Well well well, American tuners.
As you can imagine this list wasn't easy to make as American cars aren't really known
for their tuning potential.
But I did try my best, so cut me some slack.
Before the video begins I wanted to remind you guys that today is the last day you can
purchase limited time only vehicle Virals merchandise all cars matter.
I know it would help if I were wearing the merchandise on video that way I can show how
good it is but the truth is I rushed the campaign that way you guys can receive it by Christmas.
But if it makes a difference I have on the same tshirt that's being sold but obviously
with a different design.
And let me tell you the quality is great.
If you're interested in supporting the channel by purchasing something go to bonfire.com/vehiclevirals,
I'll put the link in the description.
That said, let's begin.
First American tuner on the list is the Dodge Noen SRT4.
Let’s just get this out of the way, no matter what I say about this car people will automatically
dismiss it and make fun of it because it’s a Neon.
But the truth is that the Neon SRT4 is more of a performer than it gets credit for and
till this date still has a dedicated fan base.
This is a car that falls somewhere in between import tuners and american muscle cars since
it’s both good in a straight line and tight corners.
Back when the Neon SRT4 was first being produced It was the quickest car in Dodges lineup,
second only to the Viper.
It originally sold for around 20K at the time and kept pace with vehicles that went for
30K or more.
And that alone deserves credit.
It’s 2.4L turbocharged engine used in the first model year produces 215HP and 245lb-ft
of torque while the 2004-2005 model years produce 230HP and 250lb-ft of torque while
including a limited slip deffirential.
But according to many auto journalist the 230HP Dodge advertised was underrated, apparently
the Neon SRT4 produced more power.
Whether you want to mod it to compete with super cars or you desire much more torque
steer, this car is very tune friendly.
You can either take the do it yourself route or take the Mopar route where you can purchase
the right tuning package that better suits your needs directly from their website.
You can get the stage 1 10HP gain, stage 2 35HP gain, or stage 3 120HP gain.
But of course if you want more out of the 4 cylinder engine you’d go the do it yourself
route.
Next car is the Chevy Cobalt SS.
First the Neon and now a Cobalt, you’re probably thinking
What the **** is this list Cristian?
The thing is,that just like the Neon srt4 the cobalt ss has some serious modding potential
when it comes to performance.
GM had took their regular boring cobalt and added a bunch of power and tuned it for performance.
In fact the cobalt ss was tuned on the nurburgring and held the the FWD car record there as well
at one point.
And of course I’m talking about the turbocharged 2L 4 cylinder model not the supercharger version
that was found in the first model year.
The turbo engine produces 260HP and 250lb-ft of torque with plenty of room for further
tuning.
Honestly this has to be one of the most underrated cars of all time.
You probably won’t believe some of the cars the Cobalt ss was faster than on Car and Driver’s
lightning lap.
Some examples include the Subaru Impreza wrx sti, lancer evolution MR, and volkswagen r32.
Not bad for a FWD drive car.
And since the cobalt ss looks just like a regular cobalt it can be cosidered a sleeper.
If you can look past the not so charming interior and boring looking exterior you can own a
cobalt ss for a lot less than most people realize.
You just have to keep an eye out for them as they are typically hiding in dealer lots
waiting for the right owner.
Which one do you think is a better car?
Dodge Neon SRT4 or Chevy Cobalt SS?
3rd American tuner on the list is the Cadillac CTS-V. Either the first or second generation.
When someone asks you about good tuner cars, a cadillac is probably one of the last cars
that comes to mind.
While it might not be your normal everyday tuner the truth it is one of the most tunable
sedans money can buy.
And quite frankly probably the best sedan GM has ever built.
At one point the CTS-V held the title for the fastest production sedan around the nurburgring.
Upgrade the throttle body, install a bigger fuel pump, bigger injectors and a bigger intercooler
and you’ll be well into supercar territory.
Funny thing is that 2nd generation models are arguably already in supercar territory
so you can only imagine what further modifications can do.
Hennessey performance offers packages for those that just want to buy their way into
insane performance.
They offer a 750HP, 800HP and even 1000HP package that comes with a warranty of 3 years
36K miles.
Whether you opt in for the the earlier version that is equipped with the LS6 5.7L or the
6L LS2 You’re sure to get a lot out of the CTS-V.
If you’re not much of a tuner, want a supercar slayer and have lots of spare cash laying
around you can just opt in for the newer 3rd generation CTS-V that carries a supercharged
6.2L V8 engine.
