HAVE YOUR CAKE

HALF A CENTURY OF EVOLUTION and technology has brought about automotive performance that we once only dreamed of for our favorite muscle cars. Modern street cars have power that modified Super Stocks strained to reach with any reliability and repeatability. Contemporary tire and chassis technology could put pro road-racers of yore to shame. What’s more, you no longer have to choose between straight-line speed and cornering prowess. With a modern high-performance car, you really can have it all — air conditioning, power steering, a stereo, a monthly payment, and a warranty. On pump gas, to boot. Power, comfort, and peace of mind, all wrapped up in one 400-plus-horsepower package.

There are a shocking number of high-performance cars out there as we speak: not only in showrooms, but in the classifieds and used-car lots of America. Some, you’ll know about; others may have slipped through the cracks. Some are obvious: Mustangs, Challengers, Corvettes. Some are a little stealthier: cue a slew of sedans that border on invisibility. Let this guide clue you in to some of the best stuff America has offered in the last decade or so. There may even be some for sale in Hemmings Motor News. If you missed out on something that’s out of production, fret not: plenty of the cars on these pages are currently looking for new homes. Some of them are probably right in your hometown. Is one of them right for you?

CADILLAC

Not the sort of name you’d ordinarily associate with high-performance cars, Cadillac launched its V-series line in 2004 and is currently celebrating the 15th year of its high-powered subseries.

CTS-V

Cadillac’s original V-series car, the CTS-V, got a significant boost for its