the 2nd horsepower war

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

For many years I wished that my dad was just a smidge older and had the foresight to buy a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda 426 Hemi before they became collector's items. And more importantly I had wished that he would've kept it for me to drive. I really love the old school muscle cars, and now that gas is forecasted to make it over $4.50/gallon compared to $3.50 peak a year ago, I feel as if the pinch will quickly cause car manufacturers to shy away from the current horsepower wars as quickly as they did in the early 70's. Now I find myself wishing that I was a smidge older and just a bit richer to boot, because I so want one of these soon to be collectable horsepower beasts! I mean the cars people are coming up with have some amazing stats:

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8
425HP 420lb-ft Torque, Price (after dealer markup) $45,000-60,000 ($40,000 MSRP)

2009 Cadillac CTS-V
550HP 550lb-ft Torque, Price ???

2008 Shelby Mustang GT500
500HP 475lb-ft Torque, Price (after dealer markup) $53,000-70,000 ($42,975 MSRP)

2008 BMW M3
414HP 295lb-ft Torque, Price (after dealer markup) $65,000-100,00 ($53,800-70,000 MSRP)

2008 Mercedes C63 AMG
457HP 600lb-ft Torque, Price (after dealer markup) $65,000+ ($54,675 MSRP)

2008 Audi RS8
420HP 317lb-ft Torque, Price (after dealer markup) $72,000+ (66,910 MSRP)