From 2015 to the present day, one car has risen above them all to become the de facto ultimate American muscle car, and the only one to still carry that torch to the present day: the Hellcat. In truth, the Hellcat moniker has appeared on several vehicles, and the powertrain has powered various other models under the Stellantis roof (perhaps a few too many). Still, Hellcat is a word that enthusiasts associate with the ultimate muscle car.
While the Camaro and the Mustang were too busy becoming all-out sports cars, the Hellcat remained true to its muscle car roots, with a big powerful, supercharged V8 engine, RWD, and handling that inspires fear, rather than confidence. Throw in lots of wheelspin and a curb weight that would embarrass city buses, and you have the ultimate recipe for the quintessential muscle car of the past decade. The Hellcat started with 707 hp back in 2015, and by the end of the run, Dodge managed to squeeze over 1,000 hp from it.
However, while the Hellcat's performance is very impressive, it's time to face reality: There are other cars that simply do it better. After decades of gatekeeping its entire RS lineup from North American buyers, and then teasing them a little bit with the RS3, Audi returned with a vengeance at the beginning of the 2020s with the RS6 Avant. The latest generation of Audi's long-running midsize performance sedan is, in a lot of ways and for a lot of people, the only car that needs to exist.
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