I just don't see new muscle cars being brought to market in a world of $4/ gallon gasoline, which is what it will be or higher in a few years.

 

Gotta agree there. I think muscle cards, while a cool exercise, are strictly dinosaurs in today's world.

I mean how will they ever sell in numbers warrenting and justifying their existence in the world of $4.00/gal gas and higher?
I guess they will be collector's items from day one because there will likley be no day two..............
Heck they may even get a gas guzzler tax or a Luxury tax on 'em if executed in certain ways.

At least the HHR does it right by alowing us a glimpse of the past while enjoying a reasonably modern auto with reasonable MPG. That at least is MY future since I don't pine for 442's any more............

 

This may be true to a point.

You dont see GM dumping the Corvette anytime soon. Ford still produces there V8 Mustangs. You dont see the large SUVs or V8 pickups being discontinued do you?

There is still a niche market for these cars. Mainly younger crowds. 18 to 25.

The LS1 powered Camaro and Firebird got upwards of 24mpg on the freeway. I know as I had one. Not bad for a 350hp V8 so you have to wonder the gas milage of the newer engines in these cars.

I could see buying the Challenger for a weekend cruiser. Its probably the best looking retro car coming out. With a 425hp HEMI it will be popular. Im sure the Dodge marketing team will push it heavily on TV.

Speaking of marketing. You see the Mustangs allover TV. Everyones SUV and pickups. A few Corvette commercials. Do you think this is why there more popular than all the other models out there.

I think GM has a bunch of moron marketing team members. Why dont I see more HHR commercials? If they marketed this vehicle correctly they would have to expand the plant to keep up with demand. I would definitely be pushing the panel as a run about delivery van. Would also show some shots of some custom jobs to show what you can do with them. If the public actually saw the stats on these cars they would be buying a whole bunch more.

Over 30mpg freeway
Great power with the 2.4L
Great looks
Plenty of room
Great sounds
Best thing of all Great Price. I dont think anyone sells anything like the HHR at its price.

 

For people like me that appreciate cars and don't care about gas prices. Not everyone cares about the price of gas and how much they use nor do they car if their car gets 35 MPG. I would rather drive a Muscle Car than a fuel efficient little economy crap box any day. Besides it keeps the legacy and heritage of American muscle cars alive. If you don't understand now then you never will.

 

I see more older guys in them because they can afford them. The younger guys you see driving around in them are usually the V6 models because they are cheaper and the insurance doesn't kill you as much. How many 18-25 year olds do you actually see rolling around in Cobras, Vettes, and the like? I think the true market for these cars are 30 and over. Niche market is just a joke because I believe the Mustang is Fords best selling vehicle next to the F-150.

 

Not many. This is definitely going to be a mid-life crisis car. Running upwards of $40,000 for a Z28/TA is pushing Corvette territory.

I'm done with my Camaro/Firebird jonesin' days. I'll take a used LS2/LS3 'Vette.

 

I'm thinking of muscle cars specs from the past having no relation to any decent car these days. That is Largish bodies with huge V8's/ More fuel effective combos like the current Mustangs are fine examples of the way things should go.

Mustangs and Cameros/Trans Ams were never muscle cars in my book. They are Pony cars which is a different niche. Tricked out Pony Cars are cool!

A mucle car to me HAS a back seat that could be used and had a huge powerplant shoved in it with some handling acuterments too. I've never been in a Mustang that had a Back seat I could sit in without circulation falure. That is one of the reasons I went with Corvairs. Besides, Mustang people think they are better than the rest

I never drove an older Chrysler that did not handle like a wheelbarrow !
Drove a Road Runner, Coronet, Charger, Satalite, Duster, and others. Some were downright scary in acceleration, just be sure to slow down for the turns!
My Corvairs out handled them, but of course could never keep up on a straight away. Corvair had its own niche where no one really followed
I helped manage a Gulf station so I got to drive a lot of different cars and do mechanical work on them.

Heritage looking pieces are fine, but I do think the reality of today's gas prices will keep horrible gas mileage to a minimum. The US heritage of muscle cars is fine and all, but you have to have discretianary income to persue it and all I see around me is people getting poorer and getting laid off. Perhaps the rest of the country is doing better, but I think the working class is doing poorly where I live. They are duct taping old cars together just to make the rent.

Daily Driving Muscle cars are for those who can afford them , the idle rich, and fools living out of their means. Perhaps there are a lot of folks in these catagories.

Me , I'm going to try and save some money for my daughter's college rather than continuing to live out some fantasy I had in my twenties.
YMMV as they say.

So I'm even getting ready to sell all my Corvairs and the hundreds of car parts that go with this thirty year obsession.
Sad but happy to say, the HHR will likely be my heritage old car for the forseable future.

I hope any of you who can afford a Trans Am can go with it. Just make sure it is a second car and put it away in the winter if you live in snowy climates. You owe it that

 

Which is why we have high gas prices, or so they say. Too many people wasting too much fuel by their vehicle choice and/or driving habits.

I've always been a V8 guy in the past. 1987 Mustang GT, 1991 Z28, 1994 5.2L Dakota, 1995 LT1 Corvette, 2003 Crown Vic Police Interceptor (not mine but mine to drive locally 24/7). However, the era of mass market V8 power is drawing to a close. I'm done owning V8's, the Dakota is the last survivor, it is currently my son's school and work commuter.

Yeah if someone's rich, sure why not. But auto makers can't survive spending millions in R&D only to bring a niche car to market-- they'll lose tons of money and the domestic brands are already hurting financially.

Four cylinders & V6's are the trend. Power adders (forced induction via turbo or blower) when needed, but nothing's free-- if you want big power you have to stuff big fuel and big air into the chamber. Blown V6 or turbo four... high enough boost and you're @ V8 power but you're also back to V8 fuel economy. No free lunches.

 

V8's can be extremely good on fuel, my last cars weight was over 5000 lbs with a chevy 350 and 700R4 tranny with 2.83 rear end gears and i got at least 30 mpg highway going through the hills of Pittsburgh. The era of the big V8 is just starting if you ask me. It is now possible to design a V8 car that will out perform a 4 or 6 in any way possible and still make it possible to carry a family around comfortably.

 

Why do you guys keep saying niche market? Daily I see more Mustangs and Chargers than HHRs. The HHR is in way more of a niche market than any modern muscle car. If there weren't a desire for these cars we wouldn't be seeing the return of the Camaro or Challenger. Also look at how huge the classic muscle cars market has become. Americans like myself are getting tired of the cars the government has been forcing us to drive since the 70s and want the classics that we grew up loving or modern replacements that are safer, handle better, have more options, have more power, and are better on gas. We want a true American vehicle and a little front wheel drive econobox can't fill the slot no matter how cool it is. Maybe the governments dumb regulations are part of why our American car industry is in such bad shape.