What technically makes up a muscle car? Besides the way it looks, it has got to have a very powerful engine. Specifically, it needs to have a V8 engine with a special trim to produce maximum torque on the street or in drag racing competition. It also needs to be rear wheel drive. Some cars sometimes have huge engine compartments that stick out of the hood. This is called a supercharger. The way this works is quite brilliant because it improves performance and puts in a large amount of horsepower by just letting in a lot of air in the combustion chamber of the engine. Serious racers and performance nuts install superchargers and turbochargers to add more power to their engines. The way muscle cars sound when they're parked with the engine on (running on idle) also have a specific sound. They give off a throaty noise because of the engine's size and power. It can almost be compared to how a Harley Davidson motorcycle sounds when it's not moving at a red light. It is quite important to understand how an internal combustion engine works because not only is it a mechanical feat, but everyone will be in or have a car at one point in their life.