50 American Sports Cars That Don't Suck

Lambo, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Bugatti ... enough already with the foreign cars! We understand that they're beautiful, and sure, they have a ton of power, but the American scene isn't nearly as bad as you think it is. An all new Impala is coming out, the COPO Camaro is hitting a quarter mile under nine seconds, the new GT500 Shelby has a ridiculous 662 horsepower, and the new Corvette screams American power.

It seems as if the American car that we were once proud of is finally making its return. This also got us thinking about the past and about how many cars in previous years that we have loved. So, to combat all your negative thoughts about American vehicles and your newborn love for foreign cars you'll never be able to afford, we've compiled a pretty awesome list: 50 American Cars That Don't Suck. Check it, and try to tell us America isn't the way to go.

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Year(s): 1955

We're just going to pretend like that travesty of a modern Thunderbird refresh never happened. The original T-Bird is an absolute classic. Back in '55, this car was quickly thrust into production as a response to the Chevrolet Corvette. The cars two-seater configuration and sportier lines separated it from other Fords at the time and its 193-212-horsepower, 292-cubic-inch V8 was similar to the power the 'Vette was putting out. Unlike the Corvette, however, the T-Bird's appeal declined as the years passed by,

Year(s): 1994-1996

Usually the simplest designs are the best. Case in point: the seventh-gen Impala SS. Paint-matched trim along with a sport-tuned suspension and lower-profile wheels made the SS look the part. It may have resembled a cop car, but the Corvette motor made lighting up the rear tires as easy as pushing the go-pedal.

Year(s): 1990

Stop laughing. Once legendary tuner Carroll Shelby got his hands on the dismal Daytona, he added an eight-way adjustable "enthusiast's" driver's seat, larger sway bars, a heavy-duty Getrag gearbox, and a Turbo II Chrysler engine with 174hp. The Daytona went from broke to no joke.

Year(s): 1992-1994

Similar to the Eagle Talon and Mitsubishi Eclipse thanks to the now-defunct partnership between Chrysler and Mitsubishi, the Plymouth Laser was in a constant battle with both cars and, unfortunately, never took off. But thanks to a rare Gold Package, the Laser to this day remains a rare commodity.

Year(s): 1987

Obviously, this is not a car that Shelby is most known for, but a limited run of this little beast was built back in 1986. The Charger-based vehicle was purchased by Shelby and boosted it with larger blow-through turbo pushing out 12 more PSI, an aluminum air-to-air intercooler, a redesigned "swirl-port/fast burn" head and tuned intake manifold. That moved the car's 146hp at 5,200 RPM to 175hp at 5,300 RPM. That's more than enough to whip little guy around.

Year(s): 1931

We couldn't leave one of the most memorable Indy 500 racers off our list. Running on its namesake's fuel, this Duesy made history when it completed the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a single tank. Even though driver Dave Evans was waving dueces (get it? Okay, sorry) to other drivers in the pits, he finished the race in 13th place.

Year(s): 2004-2005

Say what you will about the Neon—it's ugly, built for sorority chicks, and just plain stupid—but when you stuff a 230hp turbocharged four-cylinder in the engine bay that could do 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds, you found yourself with a compact that could shame the likes of M3s and S4s. Well, at least in a straight line.

Year(s): 1913-1916

Also known as "The car that made good in one day," the Bearcat was designed and built by Harry C. Stutz. It was given this nickname for placing 11th in the 1911 Indy 500.

Year(s): 1969

Built to battle the big guns of the muscle-car era, independent manufacturer AMC built its AMX on the weight of the belief, "if they could do it, we can do it." And it did. Sort of. In 1968 AMC broke 106 world speed records during a closed track session in Texas. Of course, the cars were modified, but it got the job done.

Year(s): 1971

A year after the Plymouth Valiant morphed into the sportier Duster, a new trim level was introduced called The Twister. This included Rallye wheels, racing mirrors, lower panel stripes, a sharktooth grille, and hood scoops. Although the Duster had four total engine options, the only one we care about is the 275-horsepower 340 V8. Considering the Duster was only a little more than $2,000, this was a great steal.

Year(s): 1983-1986

The fourth generation Monte Carlo SS has an aggressive low stance to it and the power to back it up. 1983 was the year that Chevy brought back the Super Sport package for the Monte after 12 years of discontinuation. The '84 SS had a 180-horsepower 305 V8 and was also picked up for use in NASCAR.

