American Muscle vs Japanese Imports

What makes American Muscle Cars and JDM Cars Unique?

When pulling into car meets local to Boulder, there will be two dominant styles on display from opposite sides of the pacific: American Muscle and Japanese Imports. While both offer their own unique take on speed, style, and culture, most drivers tend to find themselves firmly planted in one of the two camps. Here, I’ll break down some of the key differences in these two incredible categories.

American Muscle has been around since the late 40’s and 50’s, and offered American’s a fun and relatively affordable sports car that was popular among veterans who recently returned home from the war. These cars were known for being bulky and heavy, with massive engines to propel themselves around. These characteristics remain today, and the average consumer of muscle cars still loves the roar of a large bore engine and the massive hoods that extend from their fingertips.

Japanese Imports on the other hand became known for their smooth flowing lines that became a hallmark of the late 90’s. The popular driving style known as “Drifting” was born in the mountains of Japan in the 70’s, and is largely responsible for Japanese automakers prioritizing handling and suspension tuning to better handle the twisting roads known as “Touge” in Japan. These cars were lighter, with smaller engine displacements that helped keep the cars lightweight and highly maneuverable, without sacrificing power due to the use of turbochargers that create extra power from spent exhaust gasses.

Whether you’re trying to see the newest Camaro’s and Mustang’s, or prefer the iconic styling of the legendary late 90’s Supra, the meets you attend in and around Boulder will have it all for you to enjoy.