[SeanJP]

I'm not sure how this will get received, but I've been into muscle cars my whole life, and I say it is. Keep in mind, there are no objective standards for what is, or is not a muscle car. I began pondering this after assessing the controversial new appearance, with its wide, beefy front facia. It had long been rumored that the V8 muscle cars will start to disappear, and it's begun. I think perhaps the designers might have been trying to fill that void.

It has a high hp/torque engine mounted up front, and it is a rear-wheel drive, mid-sized coupe that is on the heavy side.

What exactly makes it not a muscle car? Some arguments:

It's not a V8: There are lots of 6-cylinder muscle cars that can be traced back to the very early days of Detroit muscle. Dodge is set to revive the Charger soon with a twin-turbo 6 pushing 550 horsepower.

It's built to handle on a curvy track: Tons of classic muscle cars could also handle, and that is especially true in modern times. Nothing needs to be said about the SS 1LE, GT350, and countless others, but even a Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye has bested a Mustang GT with PP, a Civic Type R, and a Golf R on Throttle House's leaderboard. I don't think car genres should be define by what they cannot do.

It's built for luxury: Again, purely subjective, but I don't think car makers should have to back off of quality materials, build quality, and features to stay within a genre.

Despite being a BMW, the G87 M2 seems (to me) to give off the muscle car vibe and attitude.

[SeanJP]

💪

[DrewNewM2]

Got a muscular rear end but I associate Muscle car with American V8s.

[KC87ZB]

I have to agree and I really consider the M2 more a sports couple. More track capable than most muscle cars and the MT is not a stoplight ripper.

[mrdudley]

Vin Diesel would look out of place behind the wheel of a G87, so not a muscle car.

/s

[JABCAT]

Why does it matter/why does everything need to be categorized or labeled? It's a high-performance coupe.

[NewToM]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

Why does it matter/why does everything need to be categorized or labeled? It's a high-performance coupe.

I’m going to go out on a limb and confirm that it is in fact a car.

EDIT: also apparently a 🚀

[RemoWilliams84]

Originally Posted by NewToM

I’m going to go out on a limb and confirm that it is in fact a car.

My daughter would disagree. She often sings the the little Einsteins theme song when we get in the M2.

"We're going on a trip in our favorite rocket ship, BMW."

[two_three_two]

erm ackshully it doesn't meet 4 of the 12 requirements to fall into the category of muscle coupe as defined in the 1973 seminal lecture "Car Categorization and Pigeonholing Techniques" given by professor fuckface at the University of Middle Western North Dakota thereforehencetoforth it is a High Powered European Luxury Grand Touring Sports Coupe Deluxe

[MG20i]

I have always considered anything that is fairly heavy, front engine/rear wheel drive, a rocket in a straight line, and will go sideways when you stomp the loud pedal to be a muscle car. In my mind all M and AMG cars with more than 500 hp are German Muscle Cars.

[Squidget]

Muscleness is a spectrum, plenty of people have called a V6 Mustang a muscle car, for example. Others would not.

I tend to say "as muscly as you can get these days" because in the modern era, and with the demise of cars like the Charger, what is left on the market that is more muscley than the G87? The G87 is as much a muscle car as the current Mustang is.

There are no Trans Ams, no Chevelles, no GTOs, no SSes of any type. If not the G87, then what? Viper is either going or already gone.

[two_three_two]

Originally Posted by MG20i

I have always considered anything that is fairly heavy, front engine/rear wheel drive, a rocket in a straight line, and will go sideways when you stomp the loud pedal to be a muscle car. In my mind all M and AMG cars with more than 500 hp are German Muscle Cars.

behold! a muscle car!

[Tag]

If it's not made in 'Murica it's not a muscle car. Similar to how sparkling wine is not champagne.

</end>

[BroDoze]

Thread's kinda dumb. Just sayin'.

[ourlee]

My Miata forum bros (who are super pro Porsche) dismiss the M2 as “just a muscle car”. I enjoy dropping Jackie vids on them.

[rons e92]

How are you going to tell me this isn't a "muscle car"?

[NewToM]

Originally Posted by rons e92

How are you going to tell me this isn't a "muscle car"?

It has racks so it can’t be a muscle car obviously… it is a crossover.

[minn19]

Yes, no, maybe.

[ajchoi]

Originally Posted by NewToM

It has racks so it can’t be a muscle car obviously… it is a crossover.

If I win that X5MC from the BMWCCA raffle I’m gonna put racks on it and get the vanity plate DADWGN. I don’t have kids.

[DarkNight707]

Originally Posted by mrdudley

Vin Diesel would look out of place behind the wheel of a G87, so not a muscle car.

/s

Best argument… so far

[///M TOWN]

…

[Dave07997S]

With the end of the Charger/Challenger cars its probably the end of the Muscle Car. The Mustang and Camaro aren't Muscle cars anymore, they are GT cars. The Mustang with anything S550 and up are really very good handling cars and the Camaros are an excellent handling cars. Muscle cars are generally considered cars that only go fast in a straight line.

The G87 M2 does have some of that heritage but it really is more of a GT car.