Off Duty, Automotive - Army Times

Tops for 2010: Biggest guns under $25K

• 2010 Chevy Camaro

Base MSRP: $22,245

So many have focused on V-8-powered Super Sport models that the capabilities of the standard-issue Camaro have gone almost unnoticed.

But check it out: 300 horsepower from its 3.6-liter V-6 engine and six-speed manual transmission. That’s 10 horsepower more than the original 1967 Z28’s 5.0-liter V-8.

The V-8 will cost a fortune to insure (if you’re young and single) and to fuel. But you can buy a V-6 Camaro six-speed for about $22,000 and get 0-60 in six seconds — faster than a ’67 Z28 — mop the floor with the V-6 versions of the Challenger and ’Stang and give those V-8 versions a run for their money.

• 2010 Ford Mustang

Base MSRP: $20,995

It’s not as quick as Camaro in either base V-6 or V-8 GT, and it’s not as perfect a reincarnation of the late ’60s/early ’70s as the Dodge Challenger, but the Mustang does offer a nice mix of retro styling, muscle car strut and a profusion of models and sub-models, including the brutal (and supercharged) Shelby GT500 coupe/convertibles.