My Top Four 4 Banger American Cars.

In the car world, the word “tuner” is not commonly used to describe “American” cars. The typical car nut would instantly think of a Supra with a man hole sized turbo, or an incredibly burbly 2-stepping STi. When someone talks about an American car, it’s assumed to be something heavy with a massive and torquey v8, that does burnouts. There are multiple origins for this idea, (one being The Fast and the Furious), but that’s another topic altogether. It’s very rare for American cars to follow this tuner car formula, and here I’ve taken my four favorite four banger American tuner cars.

1. The Ford Fiesta ST

Who could make a list like this and not mention the fiesta ST? Every automotive journalist praised it’s handling, calling it one of the best drivers cars on the market. While it’s out of the box performance is already great, there are plenty of mods for this car to push it to the next level. COBB has full stage kits available, and there are several other sources for modifications.

2. The Chevorlet Cobalt SS

This car has an interesting place in my life. I almost got one as my first car, with a Honda Civic coupe as a close contender. While I ended up getting neither, I love the charm of the cobalt. It’s one of the few American four banger turbo cars with a performance trim. There is a prevalent modding community for these cars, with some cars making substantial power off of big turbo swaps. Modified cobalts are also fairly unique.

3. The Dodge Neon SRT-4

This is by far one of the most famous American tuner cars. It’s a unicorn for me, and I’ve seen more 458’s than neons putting around! The one rare time I saw one, I just had to stop and admire it. There are street spec neons with tasteful mods making good power, but then there are fully built neons hitting the drag strip and setting amazing times. The Neon Has a cult following, where the larger car community doesn’t necessarily share the same love that the hardcore fans have for it. Regardless, the neon is famous for what it brought to the tuner car scene.

4. The Ford Mustang Ecoboost

A modern 4 cylinder turbo coupe that you can buy with a manual? Sign me up. An engine that produces more than 300 hp? Sold! While I can’t say that I’d take an eco boost over my v6, there’s no denying that this car is one of the greatest modern American tuner cars on the market. There are plenty of modifications that can get eco boosts more power, with the option to get insane amounts if you have deep pockets for mods and repairs…

There are several other American four bangers that are famous. I simply didn’t choose the likes of the Grand National and SVO Mustang because this list is based on preference, not what came first. The tuner car scene is dominated by the typical Japanese turbo cars, and it’s nice that American car makers made cars to spice up the scene.