NECurve

Moter Trend:

Bottom Line~

"In the world of four- or six-cylinder (or rotary) sports cars, this is a musclecar"

hmmmmmmm

Please tell me the Z has more in common with a 911 than a rustang or camaro.

Dissolved

They said in the world of 4 or 6 cylinder (or rotary) it's a muscle car. Not compared to camaros and mustangs

ares

iTrader: (2)

yeah compared to any currently produced V6 car, this is the highest output of them all. not a single other V6 automobile comes to mind that has more HP or torque, maybe some upper level porsches, not the boxster S though.

the STI does have more though but in the term of muscle car, put power the Z still kinda wins with 287 NA HP.

Phatmitzu

iTrader: (34)

Yeah. But the Z does sounds some what like a domestic tho...dont you think?

The Brickyard Rat

iTrader: (1)

If you compare the specs of most "sports cars" with the Zzzz, the Zzz is larger with more ponies under the hood.

I like to say the Zzz is two thirds sports car, one third "muscle car" and 100% perfection! LOL!

AndyB

The attitude here that muscle car is a bad thing is sort of weird.

To me a muscle car is just a car with lots of power and lots of low end torque. To me that is one of the things that makes a car fun to drive.

The S2K has plenty of power, but not much low end grunt.

In fact, one reason I picked the Z is because it is "muscle car like" with regards to the engine.

Little hi-reving 4-bangers, rotaries, and turboed 4's just don't have that muscle feel that the Z does.

I take it as a compliment. We all know the Z can handle with the best sports cars around. Calling it a muscle car is just adding another compliment to the mix.

Jason Bourne

Porsches have flat-6 engines, not V6.

Hupperware

STi, EVO, Z, RX-8 are all classified as Pacific Muscle Cars. Along with RX-7, Supra and such.

So in that manner... yes it is.

Dissolved

muscle cars are american cars from the '60s and '70s with V8s. They sacrifice everything for performance. They wake your neighbors, they have fat rear tires. They have more torque than Michael Jackson has victims. That's a muscle car

Montez

Some of the 80's to 2000's cars qualify as well for ex. 2001 Maro SS,98 T/A WS6 etc.

ares

iTrader: (2)

yes I know, mistake... but thanks for making sure thats set straight, someone always corrects that, I dont see what big difference it makes.

Jason Bourne

Yeah, I know, it's a little ****. But it does matter to Porsche owners and it is a real difference. BMW owners also don't like it when people say that BMWs have V6s. Actually, that one bugs me more since in some ways a flat-6 is like a 180 degree V6.

Jason

The Brickyard Rat

iTrader: (1)

Right on, AndyB!

C5DEMON

I traded in a '99 Corvette for my Z.

I would say that there is a pretty big difference between the two. I know the vette is a V8, but we are using the term "muscle car" here so I thought my opinion would be relevent.

My C5 had a couple of mods and would run high 12's in the 1/4 mile trapping between 108 and 109mph. I had around 315rwhp. I consider that a "muscle car". Now the Z, in my opinion is much more fun to drive. Quick, nice top end, and great balance. I would call that a "sports car". Some people might not see a difference, but I think there is. The vette isn't nearly as sporty as the Z and Z isn't as muscled up.

I realize that the article is talking about V6's, but using the term muscle car is pretty inaccurate. Power house among V6's or king of the V6's would be a lot better imho.

Blah blah blah annnnnnnnddd... I'm out.

D'oh

I think it is a pretty apt description.

When you compare the Z to an RX-8, S2000, Miata, etc. it is has much more of a muscle car feel to it. It has a comparitively strong low end, it's a bit heavier, less nimble, etc. It does have a brute strength approach that those other cars lack.

I don't think it is a derogatory term at all, but I do think it describes the feel of the Z compared to those other cars.

OTOH, if you compare the Z to a mustang or camaro, it will feel much less muscley and more sporty.

-D'oh!

KornerCarver

iTrader: (2)

To me, the true muscle cars are the SS-396's, GTO's, 442's, Road Runners and Hemi powered Chrysler cars. All of them date from the mid-60's through about 1971. I believe the first true muscle car was the '64 GTO.

Here is a picture of my '69 SS-396. I owned that car back in '69-'72 and I wish I still owned it.

Les

NECurve

I guess that I created the post and asked the question because when I think musclecar, I think 1/4 mile. ie. Not much in the handling department and a lot in the raw power department (F-body). I would take a musclecar to the strip at Daytona Beach and cruise, not to the mountain roads here in Nevada.
I believe there are very few cars that have both qualities in equal fashion (911 comes to mind and I am very familiar with driving them) and I was hoping that the Z was more like those. I am trying to decide between a Z and S2000 (I favor the Z because I see more mod potential) and DO NOT want to be driving this generations Mustang or Camaro.

Don't get me wrong I like torque and speed, but I LOVE the twisties!

ZRated03

LoL its funny how the term 'Muscle Car' seems to be some sort of insult to afew of you. The old school muscle cars changed the way cars were produced and allowed people to purchase cars fast from the factory @ fairly inexpensive prices. Enter 2003.. Enter The Z.. Affordable Sports Car, Low-End 'Muscle', and agressive styling.. hell, like somebody else said - I bought the Z over the S2k because the S2k just didn't feel as 'bad ***' or 'Muscle Car-esque' as the Z. I consider the statement made by motor trend to be fairly accurate, infact.. I own a camaro myself and in away the Z reminds me of it, but just sooo much more polished and/or refined.

BigBadBuford

When you compare the Z to some of its competition, RX8, S2000, etc, it does have a sort of musclecar feel to it, good torque, much larger engine, etc. It is still much more of a sports car than a musclecar though.
I own both a big block powered musclecar and the Z and when you compare the two side by side they don't have much at all in common. The torque of the big block Buick makes the Z feel like an S2000 in comparison. They are definitely much better suited towards the 1/4 mile than a road course. I think an original musclecar is the ultimate kind of car to go cruising in while the Z is a much more focused track machine.

Dissolved

agreed