it yesterday for that matter.

[GoCougs]

Considering that a $25,000 V6 Camry can hit 0-60 in 6 sec and run mid 14s in the 1/4 mile, I'd say that factory muscle is better than ever.

Said Camry would've been quicker than 90% of all Detroit cars built during the muscle car era.

[Champ]

I'm going used because I would rather buy the car after the largest depreciation has taken place (the first two years).  We leased our last two vehicles but I want to buy this one.

Thankfully my lease is up next year and not this year. A Magnum wouldn't be able to carry the 2500 lbs of concrete mix I have in my truck right now. Or the 2200 lbs of lumber I had in it yesterday for that matter.

Copy that.  A 9-5 Aero wagon (used) is still a good value, at least worth a quick look.

[SVT666]

Considering that a $25,000 V6 Camry can hit 0-60 in 6 sec and run mid 14s in the 1/4 mile, I'd say that factory muscle is better than ever.

Said Camry would've been quicker than 90% of all Detroit cars built during the muscle car era.

What does this have to do with factory muscle coming to an end?  nobody would argue that today is the height of the horsepower and speed wars, but I think the article is right...factory muscle is on it's way out the door.

[Onslaught]

Stop making them heavy pigs and you won't need that much power. 

[GoCougs]

What does this have to do with factory muscle coming to an end?? nobody would argue that today is the height of the horsepower and speed wars, but I think the article is right...factory muscle is on it's way out the door.

It's out the door because the last issue Detroit should be spending R&D dollars on is a 500hp Mustang.

[SJ_GTI]

Copy that.? A 9-5 Aero wagon (used) is still a good value, at least worth a quick look.

That's actually not a bad idea.

The previous gen (well, previous sheetmetal) 9-5 was pretty hot looking, came in a good sized wagon form, and was available with a stickshift. According to edmunds, even at dealer retail they are running under 20k for a 2003 Aero model:





A 2002 model would be under 15k!

[SVT666]

It's out the door because the last issue Detroit should be spending R&D dollars on is a 500hp Mustang.

Except that the Mustang is about the only car Ford makes that actually makes them a profit, and the GT500 makes them more profit then a V6 or GT Mustang.