American cars are brilliant, but sometimes it takes some persuasion.
Many people think American cars are rubbish because of a few bad eggs in the past. American cars are actually better than just about anything their European rivals try to put out.
Don't agree? Hear me out. It has a lot to do with the manner in which they are engineered. Many European cars, especially German marques such as Mercedes, BMWs, and Audis, try too hard to make a perfect car that has absolutely no flaws or issues. As a result, they produce cars that reach the pinnacle of boring.
On the other hand, and the most important reason why American cars are best is this:
American cars are engineered to be fun, not perfect.
While America builds brilliant front-engined, rear-wheel-drive V8 muscle cars, such as the Corvette, Hellcat, and ZL1 Camaro, European manufacturers are beginning to downsize.
While America builds brilliantly naturally aspirated and occasionally supercharged V8s, Europe is moving towards smaller, turbocharged engines to do the same job.
Take the BMW M3/M4, for instance. The BMW M3 had a naturally aspirated inline six until the E90/92/93 M3, when it was given a naturally aspirated 4.0 liter V8 in 2007. This motor was significantly better than the 3.2 liter I6 of the previous generation.
The E90 M3 was arguably the best M3 there's been. And then, BMW screwed it up by giving the new F80 M3/M4 a 3.0 liter, twin turbo inline-six. While the F80 is said to a brilliant car, it isn't nearly as good as the V8 E90. There is no replacement for a big, naturally aspirated V8.
And yes, many American muscle cars offer four and six-cylinder variants, but the V8 is still alive and well.
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You can't ignore America's contributions to the motoring world. Look at the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, which offers a massive power number for a not-too-expensive price.
The Dodge Challenger Hellcat has received a lot of exposure since its birth.
You can't forget the fact that it has a massive 707-horsepower and rear-wheel drive, for just $72,590. Thanks to our best friend "Depreciation," you can get a Hellcat for under $60,000 used with low mileage. Keep in mind, that's a car with more power than a Lamborghini Aventador.
You can't forget the Corvette, either. It has been in production since 1953, and it has become an American icon. Since its conception, it has been the pinnacle of American ingenuity.
From the beginning, the Corvette boasted a fiberglass body, which helped keep weight down. With a V8 in the front and drive to the rear, the Corvette is arguably one of the best cars ever built, no matter which generation you choose.
Furthermore, you cannot forget that the United States made the car less of a luxury and more of a commonality. Thanks to Henry Ford and the Model T, the car became increasingly more popular. Despite the fact that it was available in any color "as long as it's black," by 1918 half of all cars in the world were Ford Model T's.
With the Model T came the production line, which helped to make car creation exponentially faster. I'm not saying Henry Ford was a great man; being an anti-Semitist, he was far from it. That being said, the Ford Model T made the car more accessible and attainable to the common man.
The fact of the matter is, there's no such thing as a "perfect" car or a perfect manufacturer of cars. Some would argue that the United States is far from perfect. But you cannot deny the fact that America makes some great cars.
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