Whichever camp you're in, the infographic below, via CarDomain, provides a handy overview of the three biggest names in muscle cars, from the 1960s to the present: the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, and Dodge Challenger.
With power ratings, 0-60 mph times, and examples of each body style, you get a feel for the progressions (or, in the case of the 1970s, regression) of the muscle car class over time.
Most impressive and noticeable is the massive jump taken by the Camaro ZL1 and Mustang Shelby GT500 in the most recent generation. With about 50 percent more power than the original cars (and 4-5x the power of the malaise-era cars), not to mention far more advanced design and materials, lumping the top tier of the modern muscle car in with the progenitors of the breed may not be all that fair.
Perhaps it's time we recognized a new species: the super muscle car. Or maybe the muscle supercar. Or are they just supercars with muscle-car heritage? Whatever they are, they're fast--and fun, too.