Year(s): 1996-2002

With a huge hood scoop and decent horsepower (325hp), the Camaro SS was a bargain sports car for enthusiasts looking to destroy tires at a moment's notice. Sure, Camaros may be synonymous with mullets but that's only because, like the popular Southern hairstyle, it was business in the front and a party out back.

Year(s): 1971

With the muscle-car era coming to an end due to governmental fuel standards, the Firebird 455 packed in the last true muscle-car motor. An ungodly 7.5 liters of fuel-sucking power, the 455 could cross the quarter-mile marker in 14.5 seconds and make Burt Reynolds' chest hair fizzle. Pause?

Year(s): 1989-1993

The W8 is the only all-American Vector ever built. Under the hood of this lesser-known supercar is a twin-turbo Rodeck Y block that pumps 625hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. It has a semi-aluminum monocoque chassis with a 4130 Chro-Moly roll cage, and the body is made of kevlar, carbon fiber and s-glass. How's that for made in America?

Year(s): 1969

The Torino Talladega was built specifically to compete in NASCAR. To make it more dynamic, Ford made the grille flush and rolled up the rocker panels. While the cars on the track ran with 427s, the 745 production models had a 335-horsepower 428 Cobra Jet.

Year(s): 1930

The V16 is one of Cadillac's most historically defining vehicles. Each crafted to the customer's preferences, the V16 was initially designed with two straight-eight Buick engines that shared only a center-mounted camshaft. In all, the massive engine displaced 452 cubic inches and put out 185bhp. The chassis was borrowed from the 353/355 line.

Year(s): 1969

Besides the fact that you could get up to seven different engines, including a 440 "Magnum" and 426 Hemi, the '69 Charger was made famous for executing spectacular jumps and down-South hoonery that only the Duke boys could provide—which is why they destroyed one to two cars per episode.

Year(s): 1998-2002

Adding a huge snorkel-filled hood to the fourth-generation Firebird, along with an uprated engine producing 325hp, the WS6 was a monster in the GM lair. Combined with the fact that you could get white/blue trim with blue-tinted alloy wheels, and a rumble that made the Corvette green, the WS6 was modern-day throwback muscle.

Year(s): 1965

It's tough to beat an original. The '65 GT350 was Shelby's first Mustang and remains one of his best. Carroll modified the K-code 289-cubic-inch V8 Engine to put out 306 horses, took out the rear seat, added side-exhaust pipes with Glasspak mufflers, added a hood scoop, and put a rear battery in select models. Although most people couldn't afford the race-ready price of $4,547, Shelby started an era with this one.

Year(s): 1963

Back when fuel cost a quarter and a dime, Chevy offered a Z06 package for the Corvette racers. Sporting a 36.5-gallon fuel tank as an option, dual-master cylinder, and stiffer springs, the 327hp fuel-injected coupe is one of the most rare Bowties, with only 199 ever produced.

Year(s): 1968

A four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual, and two exhausts = 4-4-2. Easy to identify and hard to catch up with, the 442 packed a big ol' Olds 455 V8—underrated at 360-370hp (410-420 hp was more likely). Add those big hood scoops to the front and you'll have one of the world's most recognizable muscle cars.

Year(s): 1989

Besting both the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari Testarossa in acceleration, the Turbo Trans-Am was a beast! Equipped with a turbo'ed and intercooled Buick 3.8L V6, the Trans-Am would do 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. But with a price tag three times that of a standard Firebird, only 1,555 were produced.

Year(s): 1969

Building on the success and technology advancements of the L88, the ZL1 was the pinnacle of Corvette engines. An all-aluminum 427 wedged between the fenders of the '69 Corvette meant that the factory rating of 430hp was a joke: Over 550 was more like it. But with only two ever made, these are the rarest of the rare.

Year(s): 1968-1969

Though maybe not a sports car by definition, the 427-equipped Impala SS goes like stank, and light-to-light it would keep up with most muscle cars of its day. Plus, Snoop D. O. Double G always had a thing for them. That counts for something in our book.

