Welcome to the greatest muscle car era

If you've ever lusted after a 1960's or '70's muscle car, but missed the chance to buy when these now-classics were new, don't fret. Today's modern muscle cars are better in every way.

You can argue styling pros and cons to the end of time. But from a pure driving dynamic, safety, and fuel economy perspectives, the new muscle positively trounces the originals. (Read: "2011 Ford Mustang V6 vs 1970 Mustang Boss 302: Who's the real boss?")

Looking to capture some of that America muscle this summer? Here's a run down of what's available now for V8 singing, roll-down-the-windows cruising:

Chevrolet Camaro
I had the chance to sample a Hot Wheels Special Edition Camaro recently; it was a bigger-than-life time capsule. With a large collection little metal cars and a bright orange track, Hot Wheels were a huge part of my childhood. So, I was jazzed to see that this one actually came complete with red outline-striped wheels. The various flaming "Hot Wheels" badges were a bit much, but what stuck with me the most was the sound. The righteous exhaust note thrilled me every time I backed off the pipes in a lower gear. It's almost as if there are exhaust experts toiling away at GM whose only job is to make small-block V8s sing. They are maestros worthy of Grammy awards.

For more power-hungry bowtie fans, there's also the Camaro ZL1. It's even beefier than the SS version-steering, shifter, and especially the clutch are much stiffer and heavier. But what a sound! The exhaust baffle is enough for me to forget and/or forgive how big it is or the unreadable gauges. With a 580-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V8 and active suspension, the ZL1 is the highest-performance factory Camaro ever.

Tamer 323-hp V6 models are also available, ranging from $24,245 to $56,550. And, of course, convertibles are offered across the range.

For 2014, the Camaro is treated to styling upgrades and the return of the legendary Z/28, complete with a 500-hp small-block V8 engine dressed with "427" logos. (Check out: "500-hp 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 declares horsepower war.")

Dodge Challenger
I've had a long and well-documented love affair with this large-and-in-charge cruiser. One of the reasons it remains appealing, despite its below-average reliability, is that since it sells in fewer numbers than competing models, you don't see them every day. But this car is all throw-back: long hood, big engine, and available "Plumb Crazy" (purple) paint.

Selling points include a surprisingly roomy interior, lovely-sounding V8, a satisfying pistol-grip shifter for the manual transmission, and a fairly comfortable highway ride. But a light-on-its-feet sports car? Not a chance. In fact, looking at the performance figures, most other muscle machines can run away from our R/T. The steroid monster Challenger SRT8 (470 hp), however, is another story.

Pricing: $25,995-$44,995. No drop-top for open-air fans, however.