2005 Pontiac GTO

For 2005, though, Pontiac has spiked the punch bowl by dropping in the new C6 Vette's 6.0-liter LS2 V-8, which kicks out 400 horsepower and 395 pound-feet (despite their identical outputs, the V-8s in the CTS-v and the GTO are different animals). New hood scoops and polished exhaust tips reveal a bit of chest hair. Brakes have grown larger. The standard four-speed automatic transmission and optional six-speed Tremec manual (same as the Caddy's) remain. At last, muscle mavens, Pontiac has got your Goat.

The all-new bully on the block is Chrysler's strapping SRT8. Not content simply to snatch 2005 Motor Trend Car of the Year honors with its fabulous 300 four-door, this spring Chrysler is piling on by unleashing a new high-output version prepped by the power brokers at its Street and Racing Technology (SRT) group. The standard 300C's 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 receives a bore increase (to 6.1 liters) and a thorough upgrading (including larger-diameter valves and intake runners and a reinforced engine block), upping horsepower by 25 percent to 425 at 6200 rpm (a five-speed automatic with AutoStick remains the only available transmission). Giant, vented Brembo discs now sit at each corner like zealous radar cops, ready to arrest outrageous displays of speed. A stouter, stiffer suspension rides on 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels wearing standard three-season Goodyears. The bodywork tastefully hints at the engine's additional muscle with subtle cladding and a small rear spoiler. There's even...whoops--sorry. We were starting to drool.

Much has changed since the 1960s. As Ashlee Simpson can attest, it's now possible to make millions as a pop singer if you're reasonably good at karaoke. Also, today you can drive through town in an exceedingly powerful, exceedingly fast Detroit musclecar without causing passers-by to run for cover while screaming "quake!" The SRT8 is especially good at being genteel, its long, 120-inch wheelbase adding poise over road imperfections; its luxurious cockpit well-isolated from vibrations and annoyances outside; rear-seat passengers enjoying more than 40 inches of legroom. The SRT8 feels big, too--indeed, it's more than five inches longer than the Cadillac, and, at 4190 pounds, it's the heaviest car in this group by more than 300. The steering wheel seems a little large, the steering response a little slow and dead on-center--none of which is surprising, given the syrupy Mercedes-Benz DNA that created the 300. But there's no ignoring the SRT8's more antisocial side, either. The signs are everywhere: the aggressively bolstered front leather buckets with suede inserts, the 180-mph speedo, the instant response of the gas pedal. Oh, yes: You'll want to tread on that throttle as if it were the tail of a sleeping lion.