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There are some that consider the Pontiac GTO, or Goat, to be the first real muscle car while others claim that honor goes to the Oldsmobile Cutlass 442. Let’s take a look at both:

When driving the Cutlass 442 you were in no way expected to sacrifice any comfort in order to have a snarling V8 under your hood. Beginning with the introduction in 1964 as an option package on the F-85, those three little numbers pretty much took on a life of their own. And, during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s they were considered the ultimate in sleeper cars; you had the ability to cruise around serenely in high style or you could terrorize the competition at the stoplight.

You may be wondering what the official meaning of the 442 was, well that depends as it did change over the years from: 4 – barrel carburetor, 4 – speed with dual (2) exhaust to: 4 – cylinders with 4 valves per cylinder and 2 camshafts. No matter what it meant the great balance between performance and luxury makes it easy to call this American sports car one of the best.

The Pontiac GTO is really considered by many to be the epitome of the muscle car even if its name was “borrowed” from Ferrari. When Pontiac decided to take a potent V8 and dump it into a formerly mild mannered coupe the American version of the GTO became as much, if not more, notorious as the Italian namesake. Pontiac then made the wise decision to stop putting such a label on their cars when during the 1970’s horsepower took a nosedive. And then, just as wisely, decided to revive the legend again in 2004.

Of course, there are some that criticize the understated design of the new car but many feel that it is much better than those Batmobile style Pontiacs of a few years ago and you should keep in mind that the GTO came to life with those plain Jane looks as well.

So, GTO or 442, which was the “real” muscle car; you can decide for yourself or perhaps we can just call it a tie.

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Sports cars owe their origin to an early 20th century practice where cars were stripped down in order to create better racing machines. Even though the term is used loosely to describe pretty much any quick car with a low profile and two doors, there is more to it than that. To be a true sports car it needs to be low slung, lightweight, have little to no cargo space, with only two seats and the emphasis must be placed on handling, steering and construction.

The point of sports cars is to give a driver as much of a physical interaction with a car just as those early racers felt with their machines. The first sports cars from the Europeans Bentley, Ferrari, Rolls Royce and Mercedes were actually street legal versions of the racing counterparts.

The ultimate expression of masculinity, expressed in automotive terms, is the sports car. The little, or lack of, cargo space provides men with the chance to drive without having to think about anything other than the road ahead of them; of course the fact that it only has two seats means there is only room for him and his lady. Sports cars practically scream adventure and virility, features that most men instinctively crave.

An informal survey listed the most popular sports cars as follows:

Number 1 – Chevrolet Corvette – through 6 generations the Corvette has managed to evolve (rather nicely I might add) with the times.

Number 2 – Pontiac Firebird/Chevrolet Camaro – these twins were created to help divert those would be Mustang purchasers in the late 1960’s and were a huge success, after all who doesn’t like twins?

Number 3 – Ford Mustang – many competitors have come and then gone but the little pony sports car is stronger than ever before.

Number 4 – Pontiac GTO – most consider this to be the first real muscle car and when Pontiac decided to add its V8 to the mild mannered car it became as notorious as its Italian namesake.

Number 5 – Shelby Cobra – dream car for enthusiasts for over four decades and has managed to dominate the street and the track in almost every aspect.

Everyone knows the saying that you have to spend money to make money, well, in a way, the same philosophy can be applied to your car. Those years of running and looking good do not just happen, you have to give a little something (ok, sometimes a lot of something) to get good results in return.

You may not realize this but a tank of 90 octane may just turn that Kia you are driving into a Koenigsegg; seriously the extra octane found in premium unleaded does not do engines with low, or even moderate, compression that are designed to run on regular 85 or 87 octane, any favors. So, while using the higher octane may not hurt the engine it is most certainly a waste of money.

Believe it or not one of the most important things you can do to help your car is to wash, rinse and repeat. In other words, regular and consistent washing and waxing helps to preserve your paint and will prevent rust from getting a firm foothold. Don’t forget the interior be sure to vacuum and clean it frequently.

Whether you are heading into a summer road trip or the impending cold of winter your car needs to be prepared accordingly. The most demanding season on cars tires, coolant and batteries are winter and summer, so extra attention is important to those critical areas as it can mean the difference between getting stranded or getting there.

You should also research for technical service bulletins and recalls that are done by manufacturers as not all of them make it to the circulars that you get in your mail or into the daily news. This can be done by searching the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) website or even by signing up by email to be alerted by newsletters such as Automotive News.

Everyone knows about the Check Engine light and it usually gets a bad rap for going on for trivial diagnostics; however, it is there for a reason and you should pay attention to it. Most auto part stores have the means to scan for the codes and then translate them into English for you. True, it could be nothing more than a loose gas cap, but it could also pertain to a possibly serious power train problem, the more you know the better off you are.

One more important tip for maintaining your car is to use the proper engine oil. Check your owner’s manual as it gives you the accepted and recommended viscosities and perhaps even a brand name. Do not just assume that the brand name is a form of advertising it is probable that your car was made with that particular brand in its crankcase and you may be wise to continue with that brand.