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The horsepower wars are tightening among the Detroit Three, as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger are getting bigger, more powerful, and yes, more fuel efficient.

That came into sharper focus this week as more information was revealed about the most insane Challenger ever – the 707-horsepower Hellcat – followed quickly by Ford’s in-depth showcase of the 2015 Mustang in Dearborn.

It’s shaping up to be a golden age for enthusiasts, and what’s under the hood is becoming more important than ever.

The V8s

• Right now, the 5.0-litre Mustang GT has the lead among Detroit’s V8 muscle cars in the power department, though there’s a caveat. The 435-hp output of the 5.0-litre ‘Stang is ahead of the 6.2-litre LS3 V8 Camaro SS, which is rated at 426 ponies. It’s also better than the 5.7-litre V8 Challenger R/T’s 375 hp.
• But, it trails the 6.4-litre V8 used in the 392 Challenger, which makes 485 hp. Blue Oval enthusiasts could argue the 392 is a sort of “Hellcat Lite,” and not the GT’s true competitor.
• The tables are turned in the torque department, as the V8 Stang summons 400 lb-ft, which is behind the Camaro SS (420 lb-ft), the Challenger R/T (410 lb-ft) and the 392 (475 lb-ft).
• Of course, we’re just talking about the 2015 Mustang’s competition, and since we don’t know what’s in store for the SVT-tuned example yet, we’re leaving out any comparisons to the Camaro Z/28 and ZL1, as well as the previously mentioned, 707-hp Challenger Hellcat.

The V6s

• Among V6s, the Camaro is the decided leader in power, boosting 323 hp, well ahead of the Challenger’s 305 hp and the now-detuned Mustang, which dropped to an even 300 hp this year.
• The Blue Oval does pack the most torque among six-cylinders with 280 lb-ft, just ahead of the Camaro’s 278 lb-ft and the Challenger’s 268 lb-ft.

The Wildcard

• Of course, we’re referring to Ford’s EcoBoost inline four-cylinder, which pushes out 310 hp and an impressive 320 lb-ft from a turbocharged 2.3-litre mill. Neither Dodge nor Chevy have anything similar in their current muscle car lines, and if there are any undecided potential buyers in this died-in-the-wool segment, it could prove to be a game-changer.

Tipping The Scales

• The turbo four is also the lightest Mustang and the lightest car among these offerings from Detroit, weighing 3,524 pounds (1,598 kilograms). The V6 ‘Stang is just two pounds heavier though, which puts it well ahead of the V6 Camaro (3,702 pounds / 1,679 kg) and Challenger (3,834 pounds / 1,739 kg).
• This trend continues among the V8s, as the Mustang GT is 3,705 pounds (1,680 kg) – just three pounds (1.3 kg) heavier than the lightest Camaro V6. The eight-cylinder Chevy comes in at 3,908 pounds (1,805 kg), which is still lighter than the Challenger’s weight of 4,082 pounds (1,851 kg).

So those are the cold, hard numbers. Objectively there are definite winners and losers, depending on what you value in a sporting automobile. But in the end, this segment has always been about more than the numbers. If anything, spec sheets trivialize it. Muscle cars are about the visceral experience from behind the wheel. Pick your favorite, plunk down your cash and hit road. Who are we to tell you that you’re wrong?

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2015 Ford Mustang vs. Camaro and Challenger [w/poll]

2015 Ford Mustang vs. Camaro and Challenger [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the 1950s and early 60s, the dawn of nuclear power was supposed to lead to a limitless consumer culture, a world of flying cars and autonomous kitchens all powered by clean energy. In Europe, it offered the then-limping continent a cheap, inexhaustible supply of power after years of rationing and infrastructure damage brought on by two World Wars.

The development of nuclear-powered submarines and ships during the 1940s and 50s led car designers to begin conceptualizing atomic vehicles. Fueled by a consistent reaction, these cars would theoretically produce no harmful byproducts and rarely need to refuel. Combining these vehicles with the new interstate system presented amazing potential for North American mobility.

But the fantasy soon faded. There were just too many problems with the realities of nuclear power. For starters, the powerplant would be too small to attain a reaction unless the car contained weapons-grade atomic materials. Doing so would mean every fender-bender could result in a minor nuclear holocaust. Additionally, many of the designers assumed a lightweight shielding material or even forcefields would eventually be invented (they still haven’t) to protect passengers from harmful radiation. Analyses of the atomic car concept at the time determined that a 50-ton (45,000 kg) lead barrier would be necessary to prevent exposure.

Although hope is still alive for nuclear-powered cars – engines powered by lasers and Thorium salts have been suggested – it’s amusing to think that there was a time when these cars were seriously considered the future of transportation. Our love affair with nuclear energy has waned considerably since the catastrophes at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and, most recently, Fukushima.

Take a trip back in time to when creativity was out matched only by naïveté by checking out these nuclear-powered car concepts from automakers like Ford and Studebaker-Packard. Radiation suit not included.

Nuclear-powered concept cars from the Atomic Age

Nuclear-powered concept cars from the Atomic Age originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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