2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 vs 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca - Comparison - Motor Trend

 

Kind of surprising on the closeness of the 1/4 mile times. Think Ford sent in a "ringer"?

-Geoff

 

Probably not. I would imagine ZL1's IRS + 580 HP makes for a more "interesting" launch, especially for magazine guys.

This comparison really thickens the plot, I'd say. I admit I was surprised how much more they prefered ZL1's handling and braking feel - these are things that are completely independent of raw horsepower. It almost seems like the Mustang's chassis has been maxed out with the Boss, and that doesn't really bode well for the '13 GT500. I could be wrong though...

 

I'd like to see dyno pulls on all of these cars to better understand what they are putting to the wheels. I also think that historically the newer GT500's have weighed nearly the same as the current V8 Camaro's, so even though it has the advantage in raw HP, I'm thinking the GT500 will either match the ZL1 or possibly fall a bit short in overall drivability, while logic dictates it will likely beat the Camaro in accelleration.

 

I'm actually more impressed with the handling of the ZL1 than I am the straight line speed which I am kind of dissapointed with. Also wondering if this track was picked with the intentions of letting the ZL1 spread it's legs a bit in order to get a favorable outcome for the new dog, wonder what the conclusion would be on different tracks focused more on turns. Nice job by the ZL1 team! I'd probably still rather have a $40k Boss but this Camaro is very nice.

 

I really feel like the Z28 should be the ZL1's suspension and brakes on a SS chassis... but I have no idea what that would do to the sticker price. (besides put it somewhere way over my budget!)

Cool cars, I really like both of them.

 

I have been saying that since the ZL1 came out.

 

...with the LS7.

 

What if something else is out by then?

 

That would probably really put it out of my budget! LS7's have to be pretty expensive... it would probably cost the same as the ZL1!

It's going to get interesting though, especially since a new generation Mustang is around the corner.

 

It could be a good way to keep the LS7 in production a little longer. Which will cost more - the LS7 or the gen 5 small block?

 

The SS with the ZL1 brakes, tires, wheels, and suspension; isn't that the basis of the 1LE package they showed at the L.A. car show back in November?

 

In a Z28, in addition to ZL1 spec suspension, I would rather see a full scale attack on weight reduction, and a modest 20-30 hp bump on the LS3. Carbon fiber hood, front fenders, lighter wheels and smaller diameter wheels than the ZL1 and no creature comforts beyond what a standard 1SS comes with.

In a $57K car, I'm a bit disappointed to see the stock Camaro seats in there. Not to knock the stocker seats at all, as they are great. But for the cost of the car and the fact that the stock seats are not a simple swap out anymore with airbags, a pair of well bolstered Recaro's would have been a very nice addition. My lowly 2005 Cobalt SS had factory Recaro's.

Nice to see it do so well, congrats to the Camaro team. Now lets get some slicks on the back and see what this car will really do in a straight line on a dragstrip, as opposed to instrumented drag runs out in the desert

 

I knew GM would do their homework on the ZL1 and it sounds like they reached their intended goals. Good to hear it was the suspension and steering feel that translated into better performance to win out against a dedicated track focused Boss 302.

Although a CTS-V drivetrain with updated suspension systems in a lighter Camaro is hard to fault.

I still feel like GM is playing catch up since the bankruptcy and the Camaro ZL1 and convertable are proof of how long the development times have been delayed. Both should have been out last year. We should be talking about the 1LE or Z28 by now.

 

The ZL1 weighs only 100lbs less than the CTS-V coupe. 4120lbs vs 4217lbs. I'd like to see that comparison.