Logansneo

HP and gearing wise I agree with you, generally speaking the Camaro and GXP should be quite similar in straight line performance, depending on driver and conditions I'd go as far to say .1-.4 tenths in the quarter and possibly as much as 4 mph difference at the trap. Yet the GXP does NOT have the Camaro's launch control, limiting it there bit, but when we come to braking, it's a entirely different ballgame. 100 lbs. can make the difference between fading after 3 hard braking runs and not. Not to mention for whatever reason Chevy has opted to put larger rotors, 14.4", in the REAR of the SS Camaro than the ones in the GXP so I not sure just how much of a change that will have on the SS's braking performance (front rotors, 14.0", are the same on both cars).

The other differentiating factor between Camaro and GXP is there dimensions are quite different. The GXP is 196.1" long, SS 190.4" long, the GXP is 74.8" wide while the SS is 75.5" wide. Pontiac's car has a 114.8" wheelbase and stands 57.7" tall while Chevy's car's wheelbase is 112.3" and sits down at 54.2" tall. The SS front/rear track width are both 63.7" while the GXP is 62.7".

Put all these figures together and it means that the Camaro is the shorter, wider, lower, lighter car with greater potential for going around corners than the GXP. I guestimate .94 lat G or even a bit higher depending on rubber.

Chevymuscle311

After seeing the Camaro , Challenger and Mustang at the L.A. Auto Show I must say that the Mustang just isn't on the same level as the other two. The Camaro and Challenger have a presence that the Mustang sorely lacks. They turn heads and just have an elite aura to them. The Mustang just isn't on the same level. It is more of the same and fails to impress. It is as if the Camaro and Challenger are on a closer plain to the Corvette and the Mustang is only a few notches above the Cobalt. And that isnt even getting into the specs which the we all know the Mustang is highly inferior. Will the Mustang still sell??? Of course. As long as there are 16 year old girls with rich dads and blue oval fanboys in denial we will continue to see 200 of them a day. Thats fine by me. It will make every penny of my 2SS worth it knowing my niece won't be getting one for her birthday and that at every stop light I will see DROF in my rearview mirror.

monstertodd

I honestly believe that Ford is waiting to see how the Camaro will do once it is unleashed on the public, before it starts to seriously compete with it. Mate that with a distressed economy and you've got a formula for Ford not really giving a **** about muscle cars. Remember, out of the big three, Ford is in the least trouble. Mustang is, and has always been, a relatively big seller for Ford. So for Ford to start pumping a bunch of money into it's muscle car program would be suicide, as they are just barely hanging on as it is.

I agree with you though, I think the Mustang looks down right plain compared to the Camaro and Challenger. If Ford decides that it wants to be a serious player in the muscle car segment, they are going to have to give the Mustang a refresh.

DvBoard

Costs versus value only applies if you can afford both. It can be worth a million dollars, but if you can't afford it, it does you no good.

2010_5thgen

you tell that to car and driver and automobile mag and all the other companies that will do a test drive with the car. tell them to stop putting the 0-60 ,1/4 mile and hp and torque numbers in the magazine, lets see what they say. as much as people say it doesnt determine the cars sales or influencing on people....it does. if it didnt spark people interest they would waste the ink to print it.

Z284ever

Sure that stuff matters. More to some than others, but I agree it matters. But alot of things matter. Those magazines will also publish price numbers and weight numbers and will also give subjective impressions on which, in their opinion, is the best value.

2010_5thgen

i would love to see of all the mustangs sold last year how many were base model v6? can someone get that report? it doesnt matter what the base price is because not alot of people buy base model cars. i would say no one buys them but there are probably some people who cant afford the car so they buy the bare bone model.

1fastdog

I have faith that the Camaro will get good press from the enthusiast mags. I think it's handling and overall performance feel will get positive ink.

I believe the pricing is right, and although it's anecdotal, folks I have spoken to at car shows are pleasingly surpriased at the pricing points. Invariably, those who haven't hung on every tidbit tossed about on the internet react with a "Wow, that's a good deal!" when they hear the pricing.

In the final analysis? Potential buyers will sign the dotted line if the car and it's pricing are what they want. Non buyers will certainly have their opinions.

The more I'm arounf the new Camaro, the more of a smile I get on my face.

It is an as tough as it's ever been economic climate. Any car has to strike a very big emotional and big value chord to sell. The new Canaro has the goods on both counts. Things will play out, as they always do.

BLUE OVAL NUT

I'm going to agree to disagree with some things stated here. The Mustang compared to the Camaro / Challenger has it's own unique "PRESENCE" as you stated. The specifications might not be to the taste of die hard racers but obviously it must be what the majority wanted. After traveling around quite abit, i've noticed that most who purchased the current car are more likely to be a 60 year old woman than a 16 yr old girl's. I'll be that Blue Oval fan boy in denial as long as they continue to produce something resembling a pony car.

2010_5thgen

a pony is exactly what youll get with a mustang.

thats why i am getting a camaro.....its a MONSTER!!!!!

guionM

1. The new Mustang was pretty impressive to the people around it both times I went to the LA show.

2. Mustang's interior puts the Challenger's to shame... and I'm a Challenger fan. I'm not comparing the Camaro's until I crawl into the final version. The one at the show doesn't have the final interior.

3. There are about as many 16 year old girls driving Mustangs as are driving Corvettes.

If you really want to get into a discussion about Mustang demographics, throw your dice and take your chances, because I have them.

More men bought V6 Mustangs than V8 Camaros in 2002. More men turned to Mustang GTs than all men who bought LS1 F-bodies the final couple of years. Nearly 70% of LS1 Camaros came with automatics, while a majority of Mustang GTs are manuals.

I've broken that "only teenage girls buy Mustangs" many times myth before, and have no problem taking on that myth again.

super83Z

Agreed both the GF and I thought the Challenger interior was rather plain. Her exact response was "This is it? It feels so plain, I was expecting more after how great the outside looks."

Are the V-6 Mustang's headlights different than the GT? I ask becasue I really liked the nose on the 2010 Mustang but when I saw the V-6 vert at the auto show I didn't like the nose as much as the pics.

2010_5thgen

well the teenage girls arent buying them, their fathers are. so thats how you have it that more men buy v6 mustangs than v8 camaros. they are buying it so its in their name for insurance and their daughters drive it.

IZ28

Very true. I still see this often.

BigDarknFast

Here's some of the headwind the new Camaro will have to go up against:

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/08/g...gt-for-18-995/

(new 2008 Mustang GT's for $18,995!)

Granted it's not a 2010 model. But still... Chevy and its dealers are going to have to offer marketplace-appropriate pricing vs the Mustang or they are going to have trouble.