I've seen many custom and performance car shows on TV. The ones where they rebuild big blocks and put them on dyno's at the end of the show, theres many other custom car shows where they interview owners of big chevy V8s who talk about full rotisery rebuilds lasting 7 years.....I've even seen old Mazda rotorys and VWs all done up and customised in car shows on TV......but I have never seen an Evo owner being interviewed standing next to his fully rebuilt Evo6 etc and crowds of people standing around clapping when they pull off the black silk cover....

I took my son to a local show and shine custom car day in the car park at my local club, and there were lines of old vintage cars, custom vans, show cars, dragsters, supercharged big blocks, there were even a couple of nissen GTRs right up the back ...but not a single Evo.

Last weekend I was out cruising on a sunday morning, and I came up next to a couple of chevy camero's, they were both worked and looked very sharp. I looked over and admired them as you do with a couple of show cars....my Evo looked pretty sharp too....nicely polished and glistened in the morning sun. There were passengers in the other cars with tats and looked like real tuff guys, when we came to a stop at a set of lights, not one of them looked over, not a single look or side glance. I even thought they might tramp it and show me a bit of stick but nothing. i cruised off and slowly pulled away (no street racing involved).
so why is the Evo ignored by the muscle car world, does it qualify for being a muscle car? You guys in the States invented the muslce car so where does the Evo stand in this space?

 

There is a reason its called American Muscle--even Barrett Jackson addressed this a few years back-- Japanese cars don't appreciate and have a relatively small long term following--. Just so you know my background-- I have been a big far eastern fan for almost 40 years so my statements are not prejudice just fact.

 

Muscle cars are like sledgehammers while Evos are like a surgeon's scalpel.

I person enjoy both styles of cars very much and I'm sure there are more guys like myself that also enjoy and see each car for what they are.

 

When the generation of people who admire evos now get to the age of people with a lot of disposable income you'll see it.

 

Owning both I see differences in both cars and most likely would not classify the Evo as a muscle car by my own definition. This is probably due to upbringing and other generational factors applied to me but I feel like my nova is raw motor that can only handle straight lines and the evo is a precise computer

That being said, they both can be modified to be what ever you want them to be and as newer generations get exposure to both, lines might blur.

 

I think that some of it has to do with the common views of muscle cars as having large displacement engines, RWD, and specializing in drag racing.

The EVO (while it may be used for drag racing) was primarily designed/inspired for/by rally racing. I would classify the Toyta Supra as a muscle car, maybe the RX-7, but most Japanese cars are built for balance rather than straight line performance and as a result lack most of the features of a true muscle car.

All this said, I've had similar experiences to what you are describing, and I find it disheartening at best I don't think a lot of people realize what the EVO is packing haha, I know that I had absolutely no idea prior to owning one myself...

 

No

 

evo is not.
muscle = huge displacement, loud roaring, grenade explosion in each cylinder
chassis twisting torque enough to stop the rotation of earth and mankind, idle cam lope that registers at least a 4 on the richter scale
enough power to make everyone in the car pregnant, yes everyone.
ya you get the idea.

 

I have only viewed a muscle car as an American made car with a V8 engine and RWD. Others i'm sure have their own opinion though. An Evo is not a muscle car.

 

It gets "Muscle" car status only when it could do a wheelie.

 

Delete this duplicated

 

I classify muscle cars as big liter v6 or v8 for the stock model vehicle. Not necessarily American Muscle because I've seen some muscle in Australia and New Zealand. Mad Maxx drove a Ford Falcon.

Evo's and such would have to be put in the Tuner or Compact Sport Car catagory. The lines are blurry though. I wouldn't call a GTR or Supra a Muslce Car. The lines a blurred for me from Tuner~Sport Compact~Sports Car~Super Car.

Muscle and Tuner Cars can meet in the Sports to Super categories.

IMO, obviously.

 

How is a 4 banger ever considered a muscle car?

 

I don't know if "Muscle" is a term I want my car to be referred to. I find it a bit condescending. It's like calling it "Meat-head" or worse "No Brain". IIRC someone once said in order to be a Muscle Car it can't even have EFI.

 

This has been a problem with the Evo since it came to the U.S. shores. Identity crisis.
The Evo is for all intents and purposes a homoligation rally car. Plain and simple. But Americans and Eastern Europeans want it to be a drag racing car. Never understood that.
Most Americans want to know its 1/4 mi time. Funny thing is guys who are into muscle cars know what the Evo is and it ain't no drag racing muscle car. It's one of those foreign turbo cars that goes like stink, and is respected but not loved.