After the golden era of the muscle car during the '60s, the genre took a nose dive quicker than most cars could cover the quarter-mile. A combination of an oil crisis, encroaching emissions regulations, and looming economic insecurity meant that the freewheeling days when cheap cars were fitted with monster engines came to an abrupt end. The '80s weren't that much better for the muscle car, and while the likes of the Dodge Viper brought a new flavor to the powerful American sports car in the '90s, there weren't too many timeless muscle cars coming from that era.It all changed in the 2000s. The likes of Ford and Dodge gave a retro style to their Mustang and Charger, and the whole big-power, affordable sticker-price business took off again. These modern muscle cars are even cheaper on the secondhand market, as you might expect, and give a contemporary spin on the '60s good times.HotCars set off to see what affordable muscle cars are on offer in 2025 that can demolish the quarter mile. We set the affordability bar at $30,000 (using Kelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Price) and also used the quickest '60s muscle car as our benchmark. Our research found that the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, equipped with the 426-cubic-inch Hemi option, was the quickest of them all, with a quarter-mile time of 13.32 seconds.The vehicles have been listed in order of slowest quarter mile first. So, to qualify for the list below, models had to beat that time and come in at less than 30 grand. Challenge accepted. This is what we found.All the used prices reflect Classic.com's average price calculation based on recently auctioned models. 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP - 13.3 Seconds Bring A Trailer 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP Specs Source: PontiacThe Pontiac G8 GXP arrived in 2008 as essentially a four-door Corvette. The 415-horsepower 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine was derived from Chevy's iconic sports car and pumped out 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. Sadly, it was the last true Pontiac muscle car – but what a way to go out. The G8 GXP can hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and cover the quarter mile a hair's breadth quicker than the Road Runner. According to Classic.com, buyers paid an average of $23,372 for a used G8 in the last five years, with recently auctioned GXP models averaging slightly higher at about $30,000 on the site. 2005 Pontiac GTO - 13.3 Seconds Yellow 2005 Pontiac GTO 2005 Pontiac GTO Specs Source: PontiacThe '60s Pontiac GTO is credited with kicking off the whole muscle car scene. The styling of the 2000s model may not be as iconic as the original, but this one is still a mean sports car. The GTO, which was one of the last performance models for Pontiac before the company folded, could hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. These days, a 2005 GTO will cost $13,172. 2006 Cadillac STS-V - 13.2 Seconds Bring A Trailer 2006 Cadillac STS-V Specs Source: CadillacThe Cadillac STS-V was the fastest sedan in America in the 2000s, and it still stands up even by today's standards. The hot Caddy is fitted with a 4.4-liter supercharged V version of the car's DOHC 32-valve Northstar V8, with a healthy 469 horsepower and 439 lb-ft. The top speed is limited to 155 mph, but the STS-V can hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and cover the quarter mile in 13.2 seconds. The car was $77,090 new, but in 2025, you can pick one up for just $9,333. 2010 Chrysler 300C SRT8 - 13.2 Seconds Classic.com 2010 Chrysler 300C SRT8 Specs Source: ChryslerThe 300C SRT8 is a crisply-styled muscle sedan with plenty of oomph under the hood. This Chrysler is powered by a 425-horsepower, 6.1-liter Hemi V8, which is enough to propel it over a quarter mile in 13.2 seconds, just ahead of the '69 Road Runner. All this while having space for the whole family. A secondhand 2010 300C SRT8 costs $15,061 in 2025. 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 - 13.1 Seconds An orange 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 parked 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Specs Source: DodgeThe 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is about as retro as it gets, with an unashamedly old-school look. The Chrysler 6.1-liter Hemi V8 also had some very '60s-sounding specs in the form of 425 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, too. The burly Challenger had contemporary touches such as Brembo four-piston calipers, and the performance put it up there with the top sports cars of the time. The sprint to 60 mph takes 4.7 seconds, and the standing quarter is covered in 13.1 seconds. A used version costs just $12,927. 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - 12.8 Seconds Bring a Trailer 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Specs Source: FordThis is a Mustang that does credit to the legendary Boss name. The Boss 302 has a 5.0-liter V8 that manages 444 horsepower and 380 lb-ft. These might not sound like insane figures, but the Boss 302 is insanely quick, reaching 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. These cars can be had for $22,272 in 2025. There was also a Laguna Seca edition (pictured) with a few extras. 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - 12.9 Seconds Bring A Trailer 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Specs Source: FordJoining an iconic name like Shelby with an iconic set of letters and digits like the GT500 could have gone terribly wrong. But the GT500 did history proud, with a 5.4-liter four-cam 32-valve V8 fitted with an Eaton 2300 intercooled supercharger to produce 540 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. The GT500 may not be quite up to the modern supercar-chasing muscle cars of today, but the 4.6 seconds sprint to 60mph and the 12.9-second quarter mile was not to be sniffed at. Today, a Shelby GT500 will cost around $22,384. 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Superbee - 12.6 Seconds Edmunds 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Superbee Specs Source: DodgeThe 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Superbee borrowed a concept and iconic styling from the late '60s. The Superbee formula was to offer a low-frills package for a Dodge muscle car, making it cheaper and even a few pounds lighter by doing away with luxuries. The 2012 Charger was the cheapest way to a 6.4-liter Hemi, which made it even more fun in a way than the fancier car. Performance is electric, with 60 mph arriving in just 4.2 seconds. The 2012 Superbee costs $14,115 today. 2012 Cadillac CTS-V - 12.5 Seconds Bring A Trailer 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Specs Source: CadillacCars like the CTS-V were proof that Cadillac could do more than just giant SUVs or country club barges. The car is fitted with a supercharged V8, churning out 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque, while the handling was finessed at the legendary Nürburgring. This Caddy will hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and could be yours in 2025 for just $22,927. 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS - 12.3 Seconds GAA Classic Car Auctions 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS Specs Source: ChevroletFor something a bit more modern (and expensive) look to the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS. The SS models come with a 6.2-liter V8 and have the kind of performance that was once reserved for supercars. The SS Camaro has 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque, enough to reach 60 mph in 4.0 seconds dead. These cars are performance car bargains in 2025, selling for $25,803.