It was not so long ago, that America was famed more for its terrible cars. Indeed, picking between the very best was a job of deciding what looked good and what made a nice noise, not necessarily what was actually a good car. Now though, America is a wealth of exceptional engineering and performance to humble the Europeans, with genuine driving joy hard-baked in. The latest Mustangs and Camaros are exceptional, Tesla still leads the way in the world of electric cars, all as America finally makes its mark on the world of the hypercar. So now might be a better time than ever this millennium, to round up the very best American cars you can buy in 2022.
The eight best American cars to buy in 2022
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Ford Bronco Raptor
Ford has just announced a heavily updated version of its F-150 Raptor with – gasp – coil springs for the new rear axle and news the V8 engine will return in a new R version next year. It’s obviously cool but not quite as cool as the reborn Bronco, which combines all the Raptor’s off-road attitude with a dose of retro style and a teasing ‘what if’ for what Land Rover might have done with the new Defender had Waitrose car park acceptability not featured so high in its priorities. With the usability for the Monday to Friday commute but the off-road cred and ability to shed doors and roof for weekend fun, the Bronco Raptor and indeed the normal Bronco are MAGA done right. But, sadly, not headed for these shores. Not yet, at least.
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Dodge Challenger SRT Last Call
With a name reading like a teetering pile of macho superlatives, the Challenger SRT Hellcat Last Call is the swan song of Dodge’s muscle car line-up, packing a howling V8 with as much as 797PS (586kW), 6.2-litre HEMI V8 with the largest supercharger fitted to any production car, depending on which you get. Built to rule run-what-ya-brung drag meets and stop-light sprints alike, the Widebody can cover the quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds and tops out at over 200mph. Silly Last Call Challenger runs include the King Daytona, Scat Pack Shakedown, Black Ghost and Scat Pack Swinger. That last one might be a bit on-the-nose in some rural areas of Surrey…
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Hennessey Performance Venom F5
As the famous, state-wide anti-littering campaign once had it, “Don’t mess with Texas”, a philosophy adapted into the world of tuning by local speed merchants Hennessey. In a land where excess of all kinds is celebrated Hennessey has long pushed the boundaries of horsepower by levering supercharged V8s of increasing awesomeness into a variety of machinery. Indeed, the original Venom was based on the Lotus Elise, albeit with around 10 times the horsepower. The latest Venom F5 packs a 1,817PS (1,336kW), 6.6-litre V8 and is aiming to blow Bugatti out of the water with a top speed the far side of 300mph. The differences in mindset between Texan hot-rodders and European hypercar royalty couldn’t be more stark but the need for speed is just as strong.
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Ford Mustang Mach-E
Tesla might have its cookie-cutter stylish, utopian line-up of EVs that have their own charging network, but the so-called ‘legacy’ brands are catching up. One that’s made a major dent in the seemingly impermeable appeal of Tesla is the controversially-named Ford Mustang Mach-E. Yes it’s a crossover, yes it’s electric but this thing drives really, really well. Ford CEO Jim Farley told us he refused to let it off the chain until it met a high standard of driving quality and it shows. No, it has little to no relation to the pony car with which it shares a name, but that car now owes its continued existence to what is a highly impressive new car.
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Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Fear not though, the new Mustang Dark Horse should have attitude enough to make you forget all about the plug-in horse. A hopped-up 480PS (353kW) V8, a six-speed manual, a torque-sensing limited-slip diff, a braced chassis and suspension and sticky rubber makes for what is by far the most hardcore naturally-aspirated Mustang since the GT350R. The difference? You might actually be able to get the Dark Horse here in the UK.
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Tesla Model S Plaid
While good ol’ gasoline fuelled V8s still feature prominently in our list there is, of course, a new player on the scene. With a combination of ‘Ludicrous’ acceleration and fart cushions, Tesla is making merry hell with the established automotive order as every update to its products brings fresh outrage. Latest among them are the triple-motor Plaid and Plaid+ upgrades for the Model S and Model X, the Plaid+ offering 1,100PS (809kW) and the claim of a sub two-second 0-62mph time in the S. Which is enough to make a similarly priced Porsche Taycan Turbo S look a little tardy. Whether Elon Musk will get his ‘yoke’ steering control and automatic indicators signed off by regulators is another matter but he’ll be enjoying the Twitter storm their announcement has provoked.
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Jeep Wrangler
While British off-roaders battle over the few remaining miles of green lane still open to 4x4s over in America there is the space to really enjoy such things, there being state-run ‘Vehicular Recreation Areas’ where off-roaders on two wheels and four can let rip without fear of any finger-wagging ramblers. Little wonder American carmakers are ready to cater to this demand, the new Jeep Wrangler still trading on its wartime roots and tough image but recently brought bang up to date with the latest 392 Rubicon. While you can buy the Wrangler here you’ll have to cope with half the cylinder count and the choice of a 272PS (200kW) petrol or rattly old diesel while the Americans get to enjoy a 470PS (346kW), 6.4-litre V8 and the terrain to properly exploit it.
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Corvette Stingray
The classic name gets a new twist in the latest Stingray, the affordability and easy-going power of a big V8 remaining as before but the engine relocating from under a long bonnet to the centre of the car to go chasing Porsche 911s and Audi R8s. With the offer of a 6.2-litre engine and 490PS (360kW) for the same starting price as a four-cylinder Porsche Cayman, the Corvette’s bang-for-buck credentials have survived the transition and it reportedly goes very nicely indeed, reaping the benefits of improved weight distribution and more balanced handling than ‘vettes of old. Further derivatives ranging from the C8.R racer to a new convertible have since joined the line-up, though whether the latter will also get the presidential seal of approval or Joe Biden will prefer to stick with his ’67 original remains to be seen.
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