With a 0-60mph time of 3.7 seconds.
Next car is the Ford Focus RS, arguably the most exciting on this list.
It’s the newest addition to the rally car segment here in the US, and boy did it shake
things up when it first released in 2016.
It took aim at cars like the STI, Golf R and whatever is left of the Evos.
It’s main challenger being the Honda Civic Type R. If I’m not mistaken it might be
the first Ford Rs available for us to buy here in the US.
And to be honest Ford knocked out of the park with this one.
It has a reinforced chassis, an awd system, recaro seats, brembo brakes, electronically
adjustable shocks, a 6 speed manual and a drift mode.
That’s right a drift mode in which Focus RS becomes a rwd car.
While some may point out that the Focus RS was designed by Europeans, It still carries
a Ford badge and is sold in the US so it deserves a spot on this American tuner car list.
Essentially it carries an upgraded version of the engine found in the Ford mustang ecoboost.
It’s a 2.3L turbocharged 4 cyl engine that produces 350HP and 350lb-ft of torque.
Fully stock the Focus Rs can spring from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds.
A simple tune can up Horsepower to around 400 using the stock twin scroll turbocharger.
With that power alone you’d be able to embarrass most casual ferrari and porsche drivers especially
in twisty roads.
Don’t take my word for it when I say this car is truly amazing.
Just look up reviews and you’ll realize that Ford Focus RS exceeded most reviewers
expectations.
Next car is the Fox body Ford Mustang.
First introduced in 1979 tuner have unlocked all types of potential with the fox body.
In the last several years this version of the Mustang has exploded in popularity within
young car enthusiast and for good reason.
They are relatively inexpensive to own, and is a relatively easy platform to mod.
Aftermarkets parts are practically endless, I mean it is a Mustang afterall.
Factory performance parts are also extremely abundant since fox body shares some of the
same parts used in the newer Mustangs.
While some might lean towards getting their performance directly from Ford performance
parts the truth is you’ll be better off going aftermarket.
And with all the documented results from fox body mustang owners available online, you
really can’t go wrong.
Just keep in mind that unlike the new mustangs that offer abs, traction control and stability
control the older Fox body Mustangs is a pure driving experience.
Meaning that if your goal is to push a modded Fox Body Mustang you better be a good driver.
The later fox body models carry the 5L V8 engine that produces 225HP and 300lb-ft ft
which is a milestone since that was the first time the ford mustang passed the 200HP mark
stock.
The best thing about the Fox body is that you can easily make it into whatever you want.
Whether you want a drifter, a drag racer or even a cruiser it’s all possible.
And like I mentioned earlier Forums have very well documented builds with trial and error
notes, some owners have even swapped out the original engine with a LS.
Which I find very interesting.
I mean which Ford person would do that?
6th and final American tuner is the GMC Typhoon and Syclone.
The Typhoon is a perfect choice if you’re going for more of a sleeper look, while the
Syclone is a better choice if ultimately want the faster one out of the 2.
The Typhoon was more of a surprise back then since high performance SUVs weren’t really
thing with the exception of maybe the Lamborghini LM002.
Now a days it seems like every company is dishing out High performance SUVs.
Both the Syclone and the Typhoon carry a 4.3L twin turbo V6 that produces 280HP and 350lb-ft
of torque.
And in stock forms both are very quick.
The syclone being able to do 0-60 in as little as 4.3 seconds and the typhoon in around 5
seconds.
Even in stock form they command some serious respect.
Swap out the 4 speed automatic transmission for a real man’s 6 speed manual transmission,
and swap out the turbo for a bigger one and you’ll have a crazy fast awd pickup or suv.
Sadly not very many of them were produced.
The syclone was only produced for 1 year while the Typhoon waa available a year after for
only 2 years.
So if you’re in the market for one of these two you’ll really have to be on the lookout
and be patience.
They are available, in fact I was able to find many typhoons for around 15K and ones
with low mileage for around 30K.
Syclones on the other hand are much harder to find, since it’s typically the favorite
choice between the 2.
Remember guys today is the last day you can buy the limited time only vehicle Virals merchandise.
Go to bonfire.com/vehiclevirals if you're interested.
As always if you enjoyed the video make sure to hit that like button and if you haven't
already make sure to subscribe with notifications that way you don't miss my next upload.
Is there an American tuner you think I missed?
Comment below and let me know what that is.
As always thanks for watching, till next time