Dowding, I've done both.
In France I was doing some illegal racing with some of the university kids. What a load of fun. Especially when you help a guy trying to dig out daddy's sierra crosworth out of the muddy field.
I was runing the good old Opel Manta, nothing fancy but a great great fun in those European countryside hilly road. You don't want a guy to pass you in the turn, you just do a power slide hugging the inner turn... roads are so narrow.
In Florida, I was runing a Honda Prelude in the backcity dirt roads, oh man, what a blast. Dust everywhere while you do those wiiiiiiide power slides at 70mph. Ruins the car, but so much fun, screew it!
Well, recently I aquired a 455 cu.in (7 liters something) 73 Pontiac Formula. All stock for now. Only 250HP and 370lbs of Tq (torquy mama isn't she). You know where my pleasure comes from?
The SOUND!
Incredible. I'm like a kid in front of a naked woman ... I have this sutpid smile everytime I fire up the engine ... I actually let a "Muahahahaha" exit my mouth.
When i leave the driveway doing my "brougt brougt brougt" at low iddle .... eeeee ... that's the sound of power papas. This sound is authentic, it's not generated by some $$$ exaust like on my Prelude. I never bring this car on a track yet, so I don't know much about "what it can do". The pleasure is in the sound, the raw "red light HP" ... and lately, flooring in the turn and let the rear go ... way easier to do, just tap the accelerator. Don't need to "launch the rear" with the handbrake like the front wheel drive, or "little wheel kick" like the underpowered rear wheel drive Opel Manta.
I have been in both side, and like you said, whoever advocates one OR the otehr, haven't traveled around:( To each his fun. Muscle cars offer the advantage of a lot of fun for cheap.
