10 cars to drive before you die

[RadiomanATL]

Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda
Our list cried out for a muscle car, but which one? The LS6 Chevelle SS 454 was obvious but a little safe, too. We wanted something that more fully embodied the balls-out brashnessof the first horsepower war. And so we present the 1970 Hemi ’Cuda, a steroidal demon sled born in the era of flower power but fueled by a million screw yous.

The Barracuda started out as an option package for early-’60s Valiants but eventually evolved into a unique model. By the dawn of the ’70s, it had come into its own as a rorty “sports coupe” available in ridiculous colors such as Vitamin C (that’s orange), Lemon Twist (yellow), and Sassy Grass (green). The top engine available in the new-for-1970 ’Cuda was the Hemi, 426 cubic inches of fury and anger that existed solely to rain down great vengeance on air and gas in the interest of riotous self-gratification.

Sitting inside a ’Cuda feels a bit like sitting in a washtub placed inside a storage container—the interior is tight, the beltline is high, and there’s a lot of sheetmetal around you. Twist the key, and the sound is glorious, sort of artillery-piece-meets-pissed-off-grizzly-bear, and the fuel and exhaust fumes are intoxicating enough to turn Al Gore into a believer. Then you stab the gas, the car rears up on its archaic suspension, and you’re the star of your very own Rat Fink poster—the chassis is that flexible, the power is that prodigious. A Hemi ’Cuda can’t corner well, and it sure as hell can’t stop, but, man, can it go, go, go.

10 Cars to Drive Before You Die - Feature - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

 

[JenyEliza]

I've driven a Lamborghini Countach. Black w/blonde leather interior. Scared the shit out of me. (drove it to the shop for an oil change--it was my boss' car).

 

[Paulie]

Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda
Our list cried out for a muscle car, but which one? The LS6 Chevelle SS 454 was obvious but a little safe, too. We wanted something that more fully embodied the balls-out brashnessof the first horsepower war. And so we present the 1970 Hemi ’Cuda, a steroidal demon sled born in the era of flower power but fueled by a million screw yous.

The Barracuda started out as an option package for early-’60s Valiants but eventually evolved into a unique model. By the dawn of the ’70s, it had come into its own as a rorty “sports coupe” available in ridiculous colors such as Vitamin C (that’s orange), Lemon Twist (yellow), and Sassy Grass (green). The top engine available in the new-for-1970 ’Cuda was the Hemi, 426 cubic inches of fury and anger that existed solely to rain down great vengeance on air and gas in the interest of riotous self-gratification.

Sitting inside a ’Cuda feels a bit like sitting in a washtub placed inside a storage container—the interior is tight, the beltline is high, and there’s a lot of sheetmetal around you. Twist the key, and the sound is glorious, sort of artillery-piece-meets-pissed-off-grizzly-bear, and the fuel and exhaust fumes are intoxicating enough to turn Al Gore into a believer. Then you stab the gas, the car rears up on its archaic suspension, and you’re the star of your very own Rat Fink poster—the chassis is that flexible, the power is that prodigious. A Hemi ’Cuda can’t corner well, and it sure as hell can’t stop, but, man, can it go, go, go.

10 Cars to Drive Before You Die - Feature - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

The Hemi Cuda was cool, but I'm not sure it automatically beats the LS6.

 

[Oddball]

Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda
Our list cried out for a muscle car, but which one? The LS6 Chevelle SS 454 was obvious but a little safe, too. We wanted something that more fully embodied the balls-out brashnessof the first horsepower war. And so we present the 1970 Hemi ’Cuda, a steroidal demon sled born in the era of flower power but fueled by a million screw yous.

The Barracuda started out as an option package for early-’60s Valiants but eventually evolved into a unique model. By the dawn of the ’70s, it had come into its own as a rorty “sports coupe” available in ridiculous colors such as Vitamin C (that’s orange), Lemon Twist (yellow), and Sassy Grass (green). The top engine available in the new-for-1970 ’Cuda was the Hemi, 426 cubic inches of fury and anger that existed solely to rain down great vengeance on air and gas in the interest of riotous self-gratification.

Sitting inside a ’Cuda feels a bit like sitting in a washtub placed inside a storage container—the interior is tight, the beltline is high, and there’s a lot of sheetmetal around you. Twist the key, and the sound is glorious, sort of artillery-piece-meets-pissed-off-grizzly-bear, and the fuel and exhaust fumes are intoxicating enough to turn Al Gore into a believer. Then you stab the gas, the car rears up on its archaic suspension, and you’re the star of your very own Rat Fink poster—the chassis is that flexible, the power is that prodigious. A Hemi ’Cuda can’t corner well, and it sure as hell can’t stop, but, man, can it go, go, go.

10 Cars to Drive Before You Die - Feature - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

Too much power for the drive train and suspension.

Even though it couldn't go from 0-60 in a nanosecond, the four barrel 340 was a much more balanced and nimble ride.