The most powerful American cars ever

July 3, 2022 Stan

Test drive: 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the only car of its kind you can buy today, and Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu says there may never be another one like it again.

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Just like the stock market, the never-ending American horsepower war has had its ups and downs over the years, but records keep getting broken and the long-term outlook remains bullish.

And it’s not just bigger and better versions of the classic V8 engine that are packing a punch.

The transition from gas to electric has unlocked another level of performance and automakers are taking full advantage of the technology.

Here’s where things stand among volume models for 2022:

2022 Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance 1,111 hp

The Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance is sold out.
(Lucid)

The Lucid Air may be a luxury sedan, but it’s powered by a dynamo. The top version of the all-wheel-drive Arizona-built car is rated at 1,111 hp and can accelerate to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds while providing one of the roomiest interiors in its class. And while the $169,000 model is sold out, an Air Grand Touring with 1,050 hp is still available for $154,000.

2021 Tesla Model S and Model S Plaid: 1,020 hp

The Tesla Model S Plaid is the automaker’s new top model.
(Tesla)

The Tesla Model S sedan and Model X SUV are both available with a Plaid powertrain that’s a reference to the movie “Spaceballs” and uses three electric motors to provide 1,020 hp in the $135,900 and $138,900 vehicles.

2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon: 808 hp

The resurrected Demon is so extreme that one leading automotive publication has called for it to be banned (and was promptly shouted down by the muscle car’s fans.) The beast came with drag radials, a transmission brake, just one seat and can pop a wheelie. Its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 makes 808 hp on pump gas, and if somehow you don’t think that’s enough, Dodge can make it compatible with 100 octane race gas that bumps it up to 840 hp.

2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock: 807 hp

The Challenger SRT Super Stock was designed primarily for drag racers.
(Dodge)

Dodge only built 3,300 Demons and promised owners it wouldn’t make any more. It kept that promise, but only just. The 2020 Challenger SRT Super Stock checks in with 807 hp from its Hellcat V8. It doesn’t have a transmission brake and can’t pop a wheelie, but it will cover a quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds and Dodge will build as many as the market wants.

2022 Dodge Challenger SRT and Charger SRT Jailbreak

The Charger and Challenger Jailbreaks allow a wide range of customization.
(Dodge)

Dodge offers a motor on par with the Challenger SRT Super Stock’s in the Challenger and Charger Jailbreak models, which allow customers to mix a wide variety paint, trim and packages to create truly unique cars starting at $87,120 and $89,190.

2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye: 797 hp

Dodge says the Hellcat Redeye is possessed by the Demon. We don’t know about that, but its 797 hp engine does scream like a banshee.

2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: 760 hp

The Shelby GT500 has always been a drag racing special, but Ford promises this upcoming edition will be able to take turns as well as go in a straight line.

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 755 hp

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 was the most powerful front-engine Corvette ever built.
(Chevrolet)

The 2019 ZR1 is the most powerful front-engine Corvette in history and will likely be for eternity, because the Corvette was replaced an all-new mid-engine version in 2020.

2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat 717 hp

The Challenger SRT Hellcat got a 10 hp boost in 2019.
(Dodge)

To celebrate its fourth anniversary, the standard Challenger SRT Hellcat got a 10 hp boost. It really didn’t need it.

2015 Dodge Challenger/Charger SRT Hellcat: 707 hp

The Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats kicked off the current era of ridiculously powered muscle cars.
(Dodge)

Dodge’s original Hellcat bros seem tame compared to their successors, but are still serious forces to be reckoned with. If you can’t decide between the two, here’s something to keep in mind: while the Challenger can hit 199 mph, the Charger’s slightly more aerodynamic body is good for 204 mph.

2022 CADILLAC CT5-V BLACKWING: 668 hp

The CT5-V Blackwing is the most powerful Cadillac sedan in history.
(Cadillac)

The $84,940 CT5-V Blackwing is a luxury sedan powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that has just two less horsepower than a NASCAR Cup Series car and a top speed over 200 mph. Don’t expect to see something like it again, because Cadillac has vowed to go all-electric by 2030.

2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: 662 hp

When it was new, the last Shelby GT500 was the most powerful American car ever, but it looks like a 98-pound weakling today. Still, there’s no denying the potency of its 5.8-liter supercharged V8. And who’s going to complain about a Mustang that can go 202 mph?

2020 Ford GT: 660 hp (up from 647 hp in 2017)

What a world we live in where a Mustang is more powerful than a $450,000 supercar, but the carbon fiber GT has a 216 mph top speed to go with it, so it’s got nothing to be ashamed of.

2018 Chevrolet Corvette Z06/Camaro ZL1: 650 hp

It’s share and share a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 alike with the Corvette Z06 and Camaro ZL1.
(Chevrolet)

Two high performance cars from the same company with 6.2-liter supercharged V8s? Hmmm, sounds familiar. But while the power outputs of these two are identical, their engines are a little different. The Corvette gets a dry sump oiling system that’s better for the track, while the ZL1 uses a tried and true wet sump design. The ‘Vette also beats the Camaro on manual transmission gear count 7 to 6. But the ZL1 automatic comes back strong with an all-new 10-speed automatic, while the one in the Z06 makes do with just eight.