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Thirty-five years ago, the word "Watergate" was being re-Webstered from meaning "a snazzy apartment building in Washington, D.C." to "a coverup investigation involving the White House, two reporters who don't look anything like Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, and a guy named 'Deep Throat.'" The most popular show on TV was about a grump named Archie whose tattered easy chair would go on to occupy a place in the Smithsonian. Half of the current staff of Motor Trend hadn't even been born yet (yes, Angus, we're getting old). That year, 1974, would also mark the final moment for decades in which America's streets would be prowled by all three current-gen versions of the most iconic-ever ponycars: the Chevy Camaro, the Dodge Challenger, and the Ford Mustang.
Frankly, we thought we'd never see the tire smoke from the ponycar wars again.
Defying the oddsmakers, though, America's three trick ponies are back. And they're back big. Those days of yore are indeed long-gone -- but only because the new incarnations of the Camaro, Challenger, and Mustang are so far evolved from their famed predecessors they're recognizable almost by name only. Sure, the old cars looked cool and made lots of noise and got the girls, and some could even lay down a righteous longitudinal blast when the road arrowed straight. But none could match these current machines for blistering speed, cornering ability, braking power, driveability, reliability, and comfort. I mean, when I was 16, we didn't have fancy computers to make our cars run like winged chariots, and we didn't have in-car iPod adaptors (unless you count the Tijuana Brass on eight-track), and we sure didn't have...never mind. You whippersnappers today don't know how good you've got it.
What remains utterly unchanged, however, is a degree of nameplate loyalty and fan mania the likes of which might be matched by the current March Madness B-ball tourney. Or maybe not. After all, Camaro versus Mustang versus Challenger is deeply ingrained into the American psyche, the four-wheeled equivalent of the Hatfields versus the McCoys versus...uh, the HatCoys. Doesn't really matter which car we deem the best or what the numbers say -- the feuding factions will stand behind their favorites like a third-grader defending his mom against the schoolyard rabble. Might even be a few bloody noses thrown in if the hostilities escalate to the level of, "Yeah? Well, your Challenger's so fat..."
Hey, but we love a good debate (or at least starting one). So...we proudly present our exclusive, first-ever, side-by-side-by-side comparison of the new Chevrolet Camaro SS, the Dodge Challenger R/T, and the Ford Mustang GT. All the numbers, all our driving impressions...just one winner.
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