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Muscle car wars 2009

Despite demands for greater fuel economy, there's still a market for big-power performance.

Detroit flexes its muscle
Detroit flexes its muscle
The day before lawmakers in Washington agreed on a plan to dramatically increase average fuel economy requirements for car companies, Chrysler Corp. had a little announcement of its own.

The company announced pricing for the Dodge Challenger coupe, which will hit American roads this summer with a 425-horsepower, 6.1-liter, V8 engine. The $37,995 price-tag doesn't include an expected gas-guzzler tax that could add as much as $2,100 to the final figure.

General Motors won't be far behind with itsresurrected Chevrolet Camaro expected to go on sale early next year. For its part, Ford is following up on its 500-horsepower Shelby GT500 with the 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR. (Official fuel economy estimates are unavailable for these cars because they are not yet in production. Based on comparisons with current models, overall fuel economy will probably be in the mid-teens.)

This may raise the question: What in the green world are these companies thinking?

Actually, if you keep your eye on the big picture, it's not as crazy as it might seem.


Madness?

Challenger

Camaro

Shelby

Performance's part
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