2012 ZL1 Compared to the 2012 GT500

[johncaye]

There are dealers that will sell the ZL1 at MSRP. And this Ford Chevy comparison is funny! Every new model year platform will likely outdo the last. The Ford is a smaller car with a smaller engine, so far. To each his own I say. I WILL race any car, anytime just for the fun of it. Let's go racin bois!

[Qdiesel]

Originally Posted by den318

I am only saying what if. Don't take it so seriously. I am only giving out a 2nd opinion since your is a fayboi one. All i am trying to say is the when the ZL1 is in store, the Shelby that is in store will be a close match to the ZL1 even with it's so much inferior suspension like you said. The ZL1 have a big weakness as well. It's a 4000+ lb of fat pig (probably 4100+). No matter how much power or how fancy the suspension, it still have to carry that weight. We will all find out in a few months.

Considering a CTS-V weighs 4300lbs and is right there with the Shelby, what do you think the ZL1 will do with less weight and more power??

[8cd03gro]

The 2012 zl1 will be competing with the 2013 gt500. The 2012 zl1 will whoop up on the 2012 gt500, but that is not the car it will be compared with. Wait until the 2013 gt500 specs are released to compare as that is the car that will be in showrooms directly competing for sales with the zl1. Getting caught up in the model year is stupid as the cars that will be cross-shopped by potential buyers in the segment will be 2013 gt500 and 2012 zl1, not 2012 gt500 and 2012 zl1.

Now, as for that comparison, the ball is in Ford's court as far as suspension goes. There's no doubting that Ford can easily match WHATEVER horsepower number chevy brings to the table. The 5.4 is easily capable of 700+hp completely reliably. The question is, what will they do with the suspension. I'd be willing to bet Ford will trickle information in the coming weeks.

[Black GT]

The suspension on the 2011+ GT500's are pretty good from the factory, whether people want to admit it or not it destroys the CTS-V on the road course and skid pads at 1.00g.

[Pope Designs]

I still think GM missed the boat by not designing the C5 interior capable of a navigation system. What the hell were they thinking?

[91Z28350]

I have to agree. Hell even the Z06 has Navigation standard on the 2 and 3 lz packages. And that is a track car.

[truth411]

Originally Posted by ironpeddler

I think that Ford is really, really happy right now with the current specs of the ZL1. I'm basing this off of the motortrend article about the 2015 mustang, the next gen mustang. So if the article is false I appologize for my post. Basically it said that there will not be a gt500 when the next gen mustang comes out in 2015. The current gt500 will be in production for at least a few more years even when the next generation v6/v8 models come out. It will be a few years after that before they release the new gt500/cobra or w/e it will be called. The current gt500 will be in production probably about as long as the new ZL1 coming out IMHO. They ZL1 will be in production for at least a few years for CHevy to justify all the r&d cost of the car. So FOrd has said that they are boring out the 5.4 to a 5.8L and slapping a TVS blower on it, to compete with the new ZL1. This will probably happend sometime pretty soon actually.

Basically why I am saying this is because I'm suprised that chevy really didn't look to far ahead when designing the current ZL1. IT's out for a year maybe even less and then Ford is going to offer a bored out 5.4 to a 5.8 with a tvs blower that I can almost gurantee will be over 600hp. With the weight difference of the two and the zl1 making less power...do you see?? Why compare the ZL1 to a car that's out now, compare it to the car it will be going up against which will be the 2013/2014 gt500 not the 2012. You guys are doing exactly what chevy did, comparing a car that's not in production yet to a car that is. Build a future car to compete against a future car or get burnt. It would have been so easy for Chevy to bump hp up to 600, why not just go ahead and do it?

That brings us to the suspension. So many people think that the IRS will enable you to outrun a lighter, more HP mustang because you have magnetic ride control?? ZL1 has magnetic ride control this and that and Ford chariot suspension sucks. Well not really. Get a ZL1 with magnetic ride control and race a lighter more powerful gt500 with chariot suspension and let me know what happens. As some have already said, yet so many decline to understand, the only time you will see a difference between IRS and SRA is on bumpy roads. That is the only time that IRS will out-do FOrd's current SRA. Only on bumps or rough roads people. On a strip or track or street roads that are smooth the current the two different suspensions will probably be about equal. I understand that some of the streets are rough out there and the camaro will be better on those rough roads. But to think that the camaro is going to out-run or out-duel the mustang I just don't know. It is going to be at least 200 lbs. heavier, will make less power than the 2013 mustang, doesn't have forged internals, looks are completely subjective. Does the LSA have an aluminum block? You have to look at the big picture, encompass everything. You can't just be like IRS makes ZL1 better than gt500 because I'm a fanboi. That's not how it works. What about everything else that the gt500 offers that the ZL1 doesn't???????????????????????

Chevy should have planned for this IMHO. Did they think Ford was just going to sit by and let the ZL1 take over? AGain this post was made after reading the motortrend article about the next generation (2015) mustang. If that article is un-true then my post is probably a mute point. If the article is true then my post has merit to it.

The GT500 can't put its power down to the ground well now, adding more power won't really make it much faster. The ZL1 is most likely going to have a huge traction advantage over the mustang with magna ride 3.0, stronger axles, 285/35r/20 305/35r20 tires front and back wit performance traction management from the ZR1. Making power is nothing if you can't get it to the ground. Beside I bet $100 its only a matter of time the LS9 becomes optional for the ZL1.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Pope Designs

I still think GM missed the boat by not designing the C5 interior capable of a navigation system. What the hell were they thinking?

That it wasn't a feature worth sacrificing the soul of the interior design for.

Remember, as Fbodfather says often, enthusiasts screamed that Chevy had better "Keep it the same, and don't change a thing"...barring some safety, cost, and mandated attributes -- they did just that!!!

The Concept design has no in-dash Navigation, and the design is not conducive to it (unless you can figure out a cost-effective way to curve an LCD screen...).

They figured it's not an option that people want enough to sacrifice that interior design...so they didn't. And while you can't please 100% of people all the time...I would say, looking at the sales figures...they were 100% right in their decision.

Originally Posted by truth411

The GT500 can't put its power down to the ground well now, adding more power won't really make it much faster. The ZL1 is most likely going to have a huge traction advantage over the mustang with magna ride 3.0, stronger axles, 285/35r/20 305/35r20 tires front and back wit performance traction management from the ZR1. Making power is nothing if you can't get it to the ground. Beside I bet $100 its only a matter of time the LS9 becomes optional for the ZL1.

We'll have to wait a little while longer before anybody can legitimately put the ZL1 on the bench with regards to the competition. For one - we don't know how spectacular it's going to be. And second - we don't know what Ford's planning on doing - all there is are rumors.

But with only what we know so far - I don't think they're kidding around...

[fiascoes1]

Just visited a blue oval forum for the first time and; MAN IT IS BORINGGlad to be c5 member

[20Camaro11]

These threads hurt my head. I will defer judgement until the car is actually on the street and getting run through it's paces.