MUY MACHO: The 9 Most Badass Sedans in Automotive History

If you're interested in tracking car news, you may want to check out BadBlue Car News, a real-time automotive news portal. A couple of recent articles spurred me to come up with this list, a purely personal set of choices representing what I consider the premiere badass sedans over the past few decades.

1984 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16

It's hard to express how different -- and badass -- the original macho sports sedan was. Back in the day, everyone stared at the 2.3-16 as it drove by. Cosworth designed the unique, for the time, 16-valve cylinder head. In 1983, the racing version of the 190E shattered multiple world records, including averaging 154 MPH over 30,000 miles.

1986 BMW M3

When I was a kid, I thought of this vehicle as a "drug dealer's car", which was a compliment. Not that I condone drug-dealing, nimrod, but the fact that it was truly a uniquely wicked-looking car. Airbags? Digital displays? Ha! You're so cute. Its puffy fenders and 6.9 0-to-60 were astoundingly radical in 1986; its wildly successful reign arguably made the business case for a whole spectrum of M models.

1986 Saab 900 Turbo SPG

Its cryptic badging (there wasn't any) distinguished Saab's Special Performance Group (SPG) option, which took the 900 Turbo and added an aerodynamic body kit, custom wheels, sport suspension, and some interior upgrades. While it doesn't look quite so unique now, at the time it was a lightning bolt.

1996 Chevrolet Impala SS

The ultimate sleeper car, the Impala SS required a careful once-over to ensure that a quick redlight matchup would not result in a humiliating defeat. Featuring five-spoke alloys and monster rubber, it borrowed a powerful small-block 5.7-liter V8 from the C4 Corvette.

1999 Volvo S70 T5

In its stately black, the T5 could have been a suitable staff car for a Russian general. Its 240 horsepower matched that of the naturally aspirated BMW M3, but the turbocharger provided the unique "liftoff" effect once the high-pitched whine kicked in.

2004 Cadillac CTS-V

The initial CTS-V boasted 400 ponies and nearly bested a Corvette on the legendary Nuerburgring. Even the exhaust rumble of an idling V is memorable.

2008 Audi A8L W12

Not just the iconic vehicle featured in the film Transporter 2, the A8's 12-cylinder engine was exclusive to the long-wheelbase model (the "L" designation). Sporting 500 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and an 8-speed automatic ZF transmission, reviewers stated that the car was worth every penny of its $121,000 sticker.

2008 Pontiac G8 GT

Sporting 361-HP and tagged as a BMW-killer, the G8 was an Australian product (via GM subsidiary Holden) that seemed to be straight out of a Mad Max movie. Had Pontiac explored more models akin to the G8, it's highly likely the brand would still be alive.

2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

707 horsepower? A supercharger that requires 80HP just to operate, "which can suck the air from a 10-by-13-foot room in one minute"? By dint of stats alone, the Hellcat belongs on this list.


Hat tip: BadBlue Car News.