7 Slices Of 'Murica We Wish We Could Buy In The UK

Whenever we feature hot European metal, there’s a common theme in the comments section: those of you in the US rue the fact that whatever it is we’re looking at can’t be bought Stateside. The thing is, the feeling is mutual. You see, when taking a look at good old American muscle, us Brits can’t help but have a tinge of jealousy, as for the most part, these cars can’t be bought over here officially. If you do try and get one imported, it’s usually prohibitively expensive, and you get a steering wheel on the ‘wrong’ side.

Fortunately, that’s not the case with the new Ford Mustang - which is coming to the UK in right-hand drive - but there are plenty of other incredible slices of Americana we wish would follow suit. Here are our picks:

1. Chevrolet Corvette Z06

If you look at Chevrolet’s UK website, you’ll find that you can actually buy a ‘Vette in this country, but it’ll be in left-hand drive and will cost considerable £65,510. That’s quite a lot, and in any case, it’s not the regular Stingray we want: the one we lust after most is the Z06. With 650bhp it’s massively powerful, and is getting high-praise for its handling capabilities from US road testers.

2. Dodge SRT Viper TA 2.0

If we could get an official Viper in the UK, our choice would be the second edition of the Time Attack. Like the very orange Viper TA that came before it, the TA 2.0 is a limited-run track-focused variant with an overhauled chassis and radical downforce-inducing aero package. Just look at the rear wing!

Up front is the familiar 8.4-litre V10, which sends its 636bhp to the rear. And we love a good V10.

3. Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

How could we not want a Challenger Hellcat? With 697bhp, its 6.2-litre engine is the most powerful V8 in Chrysler’s history, and those retro-inspired Challenger looks would let us dream that we’re in Vanishing Point.

4. Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

While we’re here, we’re also rather partial to the Challenger Hellcat’s more practical sibling: the Charger. It has all the furious performance of the Challenger HC, with a more discreet (and therefore cooler) saloon car body.

5. Cadillac CTS-V

The latest Cadillac CTS-V is a car that’ll give the BMW M5 a real headache when it’s unleashed on the roads this year. With 640bhp from its 6.2-litre V8, the Caddy also features clever handling tech like magnetic-controlled dampers and an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential. A crude muscle car this is not. However, it’s unlikely to be troubling its Bavarian rival on these shores as we’re highly unlikely to get an official version imported in right-hand drive.

6. Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Pickup trucks make less sense in the UK than they do in the United States, and yet we can’t help look upon the Ford F-150 Raptor with a twinkle of lust in our eyes. A new one is on the way, and while it shirks the old V8 in favour of a turbocharged 3.5-litre V6, it’ll be more powerful: around 450bhp is expected.

7. Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

Muscle car detractors will tell you that a track-biased pony car is an impossibility, an opinion to which the Z/28 is a stunning riposte. Compared to the regular Camaro, it sits on lower, plusher suspension, has a clever aero package and is significantly lighter. Oh, and it has a socking 7.0-litre V8 under the bonnet.

Any fellow Brits care to add to this list?