General Motors cars have come with many names and shapes and under several brands. Automobile innovation has brought power and performance to GM vehicles.

Many of us can think back to a time when certain cars were our favorites. In many cases, those cars might have worn one of the many GM badges. Whether you loved an Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, or GMC vehicle, the car came under the GM brand family. Let’s take a look at some modern vehicles that benefit from the history and innovation of early models.

Cadillac ATS-V

Although no longer built, the ATS-V was a performance-oriented compact sedan with tons of power and excellent driving manners. This sporty Cadillac was replaced by the current CT4-V Blackwing. The ATS-V includes the CUE infotainment system, an impressive twin-turbocharged V6 engine, and a six-speed manual transmission. The performance makes this car one of the coolest to ever come from a GM brand. If you want a performance luxury car that has all the trimmings and the innovation to be a top choice among cars from GM. In fact, the ATS-V helped resurrect Cadillac as a fun and impressive luxury brand.

Cadillac CTS-V

The big brother to the ATS-V is the CTS-V. This sporty, performance-oriented Cadillac sedan is one of the top General Motors cars ever made. Like the ATS-V, the CTS-V is no longer part of the market. It was replaced by the CT5-V Blackwing. The CTS-V is truly iconic with its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that delivers extreme power and performance. This car feels like it has something sinister in mind, but it comes with a sedan build to make it relatively practical.

Cadillac CT6 Platinum

Another recent deletion from the Cadillac lineup is still one of the cars you can admire for its collection of GM innovations that’s part of the mix. The CT6 Platinum is the flagship sedan from Cadillac that changed the brand’s sedan lineup from land yachts to actual driving quality and comfort. The CT6 brought cutting-edge technology, including the Super Cruise hands-free driving system. There was even a performance-oriented model in 2019 called the CT6-V, which sent 550 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque to the wheels.

Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade hit the luxury SUV market, and it was all over. Every other luxury SUV has tried for many years to achieve the same level of presence, power, performance, and notoriety as the Escalade. As one of the best General Motors cars ever made, this flagship SUV has been used by many celebrities as they pull up to red-carpet events or get ready for a high-class affair. The impressive refinement of this big SUV is only topped by the powerful engine and capability offered.

Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette is probably the most GM car ever made. This sports car has been one of the most affordable supercars in the entire market, thumbing its proverbial nose at the European and Japanese supercars that require too much money to be accessible by the masses. The Corvette has always been a bit of a blue-collar, high-performance machine that sets records other cars can’t achieve. Today’s Corvette is better than ever, benefiting from the innovation, power, and performance that’s made it a historically significant car.

Chevrolet Colorado ZR2

We can’t leave trucks off this list. The Colorado ZR2 has been a top choice in the off-road midsize truck market for several years. This truck goes higher to the Bison model, which has AEV innovations added to it. This has to be one of the top General Motors cars ever built, and it’s not a car. The ZR2 qualities have become so highly respected that they have moved upmarket to the Silverado 1500 and 2500HD models. This amazing off-road truck brings serious performance and presence to the market.

Chevrolet Camaro

The Camaro is an incredible muscle car that feels a bit overlooked in the market. This sports car is produced in several trims with high-powered, high-performance powertrains. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE set records at Nürburgring, gaining the attention of many foreign automakers. This was an unexpected twist in the automotive market, but the record-setting Camaro was the result of many years of innovation, dedication, and discovery to make this car one of the fastest and most powerful Camaro models ever made. The Camaro production has ended, but that doesn’t mean we can’t admire everything that has made this muscle car one of the most iconic models in automotive history.

Which of these General Motors cars has the best package of history, innovation, power, and performance for you?