2012 ZL1 vs. 2012 Boss 302

[porcupinekiller]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

The BOSS has a great engine. The balance of the car is ordinary by our standards. Our test Mustang used four of our chassis braces, all of them superior to those you find on the BOSS. The BOSS does deliver with the same size and strength sway bars we ran. Our coilover setup took 18 pounds of weight out of our Mustang. The adjustability in our ride heights allowed us to corner weight the Mustang to virtual perfection with driver and fuel. Our headers and light weight exhaust pulled another 20 pounds out of the car and our wheels another 30. We moved the battery to the trunk for better balance. RWHP is a dead heat. Our 15.1" six piston brakes are a giant leap forward over the BOSS. Running 305/30/19 RE-11s front and rear gives the Pedders car another huge advantage over the BOSS. The BOSS still uses the silly putty front lower rear control arm bush that contributes to dramatic shifts on acceleration and braking. The lift and dive unsettle the car. We used our in house solution to keep the car composed and controlled.

Aside from a couple of setup tweaks and driver's side harness there isn't much left in the Mustang platform. You could throw in a lot more RWHP, but we are turning at close to limits now. RWHP isn't the solution at Gingerman, but I'll take every pony we can get.

Our test Mustang weighed in at just over 300 pounds lighter than the Camaro with fuel and driver ready to take the track. The Camaro was slightly faster in the turns and carried the day. As Hot Rod wrote -- consider them a dead heat.

The ZL1 will have some advantages over the SS. The big ones are an improved differential, larger more robust half shafts, revised rear control arm, revised rear sway bar and the same CTS-V brakes we ran on our Camaro. While all of these are stronger and better, they will also add a bit of weight. If anyone wants to know what the performance of a ZL1 will be they need look no further than the Pedders USA Camaro.

The Test Motor Trend should be talking about is the next generation of supercars. What will modded Boss 302s and ZL1s be capable of on the track? I can tell you I already know the answer to that question too. They will be FASTER.

Pete what I was trying to say was that if you guys were to take a 2012 Boss 302 and work your magic on it. It would easily outperform the 2010 Mustang that you are currently running. Plus it would come in at a lighter weight and not need a supercharger to equal the power.
I personally feel that a N/A car is better balanced than a supercharged car for a road course. I wonder how your Camaro would do on a road course with a N/A LS7 instead of a supercharged LS3.

A lighter N/A Camaro with a modded LS3(possibly called a "Z28") would be cool to see as a competitor to the Boss 302. Then we could just leave the ZL1 and GT500 to do battle as intended.

[JusticePete]

Blowers and road courses are not best friends. Heat is enemy #1 followed by weight. Your comments are spot on!

[ViperTomcat]

Yes, Motor Trend is a Ford hack, they've never ever favored the Camaro in anything, ever!!

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ior_style.html

Ignore that link! it means nothing!!!

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...est/index.html

That one means nothing too!! its all lies!!!


Please folks, give it up and stop claiming that MT is on the take, they made an opinion and only time will tell if it is supported or not.

Motor Trend raved about the Camaro too, each time something new comes out, it's the big hit and the magazines flock to it.

Have you all forgotten 2009 so quickly? Apparently so.

[Fleet1]

Originally Posted by Black5thgen

As much of a 5th gen fanboi as I am, I have to agree with MT. The Boss beat a Z06 around Leguna Seca, I don't see the ZL1 doing that. That will be the Z28's job. Less power + better suspension + less weight = better lap times.

Boss out runs a Z06 on the track.......... was a blind man driving the vette?

[camaro430sut]

Ive driven both the new M3 and the new GT and there is NO WAY a GT will out handle an M3. That bimmer is just such a better car, its a pure savage beast compaired to the stang

[ssmike]

I can't wait for my MT subscription to expire! Reading Camaro reviews/comparos in that mag is the same as watching Fox News and expecting to hear something good about Obama, doesn't happen!

[SSmoked]

Originally Posted by camaro430sut

Ive driven both the new M3 and the new GT and there is NO WAY a GT will out handle an M3. That bimmer is just such a better car, its a pure savage beast compaired to the stang

not the gt bro, but the boss 302 will.

Pete hit the nail on the head. Heatsoak will kill a s/c car on the road course. Than that toasted s/c has to drag around the zl1's weight.
i bet tho the ZL1 will be able to throw down some agressive power laps tho.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by Fleet1

Boss out runs a Z06 on the track.......... was a blind man driving the vette?

At one of our very early track sessions we put an automotive expert, a respected writer, in the shotgun position with one of my drivers. Before he went out on track with the professional driver I asked him if he was comfortable on a track going fast. Absolutely he said. I test cars for a living. Are you sure, as my driver can give you a 7/10s ride, 8/10s or full on hot lap. We don't want to make you uncomfortable... This was in the bone stock car. After the hot laps he came out shaking. He declined to get in the modified car. He told me he had never been that fast and was amazed at my driver's skill level.

[Qdiesel]

Originally Posted by 91Z28350

Actually, I want a ZL-1. I admit it, I want a stupid fast GT with excellent handling, NOT a track car. I like leather, I like uber sound systems. ZL-1 works just fine for me. if money were no object, I would own a DBS (AND a ZL1).

Quoted for truth, my brother!!!!!! All the way down to the DBS.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by ViperTomcat

Please folks, give it up and stop claiming that MT is on the take, they made an opinion and only time will tell if it is supported or not.

This was not warranted. And absolutely BASELESS.

I haven't forgotten 2009, at all...it helps prove the point that MotorTrend likes to jump bandwagons...often.

That's my beef with the issue. I don't want them to like the Camaro. I simply want them to be consistent, and professional - which they weren't.

[JusticePete]

Should I fire you up more and start talking about the CU Volt reviews?

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

Should I fire you up more and start talking about the CU Volt reviews?

. . . Please don't.

[JusticePete]

Excuse the digression... Ford stock was soaring. Everything was perfect with Ford from a the auto rag perspective. Next thing you know, there are problems with the Ford product pipeline and the stock comes back down to Earth. The only problem is, the attitude changed over a 30 day period. Anyone who knows anything about the auto industry knows that it takes years to bring product to the showroom floor. There are times the automotive media strike me with the similarity to high school mean girls -- Fickle, fickler and ficklest.

Is ficklest a word?

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

Excuse the digression... Ford stock was soaring. Everything was perfect with Ford from a the auto rag perspective. Next thing you know, there are problems with the Ford product pipeline and the stock comes back down to Earth. The only problem is, the attitude changed over a 30 day period. Anyone who knows anything about the auto industry knows that it takes years to bring product to the showroom floor. There are times the automotive media strike me with the similarity to high school mean girls -- Fickle, fickler and ficklest.

Is ficklest a word?

f**k list? What?

All good points, Pete.