THIS is not the first time we have lamented the passing of Australia’s wonderful rear-drive muscle cars and it certainly won’t be the last, but rather than simply moping around, weeping into our beer and recounting the good ole days of abundant Ford and Holden choices, we are going to be proactive and suggest some alternatives.

If our top eight rear-drive power-players under $70,000 don’t offer a glimmer of hope after the end of local automotive manufacturing, then you’ll just have to join the army of panic buyers snapping up the final examples of the Falcon and Commodore.

For our selection, we picked rear-wheel drive cars that cost less than $70,000 or near enough (the mid-point between the Holden Commodore SSV and the HSV R8 ClubSport) and in four-door layout because no discerning Commo or Falcon owner would consider a coupe right?

Alfa Giulia Veloce – $71,985 206kW/400Nm Italian looks and charm on the outside and a taught Giorgio platform basket that has all of the car maker’s eggs in it. Zero to 100km/h takes a zippy 5.7 seconds but let’s hope the newest Alfa isn’t plagued with the reliability legacy of its forebears.

Chrysler’s flagship definitely doesn’t fall short on noise and nor does it on cubes with a capacity that can only be bettered if you spend an additional $600,000. With a similar size and weight to the beloved V8 Commodore and Falcon, the 300 SRT is the closest spiritual sibling to the Aussies even if it is from the north.

Not the most potent of our alternatives here but the Jag offers a sublime steering set up and sharp chassis that will keep most driving enthusiasts happy through the twisty bits. If you’re looking for a way into the premium European sedan market, the XE is a little less commonplace than the obvious German choices.

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