Year(s): 1970-71

Two things set the Barracuda off during muscle-car madness: crazy color schemes and the "shaker hood." Vitamin C, In-Violet, and Moulin Rouge were just some of the colors, but thanks to that hood, you could step on the gas and see the 426 Hemi shake to life. Badass, no Boosie.

Year(s): 1969

Built as a car that had to do the quarter-mile in under 14 seconds and cost less than $3,000, Plymouth stuffed a huge motor into a family sedan and made a straight-up killer. Plus, developing a horn that sounded like the WB Road Runner was just plain kickass.

Year(s): 2001

Ultra-rare. Ultra-fast. Ultra-scary. The Mosler MT900 is a carbon-fiber, Corvette-propelled, lightweight, midship monster producing a range of horsepower from 350-600. Combine this with a .25 drag coefficient and you'll find that exceeding the speed limit was never easier.

Year(s): 1969

Widely considered one of the most beautiful Chevys, and muscle cars, ever made, the '69 Chevy set a standard when it came to American muscle. We're talking about the 396-cubic-inch 375bhp L78 big-block that pull 59.3 percent of the cars weight to the nose. It was so difficult to get all the power to the pavement that those who raced this car had to modify the rear in some way to find more traction. Up against heavy competition in the late '60s, the Camaro came out on top.

Year(s): 1967

Big block cars are terminally nose-heavy. Chevy solved the Corvette's problem with an all-new block with aluminum heads, pistons, and intake manifold for the 427 motor. And with the M22 "rock crusher" transmission delivering power to the rear wheels, the L88 was the perfect sendoff for the C2 Corvette.

Year(s): 1910-1912

Due to its extremely limited production run, the Limited Touring is one of the most rare cars on this list. Powered by a 60-horsepower, 707-cubic-inch inline-six, it earned its name "Limited" after it beat a 20th Century Limited train in a race from Albany to NYC. How's that for legen ... I ain't waitin' for nobody, not even a train ... dary?

Year(s): 1964-1969

"All rise for The Judge." That was one of the taglines for advertisements describing the Judge, a bare-bones GTO with numerous styling cues built to take on Plymouth's Road Runner. The Judge could be equipped with a dealer-installed 400 block that would give the Judge exceptional performance.

Year(s): 1964-1969

The original "Pony Car" was destined to be a success from the start. After being announced, almost every publication raved about its P-51 influenced design and European style. It was a hit. But it wasn't until 1969, when the Boss 302 model hit showrooms, that people took notice of the horsepower as much as its looks.

Year(s): 1970-1971

This car is arguably the peak of the 60s and 70s muscle car mountain. After GM lifted displacement restrictions, Chevy dropped a 454-cubic-inch V8 that topped out at 450 horsepower, the highest factory production horsepower rating ever. The engine included a 800-cfm Holley four-barrel on an aluminum manifold, solid lifters, four-bolt mains, forged steel crank and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons, and deep-groove accessory pullies. This was the king.

Year(s): 2000-2009

Controversial styling and great performance mixed with hand-built exclusivity. Made as a grand touring car, the Esperante benefitted from a four-cam, 32-valve aluminum V8, which was good for 305hp. But what the Esperante really had was charisma. Panoz knew how to make awkwardly cool cars and the Esperante GT is its greatest example.

Year(s): 2010

Any Cadillac that will smoke a Porsche 911 to 60 mph and sports Recaro seating is a definite must-have. Cadillac engineers actually made one of the rear half-shafts shorter than the other to prevent axle tramp. Oh, and the 556 horsepower that's available in either coupe, wagon, or sedan ain't bad either. Let's call this one an instant classic.

Year(s): 1936

These days cars go through hundreds of tests, making sure everything is up to spec. However, nobody is testing cars the way the Auburn Boattail Speedster was. Each one of these cars, which has one of the most distinct looks ever created with the boattail, was taken out on Indiana highways and driven at speeds of more than 100 mph. They went so fast that police even gave up on trying to catch them. That's the kind of quality control that we miss.

Year(s): 2000

No radio, no A/C , and no rear seat: perfectly acceptable things not to have when you are equipped with a limited-edition (300 built), street-legal racer. The Cobra R was a 385-horsepower, Recaro-seat-equipped, 1.01-G pulling, Corvette-beating bad boy not to be messed with. Shit, it still is.

