20 Famous Supercars With Muscle Car V8 Engines

16. Hennessey Venom GT

If you are into domestic performance cars, you certainly know about Hennessey from Texas. In the last few decades, they have been one of the biggest names in aftermarket muscle and performance car parts, conversion kits, engines and more. And since 2011, they are also supercar manufacturers, thanks to the Venom GT.

The Venom GT is not a 100 percent American car, but rather a British-American hybrid. Although they based it on the Lotus Elise, they significantly modified, widened and stretched the car with a different suspension, brakes, design and drivetrain. In fact, practically everything is new and different from the original car. The power comes from a 7.0-liter LS2 V8 engine with three power levels, 800, 1,000 and 1,200 HP.

The Venom GT was available as a coupe or convertible. Also, it held the world record for the fastest production car. The acceleration time from 0 to 60 is 13.63 seconds with a top speed of 186 mph. Sadly, they ceased production in 2017 after building just 13 Venom GTs.

17. Panoz Esperante GT-1

You might have forgotten about Panoz, but the Esperante was a serious, race-bred supercar. The technology behind the Esperante was clearly for racing purposes. It had a space frame body structure, lightweight panels and two seats.

Also, they mounted the front engine towards the middle of the car for the best weight distribution. And better still, under the hood was a Roush-built, Ford-derived V8 delivering over 500 HP they mated to a sequential gearbox.

18. MG X-Power SV Coupe

The story of this remarkable car is, unfortunately, a sad one. This was one of the last true UK-USA hybrids and a modern-day muscle coupe. It came with Italian styling, an American engine and British exclusivity. They constructed the car in Modena, Italy and finished it in England. They designed the MG X-Power to deliver a sports car-level of performance with aggressive muscle styling and a soundtrack to match.

Under the hood was a Ford-sourced 4.6-liter V8 engine straight from the Mustang they tuned to produce 320 HP. MG even offered a supercharged version that was capable of 540 HP. They presented the car in 2003. And although it was one of the most interesting releases, MG lacked the image and reputation to achieve success on the global market.

For sale for just three years, they discontinued the X-Power in 2005. Today, this is a forgotten piece of the British muscle car class. However, it is a highly capable V8 powered coupe with brutal looks and performance.

19. Zenvo ST1

When thinking of supercars, Denmark doesn’t usually come to mind, but the Zenvo ST1 will change that. This Danish supercar has all the right ingredients to be the perfect sports car of the 21st century. It comes with a modern design, space-age materials and a big LS7 V8 in the back.

And although they borrowed the engine from the Chevrolet Camaro, Zenvo tuned it to deliver close to 1,100 HP. And with that kind of firepower, the ST1 has a top speed of a neck-breaking 233 mph.

20. TVR Griffith

One of the biggest news in the sports car field is the return of the TVR brand. This small British company has always produced interesting, fast coupes and convertibles/ And that is what earned them the respect of sports car enthusiasts all over the world. Unfortunately, financial problems stopped its production, so the TVR was clinically dead for a few years.

Fortunately, the Zenvo management found enough investors to secure a new model they called the Griffith. It is a proper sports machine with a Mustang 5.0-liter V8, sending 500 HP to the rear wheels over a six-speed manual transmission.

These are 20 of the most famous supercars with muscle car V8 engines. Did you find your favorite in this list? They are all so amazing, it’s hard to choose just one. In fact, all of these machines are fast, attractive and interesting.