Europeans today are still stuck driving cramped little Pandas and Peugeots. It's time to show them what a real automobile looks like, so Jalopnik readers picked out ten big, bold American cars to take on a tour of the continent.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
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Photo Credit: Denis De Mesmaeker, Tom Thai
10.) Suicide Lincoln Continental
Suggested By: JackTrade
Why it's Amerigasmic: There's no good reason why you shouldn't bring a finned monster from the 1950s like a '59 Cadillac in Playboy pink of a '58 Plymouth straight out of Christine, but we think there's a better choice: an early ‘60s Lincoln Continental convertible. They're just about the classiest cars ever made.
Photo Credit: Alden Jewell
9.) Shelby GT500
Suggested By: Ravey Mayvey Slurpee
Why it's Amerigasmic: You could bring a Boss 302 for some alpine roads, but deep down all we want to do with a V8 Mustang is go blow the doors off of Mercs, BMWs, and Porsches on the Autobahn. Somebody's got to test that 200mph top speed claim, right?
Photo Credit: Jalopnik
8.) Duesenberg SSJ
Suggested By: primalzer
Why it's Amerigasmic: Think for a moment how much fun it would be to get a big 1930s Bentley, like Brian Johnson's car, and go on a cross country tour of America. Now think of that in reverse, because back in the day America built a luxury supercar to beat the world called the Duesenberg SSJ. They were the cars of royalty and maybe the greatest American automobiles ever built.
Photo Credit: Special Interest Autos/Hemmings
7.) Chevy Volt
Suggested By: Ash78 has five on it
Why it's Amerigasmic: Do you think that gas is expensive in the US? You have no idea how much fuel costs in heavily-taxed Europe, so if you want to keep from going broke at the Agip station, or if you don't want to go hunting for a gas station in the middle of Paris, bring a Volt.
Photo Credit: NRMA Motoring and Services
6.) Ford SVT Raptor
Suggested By: LoyalOrange
Why it's Amerigasmic: It won't want to fit in tiny half-lane back streets in little Italian villages, but who cares? There's more to Europe than stuffy urban nightmares. Get out into the countryside and get there in the most capable off-road trucks sold to mere mortals.
Photo Credit: Jalopnik/PickupTrucks.com
5.) The Decoliner
Suggested By: davedave1
Why it's Amerigasmic: Have you ever seen the Alps? They're beautiful. You don't want to spend your whole trip stuck in a claustrophobic coupe with the "sunroof delete" option checked off. You want to cruise and take in the natural glory with this, the greatest roadgoing yacht ever built.
It's the Blastolene Decoliner and if you've never heard of this flybridge-equipped hand-built motorhome before, check out the definitive video review here.
Photo Credit: Blastolene
4.) 1994-1996 Chevy Impala SS
Suggested By: Tohru Rokuno
Why it's Amerigasmic: You have no idea how cool this car is going to be in the crowded streets of Europe's capital cities. It's big, it's fast, and it has a V8 rumble that will shake the trim off of the diesel hatchbacks that everyone else is driving. Do burnouts in thousand-year-old squares. Drift around roundabouts. Take it to the Nürburgring.
If you really want to turn heads, dress it up like a cop Caprice.
Photo Credit: Alden Jewell
3.) Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
Suggested By: southernscrew
Why it's Amerigasmic: So the CTS-V wagon panders a bit to European tastes. It was tuned on the ‘Ring and all that jazz. But it's got the space for all the crap you bring on a real road trip, it's got the handling to let you enjoy the curving roads, and it's got the power and the chrome to put any European car to shame.
Photo Credit: Jalopnik
2.) Ford GT
Suggested By: SennaMP4
Why it's Amerigasmic: The consummate American supercar, it's almost like Ford designed the GT to conquer European cars and European roads. Oh wait, they did.
Photo Credit: Matt Markiewicz
1.) A Pro-Touring Dodge Charger
Suggested By: S33d3r
Why it's Amerigasmic: Truth be told, any pro-touring muscle car would be perfect for a European road trip. It would bleed you dry at the pumps, but it would be worth it for the epitome of the American automobile. Long, low, and wide with upgraded suspension, a modernized V8 and fat tires to burn. You couldn't be more patriotic if you went around raising red, white, and blue barns with a team of bald eagles.
Photo Credit: pyntofmyld