The 7 Best Chevy Muscle Cars

Best Chevy Muscle Cars

Chevrolet is one of the world’s biggest automotive manufacturers and has produced some powerful cars. When the muscle car revolution started, Chevy took time to catch up in the muscle car war. The truth is that although Chevy took some time to catch up but they have produced some of the best muscle cars.

Chevy’s biggest competitor is Ford, and for every muscle car Ford produced, Chevy responded with one. For each Mustang built by Ford, Chevy answered with a Camaro, the Nova, Chevelle, Vette, and the El Camino. Ford and Chevy have always been head to head when it comes to muscle cars.

For all the Chevy fans! In this article, we’ll talk about the 7 best Chevy muscle cars. So, keep reading till the end.

1. Chevy Chevelle Z16 (1965)
2. Chevy Chevelle SS 396 (1966)
3. Chevrolet Impala SS (1967)
4. Chevy Impala SS427 L72 (1968)
5. Chevy El Camino (1971)
6. Chevy Monte Carlo SS 454 (1971)
7. The Camaro ZL1 (2020)

7The Camaro ZL1 (2020)

The 7 Best Chevy Muscle Cars: The Camaro ZL1 (2020)

When Ford introduced Mustang, Chevy came up with Camaro to steal some of the Mustang’s fanbase. Ford fans have a favorite Mustang; similarly, Chevy fans have a favorite Camaro. Chevrolet upgrades Camaro every year, and the 2020 variant is the most beautiful version of Camaro.

It comes with two different engine options V8 and V6, with a power rating of 455 HP. The ZL1 variant is a powerhouse, and the supercharged V8 engine delivers the power of 650 HP. It offers the option of both manual and automatic transmission. The Camaro is available in either convertible or a hardtop coupe.

6Chevy Monte Carlo SS 454 (1971)

The 7 Best Chevy Muscle Cars: Chevy Monte Carlo SS 454 (1971)

Monte Carlo SS 454 by Chevrolet was marketed as a luxury car instead of a muscle car. But the car lovers and automotive fans knew what powers are disguised by the car under the name of refinement and luxury. Even though it was marketed as a luxury car, it didn’t stop it from being one of NASCAR’s favorite stock cars.

Chevy Monte Carlo SS 454 featured a 7.4-liter engine with a 4-barrel carburetor that delivered the power of 360 HP. It had reinforced suspensions, three-speed automatic transmission, and wider tires. The car was big compared to the Chevy Chevelle SS, but there was no difference in both the cars’ weight.

5Chevy El Camino (1971)

The 7 Best Chevy Muscle Cars: Chevy El Camino (1971)

As discussed earlier that Chevy’s biggest rival was Ford and for every new car Ford produced, Chevrolet replied. The production of El Camino was Chevy’s answer to Ford’s Ranchero. Chevrolet launched El Camino in 1959-60, but then Chevy stopped the production, and the car was re-introduced in 1964 with a new body and new features. After its re-launch in 1964, El Camino lasted till 1980, and every year the performance and features were upgraded.

Chevy El Camino entered the muscle car arena with the launch of the SS396 model that featured a 6.5-liter V8 engine. However, the 1971 El Camino stands out, making it one of Chevy’s best muscle cars. The car had an LS6 7.4-liter V8 engine, which had a power rating of 450 HP; the engine and power rating surprised many muscle car fans.

4Chevy Impala SS427 L72 (1968)

The 7 Best Chevy Muscle Cars: Chevy Impala SS427 L72 (1968)

1967 was the year when you could see mid-sized muscle cars everywhere on the streets. Different muscle cars were dominating the arena, such as Oldsmobile 442s, Plymouth GTX, Pontiac GTO, and Chevy Chevelle. Although the mid-sized muscle cars were dominating, but there was a need for a full-sized muscle car.

In 1968 Chevrolet came up with the improved variant of Impala SS427, and the car featured the Corvette (1966) engine and delivered the power of 425 HP. Chevy Impala SS427 L72 came with Muncie four-speed if the buyer paid few extra bucks. The Chevrolet added beautiful red 427 badges on fenders and white and red badges on decklid and grille.

3Chevrolet Impala SS (1967)

The 7 Best Chevy Muscle Cars: Chevrolet Impala SS (1967)

Many people think that the TV series “Supernatural” success was brilliant acting and storyline, but for us, the success of the show is Chevy Impala SS. Chevrolet Impala SS is one of the best muscle cars from 1967. The features an attractive design, making it one of the most beautiful muscle cars produced by Chevy.

The 67’ Impala featured in the “Supernatural” series had a 5.3-liter with a power rating of 385 HP. In the same year, the Chevrolet upgraded the Impala SS with a new design and safety features. The car featured a 5.3-liter engine and delivered a power of 390 HP.

2Chevy Chevelle SS 396 (1966)

The 7 Best Chevy Muscle Cars: Chevy Chevelle SS 396 (1966)

Chevelle was one of the most popular cars from its introduction in 1964 because of its power and performance. The 1966 model of Chevelle was transformed compared to its predecessors because it featured a more attractive design and more decadent engine options. The car was inexpensive at the time, and Chevrolet built over 71,000 hardtop and convertible units of SS396.

The 1966 model of Chevy Chevelle SS396 featured V8 5.3-liter and V8 4.6-liter engines. These engines delivered a power of 310 HP and 220 HP respectively. Another variant of Chevy Chevelle SS396 was introduced by Chevrolet, which featured a 6.5-L V8 engine that had a power rating of 375 HP. The 6.5-L variant introduced Chevy successfully in the muscle car arena.

1Chevy Chevelle Z16 (1965)

The 7 Best Chevy Muscle Cars: Chevy Chevelle Z16 (1965)

The GTO stage was set, and for the Chevy fans, there was a limited release of Chevelle Z16 in early 1965, which was the beginning of the muscle car war. The initial purpose of the Chevy Chevelle Z16 was to compete and take on the Ford’s Fairlane. Chevy Chevelle Z16 was available in a limited color palette, which included black, regal red, and crocus yellow.

In the late model year, Chevy Chevelle featured option code RPO Z16, which included a more robust box frame. It had a compression ratio of 11:1 and engine power rating was 375 HP, and generated torque of 420 lb-ft. Chevy only produced 201 units of Chevelle Z16, and most of the units were built in red color.

The Bottom Line

Chevrolet was late to the muscle car party, but it made an entry into the muscle car arena with a bang with Chevy Chevelle. Chevy fans know that Chevrolet muscle cars as good as Ford’s muscle cars. The vehicles mentioned in this list are the best muscle cars produced by Chevy.