America has given the world many things, from hot dogs to Hollywood, but if we had to pick a favourite gift from the US of A, it would be the muscle car, with its long bonnet, short boot, and thumping V8.
While exquisite fine dining is lovely, sometimes the most satisfying meal has the simplest of ingredients – and muscle cars are all about that: A big V8, big power and big torque, and even bigger grins during straight-line acceleration.
However, combining this appealing adoration of eight cylinders with European sophistication and cornering prowess provides the best of both worlds, and in the 1990s and early 2000s it must be said that manufacturers on this side of the Atlantic arguably did a better job of it, certainly before the late 2000s and the resurgence of the horsepower wars among Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge. We’ve picked out eight European muscle cars that show the Americans a thing or two about eight-cylinder shock and awe. Which would you choose?
BMW M5 E39
For some, this is the definitive European muscle car, with its 400bhp V8 engine, peak-era BMW styling and chassis development, and a manual gearbox. The thing is, however, that people have begun cottoning on to these attributes, and a low-mileage minter can cost twice our budget, if not beyond.
You can still get into an E39 M5 for less than £20,000, but you’ll have to make peace with breaching the 100,000-mile mark. These cars are hardy machines, though, if looked after well, and such high mileage shouldn’t be a disincentive in and of itself.
We found a 1999 example on 123,400 miles up for grabs in Altrincham for £16,990.
Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
Now, if you’re looking for ultimate power then AMG has a variety of options under the £20,000 barrier. Indeed, you can get into a W210 E55 AMG for less than £10K these days, with CLK55s even less. However, if you want to maximise your horses and your money, then the E63 AMG offers thermonuclear levels of bang for your buck.
The 6.2-litre V8 has more than 500bhp on tap and, although it isn’t quite as torquey as its E55 Kompressor forebear, it’ll rev to the high heavens, unleashing a magnificent V8 gargle – and all in peerless luxury.
We found a 2007 model on 73,200 miles in Birmingham with a price of £15,499.
Jaguar XKR X150
The XKR is one of the most beautiful coupé shapes ever penned, and to most onlookers it is the picture of refined British style. However, the later versions had a full-fat supercharged V8 under that long, well-sculptured bonnet.
Of course, so did the original XKR – but this final fling for the standard R packed a 500bhp punch, an exhaust note that sounded like a rugby player’s stag do, and enough forward momentum to surprise almost anything on the road.
We found a 2009 example in Mansfield on just under 38,000 miles for £19,995.
Audi RS6
If you’re looking for something that provides V8 thump without fearing the rear axle will disrupt the party, then the all-wheel-drive RS6 is probably the quickest car point-to-point here. True, compared to the Mercedes or the Jaguar, the 4.2-litre V8’s 444bhp might not seem so impressive.
However . . . the addition of two turbochargers and fettling from Cosworth means that this Audi has enough accelerative force to peel your fingers from the steering wheel. There’s no denying that an RS6 requires financial and emotional commitment, but it rewards with its sledgehammer thump.
We found a 2003 example in red on 82,319 miles in Dukinfield for £11,495.
TVR Griffith 500
TVRs of the 1990s have to be some of the greatest-value classics around at the moment. With the company merely a memory for a big proportion of enthusiasts, new owners aren’t coming through at the same level as before. This means that values are lower than you might imagine, which further means if you’ve ever entertained the idea of taming one of Blackpool’s beasts, now’s the time to do it before a burgeoning US market scoops them all up.
The Griffith 500 was the car that lit the blue touchpaper for the brand in the early 1990s, and it is arguably one of the greatest sports car shapes of that decade. With a variety of V8s in a lightweight body, these are still remarkably quick cars by today’s standards.
We found a 56,000-miler from 1993 up for grabs for £18K in Tunbridge Wells.
Alpina B10 V8 E39
If the cars we’ve chosen so far are a little bit too shouty, but you still want tarmac-creasing torque in your life, then here’s the answer. Choose an Alpina without stripes and few will distinguish it from a diesel plodder, but twitch the throttle pedal and it all becomes very special indeed.
Based on the 540i, the B10 V8 had 375bhp in S trim, which was slightly less than in the M5. However, it had 376lbft of torque, which was more than the M5, and while the M Department’s pride and joy was limited to 155mph, the Alpina could cruise to more than 170mph all out.
We found a 92,000-miler from 1999 up for grabs in Sevenoaks for £14,000.
Vauxhall Monaro
OK, so the Monaro isn’t technically European, as it’s basically an Australian Holden wearing Griffin badges. But as the Vauxhall brand is British, we’re allowing it. And what a car it is. Its 5.7-litre Chevrolet-sourced V8 develops 329bhp, and when new it offered mighty performance for bargain-basement prices compared to its German rivals.
It was such a good car that not only did us Brits take it to our heart, but the original land of the muscle car, the USA, co-opted it as the Pontiac GTO for the new millennium. Though later Monaros offer more power and aggression, the clean, almost subtle lines of the original Monaro make it a sleeper these days. Well, until you hear that exhaust . . .
We found a 2005 example in Waltham Cross on 80,000 miles for £12,995.
Porsche Panamera S/4S/GTS
Perhaps this is a bit of a controversial one. After all, the Panamera is a controversial car anyway. However, let’s look at the pure numbers – the Panamera S/4S/GTS’s 4.8-litre V8 pumps out 424bhp and 384lbft of torque and carries the car to a top speed north of 177mph. That seems pretty muscular to us.
The looks are still divisive, but this is an ultra-rapid, ultra-capable mile muncher that has enough in-gear shove to banish all thoughts about its aesthetics to the back of your mind, evaporating in a heat haze from the exhaust – and they’re a lot of car for the money.
We found a 2010 example on 65,000 miles in Ossett for £19,995.
