Rest in peace the muscle car? The Capitol insurrection’s got nothing on this. Amend the constitution! You can pry my V8 from my cold, dead hands.
Erm, no. Outside of California’s stringent tailpipe laws America is still potty for these things. Sales are steadfast and there’s a huge generation-spanning community. The reaction to our Challenger was universally jingoistic. Unprompted, they reel off the tale of the cop from Detroit. And because Americans are born able to discern model years and memorise engine codenames, anyone who stopped for a chat knew the Mustang we brought along to crash the Challenger’s funeral party was a bit special. Think of it like an M3 CS – sharpened, honed, dipped in choice options.
Black Ghost versus Dark Horse. The most malevolent-sounding face-off in all car history? Well, strictly this isn’t a fair match. The Dodge is so old it’s being carved into the face of Mount Rushmore, while Ford’s latest, greatest Mustang is $40,000 (£32k) cheaper and 300bhp worse off. And we’re in the state of California, where the coffee is skinny, decaf and served in a recycled cup. Where every second car is that blobby computer mouse on wheels you know as the Tesla Model Y – 1,307bhp of heavy metal shouldn’t play well here.
But look where we are: downtown San Francisco. Thanks to an iconic car chase set on these very streets that was riddled with continuity errors, jammed with heroic stunts and unsullied by music, this idiosyncratically hilly city put Ford vs Dodge (OK, it was a Charger back then) on the automotive map. The only hostility we incur all day is a parking fine. Ironically, we made the hotel valet parking attendant’s week.
Denne historien er fra Annual Issue 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra Annual Issue 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mi5 SILENT, POSH AND LETHAL!
With its reimagined design language, BMW has done what it does best-divided opinion with the kind of fervour usually reserved for debates about pineapple on pizza.
A VIRAL ESCAPE
The last time I visited Hampi in Karnataka was back in 2021, just as the world began to shake off the COVID-19 travel bans.
FROM UNDERDOG TO CHAMPION
Thierry Neuville's Journey to WRC Glory
Max Verstappen: FOUR-TIME CHAMP UNDER THE VEGAS LIGHTS
From dominance to resilience, Verstappen cements his legacy while Mercedes shines in Sin
VOLKSWAGEN VIRTUS GT PLUS SPORT: SEXY+SPORT
Volkswagen has a knack for keeping their loyal and enthusiastic customers grinning from ear to ear. The German manufacturer has almost become synonymous with build quality, safety and performance.
BE GE AND XEV 9E Sexy and Ballsy!
Starting a review can be quite a challenge, especially when it's hard to pinpoint the flaws!
CAPTURING THE ESSENCE
Chilly, cold mornings and Mumbai is a rare combination that we seldom see in this part of our beautiful country.
BATTLE OF TWO GOLIATHS
When Luxury Meets Performance, Who Takes the Crown?
THE E-MPV THAT DARES TO DREAM BIG
The MPV market, dominated for aeons by Toyota's Innova, has always felt like a rather predictable place. It's the type of vehicle you buy not out of passion but practicality-like a pair of orthopaedic shoes.
IMPRACTICAL YET IRRESISTIBLE
Exactly ten years ago, I took my first international trip. It was to Bahrain, a country of endless desert and skyscrapers, where my aunt and uncle lived. Among their friends and neighbours, one particular gentleman, upon learning I was a budding petrolhead, took an entire day off work to take me around the city’s showrooms to see some “normal” Middle East traffic.
