Muscle Car

Muscle car is an American term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports cars with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." A large V8 engine is fitted in a 2-door, rear wheel drive, family-style compact, mid-size or full-size car designed for four or more passengers. Sold at an affordable price, muscle cars are intended for street use and occasional drag racing. They are distinct from two-seat sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring and road racing.

According to Muscle Cars, a book written by Peter Henshaw, a "muscle car" is "a product of the American car industry adhering to the "hot rodder's philosophy" of taking a small car and putting a large-displacement engine in it. Henshaw further asserts that the muscle car was designed for straight-line speed, and did not have the "sophisticated chassis", "engineering integrity", or "lithe appearance" of European high-performance cars.

In the United States, lightweight cars featuring high-performance engines were termed "supercar" before the classification of muscle car became popular. For example, the 1957 Rambler Rebel's "potent mill turned the lightweight Rambler into a veritable supercar." "From the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies, what we now think of as muscle cars were more commonly called 'Supercars,' often (though not always) spelled with a capital S." This term described the "dragstrip bred" affordable mid-size cars of the 1960s and early 1970s that were equipped with large, powerful V8 engines and rear-wheel-drive.

The supercar market segment in the U.S. at the time included special versions of regular production models that were positioned in several sizes and market segments (such as the "economy supercar"), as well as limited edition, documented dealer-converted vehicles (such as the Plymouth Superbird). However, the supercar term by that time "had been diluted and branded with a meaning that did not respect the unique qualities of the 'muscle car'."

Examples
These are some examples of muscle cars that have appeared in the Gran Turismo series, the full list can be seen at Category:Muscle cars:


 * Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO '64Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO '64.jpg


 * Chevrolet Camaro Z28 302 '69Chevrolet Camaro Z28 '69 (Premium).jpg


 * Dodge Charger 440 R/T '70Dodge Charger 440 RT '70 (GT6).jpg


 * Dodge Challenger R/T '70Dodge Challenger RT '70.jpg


 * Ford Mustang Mach 1 '71Ford Mustang Mach 1 '71.jpg