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These cars all needed power only American manufacturers could produce and ended up with some of the industry's most badass engines.

Several companies have produced outstanding sports cars. These cars come in all shapes and sizes but usually have one thing in common: a great engine. Muscle cars are admired for their stern physiques but remembered for being powerful and fun to drive. The same thing applies to the beasts coming out of countries like Germany, Italy, or Japan.

RELATED: Here Are The Most Insane Crate Engines Ever Sold Sometimes, these cars require power that only American car companies such as Ford know how to produce. Whether it is due to a lack of know-how or financial and time constraints, automakers may decide to source proven powerplants from a well-established automotive conglomerate. Plenty of foreign cars ended up equipped with the most badass production engines ever built. Here are five that carry a Fordengine and five more that were fitted with General Motors power plants.

Sunbeam-Talbot was a British and French collaboration under the Rootes Group. Focusing essentially on upscale saloons, Sunbeam-Talbot would eventually become Sunbeam once Talbot became fully merged into the Rootes Group. The Sunbeam Alpine was a decent roadster upon its release. However, decision-makers at Rootes knew that something needed to be done to make the Roadster more appealing.

There are several things everyone forgot about the Sunbeam Tiger. Unlike the tame Sunbeam Alpine of the same year, the Tiger comes with a more potent 289-cubic-inch Ford V8 that develops 200 hp at 4,400 rpm and 282 lb-ft of torque at 2,400 rpm. This unit allows the Tiger to go from zero to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 122 mph.

The '60s were the Golden Era of the American car. This is undeniable. Things were not only looking great in the United States. Back in Europe, British and Italian automakers saw some of their most iconic vehicles roll off their assembly lines during the same period of time. These cars often looked absolutely gorgeous, and were usually powered with decent units.

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Manufactured in the United Kingdom, the Gordon-Keeble GT was designed by the renowned Italian Firm Bertone and equipped with a true American engine. The grand tourer comes with a 327-cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 that is set up to produce 300 hp at 5,000 rpm and 340 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. With only 99 cars made between 1964 and 1967, the Gordon-Keeble GT is a true collectible.

Italian supercars are nothing new. Since the early '60s, Ferrari was already annihilating its competition with cars such as the 1962 250 GTO. Italian carmakers are known today for having a knack for aerodynamics and insane speeds. The engines found in their machines are simply perfect. For smaller Italian car companies like DeTomaso, offering an engine such as the 4.4L Colombo V12 can be a daunting task.

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The gorgeous DeTomaso Pantera is the most American classic supercar. The mid-engined beast comes with Ford's 351-cubic-inch Cleveland V8 rated at 310 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque for the North American market. With this set up, the Pantera goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and reaches a top-speed of 162 mph. Today, a Pantera in concours condition goes for over $100,000.

Founded by a former Ferrari ex-chief engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, the car company named after its founder has seen a variety of terrific vehicles coming out of its shop. After working on developing cars such as the Ferrari 250 GTO, it is quite understandable that Bizzarrni had enough experience under his belt to manufacture cars that would one day be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The 5300 GT Strada is among the most beautiful Italian classic cars you can buy, but it will cost an arm and a leg. With only 133 units made during its four production years, a 5300 GT Strada is now worth close to a million dollars. On top of being rare, this Ferrari look-alike comes with a meaty 327-cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 set up to pump out 365 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque.

Auto Carriers LTD, also known AC, is one of the oldest British car brands. Founded in 1901, the European carmaker produced several sports cars that have reached the status of legend. However, AC went through major financial issues that ultimately undermined the well-being of the company. During its heyday, AC was a serious player in the British car sports scene.

AC is mostly known for its collaboration with Carroll Shelby. The 1962 Shelby Cobra CSX 2000 resulted from this collaboration. Ten years later, AC and Carroll Shelby reiterated their success by designing a gorgeous fastback equipped at best with Ford's 427-cubic-inch V8. Capable of producing 385 hp at 5,600 rpm and 460 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm, the Frua was on par with some Ferraris and Maseratis of that era.

Italy is home of a decent number of talented car designers such as Battista Farina, Paolo Pininfarina, and Giovanni Bertone. Those designers have created some of the most decisive sports cars in the automotive industry. As a result, whenever their names are associated with a given project, it is fair to assume that the end product will be jaw-dropping.

The Bertone Mantide, being a concept car, never made it to production. However, it results from some of the best workmanship in Italy and the United States. Designed by Bertone, the Mantide is essentially a 2009 Corvette ZR1. The main difference is the fact that the Mantide is lighter and has better aerodynamics. When it comes to numbers, the supercharged 6.2L LS9 V8 found on the Mantide churns out 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque.

A company like Koenigsegg could easily be misidentified as a German. They produce insane hypercars that could only be made by a group of demented German piston heads. Koenigsegg is actually Swedish but operates in a league that Volvo and Saab never tried to join. The latest Koenigsegg Jesko is proof that the Swedish hypercar manufacturer never aspired to be a forgettable brand.

The Koenigsegg CC8S may have been put on the back burner given all the insane hypercars released by the Swedish carmaker. However, the CC8S is an absolute beast. It comes with a supercharged 4.7L Ford Modular V8 tuned to produce 655 hp at 6,800 rpm and 553 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. With an original price tag of $350,000 and six units ever made, it is fair to assume that a CC8S in pristine condition must go for a whole lot today.

When it comes to ridiculously-powered sports cars, piston heads tend to focus essentially on North America and Europe. However, Asia-Pacific has shown that it was not trailing too far behind. In Australia, the Holden Torana A9X and Monaro GTS 350 are evidence that gearheads in the land down under have plenty to choose from when it comes to classic and modern muscle cars.

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HSV stands for Holden Special Vehicles. When glancing at the Maloo R8, it is clear that there really is something special there. The Maloo R8 is the ute the United States has missed out on. Underneath the hood sits a supercharged 6.2L LS3 V8 that pumps out a healthy 536 hp at 6,150 rpm and 495 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm.

TVR is mostly known for its atypical sports cars. From the Tuscan to the monstrous Cerbera Speed Twelve, the British carmaker has produced several highly-underrated sports cars that should have garnered a lot more attention. These cars are powerful and designed in ways that are quite peculiar. Even if the company has not produced anything since 2006, its latest creation is worth every penny.

The Griffith may not be among the craziest TVRs ever made, but it sure lives up to TVR's reputation, When looking at the TVR Griffith track tease, it is clear that the 5.0L Cosworth V8 found underneath the hood is not what American gearheads are used to find in a stock Mustang GT. Rated at 500 hp, the Griffith goes from a standstill to 60 mph in 4 seconds and reaches a top-speed of 200 mph.

Iso was founded a year before World War 2 broke out. Following the war, Renzo Rivolta revived the company and started offering motorcycles. Less than five years later, the company decided to build its own four-wheeled monsters. Sadly, the company went out of business in 1974. Almost half a century later, the brand was revived for one and only purpose: to build the ultimate Iso car.

A lot of car fans will wonder why this jaw-dropping sports coupe did not receive the media's attention. With only 19 units made and sold, the GT Zagato is among the rarest cars in the world. The car comes with a supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8 that pushes out 660 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. This is the same engine found on the Corvette Z06 C7.

Max Veron is an avid fan of anything equipped with a powerful engine. Spending time between Southeast Asia, Europe and the US, Max is travel bug with a great taste for cars.