2012 Camaro ZL1 vs. 2013 Shelby GT500-On Track

[A-little-perspective]

Originally Posted by 69NMYSS

"The time was in: 1:44.53. A significant seven-tenths of a second faster than the GT500. And I estimate the missed shifts cost upwards of half a second per lap"

Annihilation!!! and Humiliation for the GT500 with an 80hp advantage, 250lb weight advantage and over $5k higher price tag. I know it hurts, but if you use a little KY lube, it will help.

Easy now. The 1/4 mile times will be opposite, which everyone should expect. Somehow I don't think anyone who owns either car, one is slower on a road course and one is slower in the 1/4 mile, regrets their purchase or feels humiliated.

[NurburgZL1]

Wow...another overall good article about these superlative modern muscle cars!
It looks to me that besides their PIG weights "this really hurts" the Shelby more even though it is the lighter of the two. It is a good thing that its IRS has less weight to deal with otherwise it would suffer even more on the corners but it also confirms that the MRC Shocks from GM are the real deal and an outstanding technology.

I love both cars and to each their own about which one they prefer and enjoy the most. Once Ford and Chevy do their redesign I think its a certainty that they both will stand to lose a large chunk of weight and will perform even better. All car enthusiasts will win when this happens but for now they are amazing cars with performance and handling that was untouchable except only in high end super cars or race cars not that long ago.

Out of the BOX:
-----------------
If you want to drag race go with the GT500
If you want to road race go with the ZL1

If you want to Modify and do both take your pick!

Great Job Ford and GM!

[2cnd chance]

Wouldn't the distance of the win be more than 1-1/2* the length of a football field?

[dekan513]

drag race the gt500 winner all day
road race the zl1 all day
2 cars made for 2 totally different things .
still a gt or ss would be better cars if u take the money u save and put that into those cars they would be far superior then the gt500 or zl1.

[Blue Menace]

Originally Posted by A-little-perspective

Easy now. The 1/4 mile times will be opposite, which everyone should expect. Somehow I don't think anyone who owns either car, one is slower on a road course and one is slower in the 1/4 mile, regrets their purchase or feels humiliated.

True. However, the third part of the test will be aspects of daily driving. I suspect the ZL1 will take the prize here as well, while also putting to rest the doubt of "feel" not mattering in daily driving.

[doc7000]

Originally Posted by dekan513

drag race the gt500 winner all day
road race the zl1 all day
2 cars made for 2 totally different things .
still a gt or ss would be better cars if u take the money u save and put that into those cars they would be far superior then the gt500 or zl1.

If you think about it, because the GT500 is good at the drag strip and the ZL1 good at the track this ensure that both cars will survive.

[A-little-perspective]

Originally Posted by Blue Menace

True. However, the third part of the test will be aspects of daily driving. I suspect the ZL1 will take the prize here as well, while also putting to rest the doubt of "feel" not mattering in daily driving.

Yes, I think the Inside Line article covered daily driving well enough to not have to even bother waiting for this one.

[Betiwin]

Originally Posted by 69NMYSS

"The time was in: 1:44.53. A significant seven-tenths of a second faster than the GT500. And I estimate the missed shifts cost upwards of half a second per lap"

Annihilation!!! and Humiliation for the GT500 with an 80hp advantage, 250lb weight advantage and over $5k higher price tag. I know it hurts, but if you use a little KY lube, it will help.

We will completely disagree on this point. A come from behind victory from the underdog in power but Annihilation is abosultly abbsurd. Does show the ZL1 is quite the dancer!

[oortcloud]

Originally Posted by A-little-perspective

"I wanted the ZL1 to win, because from an on-track handling perspective the car is simply leagues ahead of the clumsy GT500. "

Ok call it a win. But why oh why would someone go on record as saying they wanted another car to win a comparison. That taints the entire premise of the article. The comparison is not objective now.

He explains why he wanted the camaro to win in the very same sentence, he said (his words not mine) "...because from an on-track handling perspective the car is simply leagues ahead...".

[LOWDOWN]

Originally Posted by Betiwin

Do you think this "feel of the car" will translate into your daily or most likely for most "weekend drving" of your car. Do you auto X or track your car often. I ask in all honest your point of view? Most people I believe will floor it on a sweeping on ramp on there local expressway going from 2nd to 5th pulling G's as they sweep onto the freeway from 40-140 and then shut it down.

Now if you auto X I totally believe this "feel" will be evident, but from how you drive your car do you think you will feel it? (Not Sarcasm here, but honest question)

In a word...yes...

[LOWDOWN]

Originally Posted by Betiwin

We will completely disagree on this point. A come from behind victory from the underdog in power but Annihilation is abosultly abbsurd. Does show the ZL1 is quite the dancer!

Over a second @ Inde, over the rightly vaunted BOSS LS...

7/10ths @ Gingerman (forget the time-eating shifting problems), over the "kick the competition's ASS!" five hunnert.

Quite a dancer indeed, one lap @ a time...

[Betiwin]

Can't discard the shifting time as he is a professional. Seems both of these beast could use a good aftermarket shifter.

[cbass]

Wow - impressive review of the ZL1. It's interesting that one head-to-head review says the GT500 has shifting problems, and this review says the ZL1 has shifting problems.

I'm not surprised. Both essentially use the same Made in Mexico Tremec. I'm sure it's the luck of the draw whether you get a good shifting one or a bad shifting one.

I totally agree with the point made before - if you put the $5,000 difference back into the ZL1 as engine performance parts(which by the way is more like $8000 if you compare apples to apples - options) then you easily get a 650hp/630lb ft ZL1 which will beat the crap out of the Shelby.

And if you just get a 1LE instead or an SS and use the difference to mod that then it beats both the ZL1 and Shelby. And if..... You also have no warranty.

[rez333]

Nobody wanted to comment about what I said about the Griggs Racing suspension? The word on the street is that a particular Griggs Racing built GT500 has never been beaten by any Ferrari.

Serious racers are going to mod their cars, GT500 road racers will install a Griggs Racing suspension and out-corner Ferraris and ZL1s, and ZL1 drag racers will install bigger blowers etc.

In other words, all this bench racing is really meaningless. I will say though that on the street, the feel of driving the ZL1 will be much nicer but its superior handling won't be useful until you go on the track. On the other hand, having better acceleration is useful on the street for not being humiliated when a GT500 pulls up next to you.