Year(s): 1987

How can you not love an underrated Buick coupe, built by McLaren Performance Technologies, that could bang out four-second 0-60 times and smoke anything outside a supercar? Though "Darth Vader" had an extremely limited run (547 built), it made its mark as one of the baddest Buicks ever.

Year(s): 1970

With the sole purpose of bringing home a NASCAR championship, engineers at Plymouth and sister company Dodge (Charger Daytona) threw on a massive 23-inch rear wing to tame the rear end and deal with the power coming from the 426 Hemi. It also helped propel it to speeds over 200 mph. It may have never won that NASCAR 'chip, but throw in the "meep meep" horn and you had one seriously fast bird.

Year(s): 1988

To put into context how incredible this car was, consider the following. This Sledgehammer was built in 1988 with an engine built by legendary 'Vette tuner John Lingenfelter, putting down over 900 horses and the ability to hit an astounding, pants-wetting 254.7 mph top speed. It would take 22 years for a car, the Bugatti Veyron, to exceed that speed.

Year(s): 1995

When you find a car with a boat motor, you should walk away. However, when GM contracted Mercury Marine to produce the LT5 with four overhead camshafts, 405 horsepower, and a top speed over 180 mph, the ZR1 was the King of the Hill. Even though the ZR1 could go 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, the ballooning base price kept buyers away.

Year(s): 2005-2006

Totally built to emulate the GT40, the GT was a bare-bones rocket. Superplastic-formed aluminum body panels, friction-stir-welded extrusions, and a mid-mounted 5.4L modular V8 engine with a twin-screw supercharger were all the GT needed to become an instant classic.

Year(s): 1979-1993

The Fox body Mustang was the car that testosterone-fueled high school teens had to have: classic '80s looks, decent power from the 5.0L V8, and an approachable price tag. It was also the first Mustang to be modified by Ford's newly launched Special Vehicle Team, resulting in the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra.

Year(s): 2013

The new Shelby Mustang (R.I.P. to a legend) is so powerful that people were questioning whether or not it would be safe to drive in the streets. Why? Because a top speed higher than 200 mph and 662 horsepower on a production car is absoultely terrifying in the hands of people who don't know how to drive the fastest V8 production car ever made. The 631 lb-ft-torque 'Stang easily takes out the new Camaro ZL1 by getting to 60 mph in an absurd 3.1 seconds (compared to the ZL1's 3.8), and the active launch control is a huge help. Point Ford.

Year(s): 2002-2004

Maybe the most extreme American car ever made, the Saleen S7 was, and is, a monster. Packing a 7.0L naturally aspirated V8, producing 550 horsepower, this all-carbon-fiber-bodied supercar could do 200.1 mph and get to 60 in 3.8 seconds. If there was ever an American sports car made without a concern for dough, this was it.

Year(s): 2013

It ain't easy being the most powerful General Motors production car ever built. Actually, yes. Yes, it is. With a supercharged LS9 capable of 638 horsepower, the Corvette ZR1 is the best supercar for the money. Period. It's a street-legal racecar that won't break the bank.

Year(s): 1964-1969

Ford is the only American car company to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans—and it did so, four times in a row (1966-1969), with this car. At only 40 inches tall (hence the GT40 name), this American icon is also in our top five best-looking cars of all time. Old executives at Ferrari still have nightmares about this ride.

Year(s): 1991-2010

Without the Dodge Viper, there would be no reason to fear cars. In its heyday, this was the only supercar that didn't have electronic stability control or safety features (other than ABS), the Viper is stuffed to the gills with a huge V10 engine that produces 600 horsepower. If you're not careful, this snake will bite.

Year(s): 1962-1967

It's a simple formula, really: Take a simple car, stuff a huge motor between the front fenders, and hope for the best. Carroll Shelby took the English AC Ace and, among other engines, used the Ford 427 that produced 425hp to boost the 2,300-pound car to supercar status during a time when the word didn't even exist.

Year(s): 1935

The 1935 Duesenberg SSJ is the most ahead-of-its-time car ever built. At a time when 60 mph was considered blazing, the Duesey could reach up to 130 by revving up its twin-cam, four-valve supercharged engine, and it had as much ground clearance as a Jeep. Because of that insane performance and its radical style, it also had a price tag of more than $12,000 when the average cost of a car was $625. Even the Bugatti Veyron wasn't that far ahead of the pack when it debuted.