FNL Hot Take: What is The Future of American Muscle Cars?

Just less than a week ago, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis went on record with CBS News to say, “The days of an iron block supercharged 6.2 liter V8 are numbered[…]but the performance that those vehicles generate is not numbered. ” Kuniskis was of course referring to quickly approaching twilight of the gas engine commonly found in our favorite muscle cars. The muscle car as we know it…is dying.

Automotive enthusiasts have always had the “hotrodder” mentality. Or in other words; the mind of taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary. From as early as the automobile’s humble horseless carriage beginnings, engineers, mechanics, technicians, and drivers alike, endlessly sought out the next best thing in the world of the automobile. Cars developed weatherproof interiors, automatic transmissions, climate control, safety features, and sound systems, among many other innovations throughout the years.

Can any car be regarded as the apex of said innovation? That may be an entirely different discussion, but some of you reading this may agree that muscle cars, above all, allowed the average man (or woman) the ability to create their own innovations. Building an engine in his or her garage is not so easily afforded to a buyer of a Lamborghini or Aston Martin. Domestic cars have always been comparatively affordable and plentiful. This is just one aspect of what helped create the muscle car movement in the 60’s, and what’s also kept it going strong into present day.

So, what happens now? Do we lose this spark, or desire to be creative with automobiles? Needless to say, the source of power for EVs is nothing like the internal combustion engine. There’s no timing advancing, fuel tables, O2 sensors, full length headers, valvetrain geometry, etc. What is there to tinker with? Many of the major automakers like GM, has recently stated they will no longer produce new gas or diesel powered vehicle beginning in 2035. Some states like California and New York have already been imposing strict laws to prevent hotrodding for some time now.

Look at it this way; before things go totally dark, gas engine cars are having a party at the end of the world. The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a supercharged V8 with 668 HP–the most powerful Cadillac ever produced. For the time being, Dodge is putting a Hellcat engine in literally everything, and the Mustang and Camaro are likely to continue on with gas engines until the very end.

Instead of mourning the death of the muscle as we know it, we should begin to embrace what the inevitable future will be for muscle cars, and make it our own. And there’s nothing wrong with hanging to what you have, either! Times are a-changin’ my friends, but if we maintain that desire to understand how things work…and how to make it better, we won’t lose the heart of muscle cars and the hotrodding culture that comes with it.