Motor Trend compares the ZL1 to the Boss 302 Laguna Seca

[Happy_Dan]

Originally Posted by bpmurr

I'd be really pissed if I was a 2012 ZL1 owner to have a 2013 with more power a month or two later on the market.

Then wait for the 2013 then the 14 ......
You gotta love what you have today, you will go crazy waiting for the next latest and greatest. They are always improving, at least I hope they do!

[radz28]

It has happened with Z06s in the past. I don't recall learning reasons why, but it has happened, and it's not like they were changes that changed the car, but it was 20 horsepower and some other goodies, so it has happened. Still - I'm not sure we're going to see power move a lot. I would expect a Track Pack to come on-line in a year or so, but it would be hard to ask and reasonably expect a lot more power by the end of the 5th Gen run. It would be nice to see a bump to at least 620, but I really couldn't see that working out.

I'll keep my fingers crossed though

[2ndCamaro79]

Originally Posted by chain777

This is the comparison that really matters. Apples to apples.

There's a lot of people here who mistakenly think the Boss is faster than a PP GT500 around a track. Don't know who started the rumor, but it seems to be taken as fact around here now. I suppose it makes sense to want to believe that, because the truth means the ZL1 doesn't have the clear advantage over the Mustang as this Boss test shows.

Until there's a head-to-head with the current GT500, we really don't know who the real winner is. I still think the ZL1 will edge it out, but the difference will be more like a GT to an SS. Not a dominating win like Chevy has led us to believe.

The real difference between the ZL1 and GT500 isn't so much all out performance, but the way each car goes about acheiving it. The power to weight is almost identical between these two, with a slight advantge going to the Mustang. The ZL1 seems like a much more forgiving car, and easier to go fast in. The GT500 has what it takes, but demands more from the driver. It's gonna take more talent behind the wheel to make the Mustang perform as well as the Camaro. . . JMHO.

I think Motor Trend did not bring the 2012 GT500 because, IMO it would have been embarrassed. Motor Trend struggles to get the Snake to hook up and when it does not, its performance is horrible. I don't think they wanted the Shelby to get caught with its pants down and have to print the article. They know the Boss performs solid all the time and thats why I think they used it. Just my opinion

[newmoon]

I think all this shows us is how quickly our cars become old news and has beens. Last year at this time the Boss was king, the year prior the 11 GT500 and 5.0, prior the 10 SS now they are all embarrased with the ZL1, how soon till the thrill is gone with the 12 ZL1, when will the 13 GT500 be old news. The good news in all this is that while Ford and Chevy continue to play the HP wars the older models loose their values and make them affordable for those of us financially challenged.

[nester7929]

Originally Posted by 2ndCamaro79

I think Motor Trend did not bring the 2012 GT500 because, IMO it would have been embarrassed. Motor Trend struggles to get the Snake to hook up and when it does not, its performance is horrible. I don't think they wanted the Shelby to get caught with its pants down and have to print the article. They know the Boss performs solid all the time and thats why I think they used it. Just my opinion

I think they used the BOSS because if they used the 2012 GT500, the reaction across the board would've been "yeah, but next year's GT500 is going to be a lot better." The BOSS will stay pretty much the same next year though.

Don't worry, I'm sure GT500 and ZL1 comparisons will abound when the new GT500 comes out.

[Deki]

Originally Posted by AZCamaroFan

it may be slower, but handling-wise the Boss wouldn't take a backseat to the GT500.

Boss pays the price by being too jarring and bouncy on the track. The GT500 copes with mid corner bumps much better, and is easier to drive at the limit, and also has shown to be able to hold better in skid pad tests. I don't know if I'd agree that the Boss handles better than the GT500. And it's funny that we hear "MT favors Ford" here when we hear "MT Favors GM" over on the Mustang forums lol

[eolson]

Again, the Boss LS still doesn't have the electronic monitoring for traction at any speed that compares to the ZL1. The fact that the ZL1 weighs 480lbs more than the Boss LS means that the ZL1 is really well designed all the way through to be considered better in hard corners by the test driver.

The 2013 GT500 will really have to have had SVT do a real re-design on how far the suspension and chassis can be modified and tweeked to out do the ZL1. With this test IMO and the Nurburgring time of 7:41, Ford needs to put the GT500 to the test ASAP in the spring. This round certainly goes to Chevy. Erik

By the way, why has Ford never listed a Nurburgring time for the 2012 GT500 fully fit out with the performance options??

[Deki]

Originally Posted by eolson

Again, the Boss LS still doesn't have the electronic monitoring for traction at any speed that compares to the ZL1. The fact that the ZL1 weighs 480lbs more than the Boss LS means that the ZL1 is really well designed all the way through to be considered better in hard corners by the test driver.

The 2013 GT500 will really have to have had SVT do a real re-design on how far the suspension and chassis can be modified and tweeked to out do the ZL1. With this test IMO and the Nurburgring time of 7:41, Ford needs to put the GT500 to the test ASAP in the spring. This round certainly goes to Chevy. Erik

By the way, why has Ford never listed a Nurburgring time for the 2012 GT500 fully fit out with the performance options??

They never tested the 2012 on the 'Ring. I don't even know why they bother testing any cars there, but that's a topic for a different discussion. The 2013 has been tested over seas and state side, and even if it does beat the ZL1's time, it won't be by much, and it won't mean diddly squat. It's a 13 mile long track, a 10 second difference can come down to the driver alone. Way too long of a track to do a normal head to head comparison.

[ffrcobra_65]

Rowan Atkinson has been pegged to drive the 2013 GT500 around the ring in spring.

[Shurenuff]

Originally Posted by Deki

Boss pays the price by being too jarring and bouncy on the track. The GT500 copes with mid corner bumps much better, and is easier to drive at the limit, and also has shown to be able to hold better in skid pad tests. I don't know if I'd agree that the Boss handles better than the GT500. And it's funny that we hear "MT favors Ford" here when we hear "MT Favors GM" over on the Mustang forums lol

It's more like a pro driver favors GM, which is a heck of a lot more impressive to me than what some magazine columnist or editor has to say.

[ffrcobra_65]

magazines and testers alike almost always favor the latest and greatest and they easily forget what the high praises they wrote about or said about the previous latest and greatest. It helps sell.

[eolson]

I'm just going to buy both the 2013 GT500 and the ZL1, and live next to them in my cardboard box. Erik

[motorhead]

Originally Posted by eolson

I'm just going to buy both the 2013 GT500 and the ZL1, and live next to them in my cardboard box. Erik

If you do that, you'll want to kick your ass when you get beat by yourself. LOL

[GT5Junkie]

Originally Posted by IOMZL1

If the ZL1 was going up against the Mustang GT and beat it by 2 seconds these numbers wouldn’t matter. At the time the SS was the top offering from Camaro, so comparison to the Boss or GT500 was inevitable. Now this is actually comparison of two vehicles that are supposed to be competitors (OK, well the GT500 is supposed to be the ZL1s competitor, but the Boss is arguably the best Mustang on the track…)

The only head to head test of the Boss LS and the GT500 that I've ever heard about is the one done by InsideLine, also driven by Randy Pobst coincidentally, and the GT500 won around Streets of Willow.