The eight best muscle cars on sale in 2023

1. 2023 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Real muscle cars have always traded on attainability and, from this side of the Atlantic, we can only gaze in wonder at the idea of a 455PS, 6.2-litre V8 Camaro for the price of a Golf GTI. You can still buy a Camaro here in Europe, though unlike the Mustang it remains left-hand-drive only and rather more of a niche product. Which is a shame, given the Camaro arguably pulls off the modernised muscle car style more successfully than the retro looking Ford and it’s now capable of more than just straight-line heroics. Indeed, upgrade the US-only, 650hp ZL1 with the circuit-optimised 1LE pack (carbon aero parts, manually adjustable suspension, sticky tyres) and, for $70,000, you’ve got a car capable of monstering Porsches costing twice the price on both road and track.

2. 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Redeye Jailbreak

Believe it or not, the Dodge Charger SRT Jailbreak – with its five seats and roomy cabin – is slightly more sensible than its two-door cousin, but it still packs a supercharged V8 engine serving up a deliciously excessive 818PS (601kW). That translates to performance of 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds, with the quarter mile done and dusted in 11.5 at 126mph. Under the Jailbreak's widebody, you'll find sticky tyres and a stiffened chassis. However, normal muscle-car service resumes with the news that the car struggles to handle its power in the twisties, where the steering feel is almost non-existent. Inside, the 200mph rated speedometer hints at the performance underneath your right foot, and you get luxuries like carbon fibre trim and air-conditioned seats. Not bad for a dollar starting price that converts to just under £65,000. 

3. 2023 Ford Mustang Mach 1

The Ford Mustang is a read-deal muscle car unique amongst its peers because it sells in the UK in RHD. The Mach 1 represents the Mustang in its purest form – using the same engine as the Bullitt – it ups power to 460PS (338kW) courtesy of a wider throttle body and intake manifold from the flat-plane-crank GT350. That lot is enough to get the Mustang from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and onto a top speed of 166mph. The straight-line performance only tells half the story, though; the Mach 1's mechanical limited-slip differential, six-pot Brembo brakes, and a stiffer subframe – again borrowed from the GT350 – ensure it is no slouch in the twisties either, but maintains the brutish bustle you'd expect of any self-respecting muscle car.

4. 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170

A good muscle car should be affordable and practical, so it's a shame the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is neither. But it is outrageously, physics-bendingly quick. A tank brimmed with high-ethanol-blended fuel unlocks up to 1,039PS (764kW), which is enough to get the Challenger from 0-62mph in 1.7 seconds and hit the quarter mile in 8.9 at 151mph, pulling the highest accelerative g-forces of any production car as it goes.

The heart of the beast is a 6.2-litre V8 that's force-fed air by a huge supercharger with a 3.0-litre capacity. Sadly, the Demon 170 isn't a car you'll be doing the school run in. It has a front passenger and rear-seat delete, there's no sound insulation and you don't even get a boot light. On the upside, each of the 3,300 cars made comes with a Demon decanter to toast your drag strip victories. The Demon's $96,666 price converts to an annoyingly affordable (you can’t buy it in the UK) £75,000.

5. 2023 Mercedes-AMG E63S

The Charger's price is even better when you realise a  European equivalent like the Mercedes-AMG E63, with a mere 612PS (450kW), starts from a wallet-wrecking £120,000. In fairness, it's not difficult to see where your money goes. The Mercedes' vast crystal-clear infotainment screens, pretty vents and huge swathes of expensive trims make the Charger feel like a prehistoric relic. And, while the Mercedes' power output is modest, its performance is anything but, with a top speed of 186mph and 0-62mph flying by in 3.4 seconds.

The latter figure comes thanks to trick four-wheel drive you can switch off, turning the Mercedes into a rear-wheel-drive, tyre-smoking leviathan – the type you’d expct from AMG. Pin-sharp steering and tied-down body control mean this is one four-door muscle car that can handle bends. Best buy it while you can because the current car's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is set to be axed for a hybridised six-cylinder. Sniff.

6. 2023 Lexus LC500

With Japanese heritage and a gorgeous flowing body, we'll forgive you for wondering how the Lexus LC500 has ended up on this list of the best muscle cars currently on sale. However, all will become clear when you crank the 4.7-litre V8 hidden below the Lexus' long bonnet. Hit the starter button and feast your ears on the unmistakable rumble of a motorsport-inspired 473PS (348kW) 5.0-litre V8 that sounds like it belongs in a NASCAR's engine bay, not a road car.

The Lexus's nearly 2,000kg kerb weight means the engine needs to work to extract its best, but your reward is a roar worth the car's £100,000 asking price alone. And that's before you factor in the Lexus' beautiful cabin and peerless build quality. 

7. BMW M2

As a six-cylinder (relatively) small German coupe, there's a strong argument that the BMW M2 isn't a muscle car, but its old-school feel (and the shortage of actual muscle cars sold in the UK) wins it a spot here. While it's down on two cylinders, the M2's not down on power. Its twin-turbo straight-six pumps out 460PS (338kW) and 406 lb ft of torque from just 2650rpm, giving the M2 flexibility that most V8s struggle to match. It gets from 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds and is limited to a 155mph top speed.

A manual gear change gives the M2 a back basics muscle car flavour that's rapidly going extinct, but superb traction and excellent body control make it the most agile car on this list, even if it does feel a tad anodyne next to the old model. While the M2 will never win a handling battle with a Porsche Cayman (few do), the BMW has rear seats and a more practical boot, making it a far more usable performance car – further cementing its Everyman muscle car credentials.  

8. Jaguar F-Type R 75

The £103,000 Jaguar F-Type R 75 is another example of a muscle car done the European way. The F-Type is a car you could buy based on looks alone, despite a questionable facelift that doesn't have the purity of the original design. That's not the only thing that's changed; the lairy rear-wheel drive V8 is no more; four-wheel drive is your only option now. In truth, that's not a bad thing because V8 power only served to highlight the shortfalls in the F-Type's chassis, which struggled to get traction even in bone-dry conditions. In the wet, it was frankly terrifying. Now, though, the R75 has no problem projecting every one of its 5.0-litre supercharged engine's 575PS (417kW) into the road. It accelerates from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and hits a 186mph top whack, accompanied by a wonderfully obnoxious soundtrack as it does it.