RE: Chris Harris video: Camaro ZL1 vs Mustang GT500

RE: Chris Harris video: Camaro ZL1 vs Mustang GT500

Thursday 5th July 2012

Chris Harris video: Camaro ZL1 vs Mustang GT500

Monkey heads to New York to referee the ultimate US automotive grudge match



Life has been specially adapted for the purposes of surviving on the large concrete spit which goes by the name of Manhattan - especially the handover of media test vehicles.


You can't just have a car delivered in New York because parking is at such a premium, so cars are deposited in various underground garages throughout the city, and you are given the VIN to prove your authenticity. Today, the car in question is a 580hp Camaro ZL1: the second most frustrating machine to use in a town where the motor car is mostly pointless. It is saved the embarrassment of being labeled the most frustrating by the car it pulls alongside - the new 670hp Mustang GT500.

Why drive them in New York? Honestly, I had stuff to do there, and I just wanted to see them in that environment. It didn't disappoint, because they looked so good and garnered the best possible reactions. Even from the local constabulary.


This is the ultimate US grudge match - it's 911 v Ferrari but with 10 times the animosity. Somehow in the post-Lehman apocalypse of nationalised car companies, we have arrived at a power struggle beyond anything seen in the 60s. This one involves large quantities of supercharging, and the results are eye-popping.

I drove these cars with no prejudice, and found myself baffled by the Chevy-haters' lack of respect for the Camaro: it looks plain brilliant, the cabin is, to my eyes, better than the 'Stang's and it feels dynamically finished in a way the GT500 doesn't. But the Ford brings out the inner seventeen-year old in all of us: the one that used to skim through all the guffy adjectives about steering and handling, head straight for the performance data section and lust after the one with the most power and the best acceleration figures.


European car lovers are the great losers here. Ironically, the closest competitor to the GT500 on paper is the Ferrari 599 GTO: it's a little lighter, but just down on power, and Ferrari could charge you more for a special paint finish than a complete Mustang. We just don't have anything like these cars over here: they are a long way from perfect, but they make a virtue of their imperfections by constantly forcing the driver to measure them against list price.

Would the Ford be better without a live axle? Of course it would. Does it matter? I'm not so sure. And if anyone says an M3 would be faster around the 'ring, kick them in the groin.

Enjoy the vid.



Author
Discussion

PascalBuyens

Original Poster:

2,868 posts

281 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Aha, been looking forward to this...

Curious to see what you find of them smile

PascalBuyens

Original Poster:

2,868 posts

281 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
It's an LSA engine out of the Cadillac CTS-V Chris, not a "detuned ZR1 Corvette" engine... (last one is hand built, LSA isn't...)

Edited by PascalBuyens on Wednesday 4th July 20:37


Edited by PascalBuyens on Wednesday 4th July 20:50

0a

23,878 posts

193 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
What's the power to weight of the mustang vs the Veyron?

Mental car!

ThunderSpook

3,564 posts

210 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
It's ZED for chrissakes!

Fartgalen

6,627 posts

206 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Looks and sounds like fun. smile

405dogvan

5,326 posts

264 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
ThunderSpook said:
It's ZED for chrissakes!
Do I drive a Pewgeeot or a Persho??

Is it Volksvagen or VolksWagon??

I think we tend to pronounce things as their creators intend - and thus that's a Zee Ell 1 surely?

p.s. I can't imagine saying Austin Allegro without a Brummie accent either smile

S3000

511 posts

158 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Couldnt see the real 670 HP in action..
But i bet the new M5 is faster, even if it has 110 hp less.

V8mate

45,899 posts

188 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Great video review thumbup

Really bloody annoying background music ticking away through the whole thing though!

405dogvan

5,326 posts

264 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
0a said:
What's the power to weight of the mustang vs the Veyron?
Not even in the same sport - barely the same universe really...

Mustang 1723kgs 661bhp on US pump gas
Veyron 1888kgs and between high 900s and almost 1200 depending on who you ask/what fuel you use/which model you have.

Then there's the Veyrons gearbox and launch control systems and MASSSSSIVE tyres and downforce (probably more from the rear wing along than the entire Mustang will generate) and...

It would be like racing a pushbike and an R1...

0a

23,878 posts

193 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
The Veyron is lighter than I thought, was just wondering what the comparative kick in the back would be like - much less by your numbers!

MonteV

363 posts

259 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
V8mate said:
Great video review thumbup

Really bloody annoying background music ticking away through the whole thing though!
Abomination. A video with "music" overlaid on top of the true music. The "artistic" maker fails to understand the viewer.

r1ch

2,866 posts

195 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Value for money in the power department is pretty awesome. Quite weighty though, what was it, 1800 kg for the one?

cabbron

416 posts

216 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
great value over there but no so by the time you landed one on these shores.

Gibbo205

3,524 posts

206 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
S3000 said:
Couldnt see the real 670 HP in action..
But i bet the new M5 is faster, even if it has 110 hp less.
Off the mark I'd agree, that Mustang will be an absolute handful to get off the mark, it won't have any traction in 1st anywhere near full throttle and 2nd gear will take some pulling off I'd imagine apart from a really hot day with sticky tyres.

Having driven the M5 V10 and owned a Saleen Mustang with 577BHP, the Mustang once rolling was faster in 2nd, 3rd and 4th upto 165mph!

So I'd imagine once that Shelby is hooking up in maybe 2nd, 3rd for sure, it will be the quicker car, lighter than an M5, more BHP and more torque!

timothymcn

26 posts

143 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
These cars are brilliant in spite of and because or their flaws.
In a weird way, the GT500 is the antithesis of the Subieyota while also being the embodiment of its charm. They both throw away lap times in pursuit of fun, while achieving fun in very different manners.

S3000

511 posts

158 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
Gibbo205 said:
Having driven the M5 V10 and owned a Saleen Mustang with 577BHP, the Mustang once rolling was faster in 2nd, 3rd and 4th upto 165mph!

So I'd imagine once that Shelby is hooking up in maybe 2nd, 3rd for sure, it will be the quicker car, lighter than an M5, more BHP and more torque!
Are you sure ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQuy_nejvBI

Gibbo205

3,524 posts

206 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
S3000 said:
That's the old GT500 and the M5 is tuned.

urquattroGus

1,841 posts

189 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
M5board.com makes me laugh. In their videos almost anything any everything seems to loose or tie with an m5 or m6, whatever the other car is.

DaveH23

3,230 posts

169 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
£35,000... Isn't that a fully spec'd Golf GTI money?

However why do I think that price might double when brought over here?


roystinho

3,767 posts

174 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
quotequote all
That Camaro is the first American car for a while where I've thought I could see myself in one of those