We Pick Our Ideal American Icons, the Mustang, Corvette, and Wrangler

Independence Day might be over, but that hasn’t stopped our neighbors from lighting off firecrackers at all hours of the night, nor has it stopped us from dreaming about some of our favorite American cars. Regardless of opinion or political affiliation, we all bleed red, white, and blue when discussing the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Corvette.

Each has a distinctly patriotic lineage. The Wrangler descends from the Willys MB and its CJ (Civilian Jeep) posterity that became legendary in the 1940s. The Corvette served as a domestic response to homecoming GIs who craved the European sporty cars they’d been introduced to during World War II. And the Mustang was a symbol of the American dream, building off its humble Ford Falcon roots with reasonably priced style and a few neat performance options.

Today, each of these cars has an almost universal appeal – not just in the United States, but all over the world. Jeep is one of the few American brands that sells well in Japan, and the Mustang is the best-selling sports car in countries as diverse as France, China, and Germany. The Corvette, meanwhile has competed on the global stage in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Spa Francorchamps, and Monza. We simply love these great Americans, which is why we’re always playing around on the configurator, dreaming of owning an icon. But how would we spec them? Let us show you.

The Ford Mustang has always held a special place in my heart. When I was in high school, I drove a 1998 V6 convertible and thought it was just the cat’s meow. After graduating, I swapped that for a 2006 Mustang GT that I’ve now owned for over a decade, sitting in the garage waiting to become an all-out drag car. I’ve done the base Mustang and the GT before, so if I were to build a new pony car from scratch, it’d have to be a track-ready Dark Horse. The new Dark Horse trim reminds me of the race-inspired Boss 302 moniker that was brought back for a short run in 2012 and 2013, but the ‘Stang is even more impressive in 2024.

Using the same 5.0-liter Coyote motor as the regular GT, Ford turned it up a bit more in the Dark Horse to pump out an even 500 horsepower to go along with 418 pound-feet of torque. Though a 10-speed automatic is available, I’d choose the Tremec 6-speed every time. On the outside, I went with an Atlas Blue Metallic paint job and Shadow Black racing stripes, harking back to my old ‘06 finished in Vista Blue. I couldn’t resist adding the Dark Horse Handling Package. Including 19-inch wheels all around and 315s in the rear, this package also comes with adjustable strut mounts, tow hooks, a magnetic damping system, a rear spoiler, and special chassis tuning. Inside, the only change I made was swapping the standard seats for Recaros to get that track feel I’m really going for.

All said and done, my dream 2024 Mustang came out to $74,455. While the Dark Horse package might not be worth it in reality, I built a regular GT and it still came out to $57,280. If I had that much money to burn, I’d shell out the extra $17,175 and have the build of my dreams.

–Contributing Editor Andrew Koopman

Chevrolet

The Corvette has always been America’s sports car. It’s typically been the best we could offer to the rest of the world, and despite some bright flashes of genius every once in a while, its most notable achievement was that it’s way cheaper than anything Europe could offer with comparable power. Then we got the C8 Z06 and all of a sudden, America didn’t have to make excuses anymore thanks to exceptional chassis design, beautifully calibrated magnetorheological suspension, and of course, that 5.5-liter, 670-horsepower flat-plane V8 engine.

Normally I’m not the kind of person that goes hog-wild in the options but this is where I make an exception for exceptionalism. The standard Z06 is a maniacal machine, but adding the Z07 package’s upgraded aero, brakes and suspension is a no brainer. This is also true for the carbon wheels and the carbon cross-brace. Then I’m taking this whole thing and painting it in the most mellow, grandpa-looking green I’ve seen in recent memory and giving it a nice, totally tan interior. The rest of the world will just have to deal with it while I deal with the pecuniary brutality of a Chevy that costs $163,820.

–Contributing Editor Kyle Hyatt

Jeep

The Jeep Wrangler may have been updated for 2024, but squint a little and it’s not hard to see its old MB lineage in the boxy fenders, round headlights, and minimized approach angle. To channel maximum Americana, my ideal Wrangler would be a two-door – four-door Jeeps are great, but there’s just something about a shorty that feels perfectly retro. If money were no object, I’d be tempted by a Rubicon X or a 392, but realistically, the Willys trim would be a perfect little runabout for my real-world use case.

That’s because the Willys gets standard 33-inch all-terrain tires and a locking rear differential, giving it decent off-road capability right out of the box, but without the overkill talent (and price) of the Rubicon. And since the Willys has that slick, military-issue lettering on the hood, why not pair it with a coat of Sarge Green non-metallic paint? And finally, my Jeep’s gotta have a manual transmission, which means I’m limited to the 285-hp 3.6-liter V6. And since I’m actually a Luddite poser, I’ll also order the Technology package’s blind spot monitors and the Convenience group’s heated seats and steering wheel.

The total damage of my idealized two-door Wrangler Willys comes to $45,570, up from the base Sport trim’s $33,890 starting – alas, even the most basic Jeeps have gotten kind of expensive.

–Managing Editor Brett T. Evans

Competitive Configurator: American Legends

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