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It's not just 2011 Ford Mustang GT vs. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS.
It's Mark Donohue's Z/28 and Parnelli Jones' Boss 302 bashing through the Trans-Am season finale at Riverside in 1969. It's Jungle Jim Liberman's Camaro facing Raymond Beadle's "Blue Max" Mustang in a Funny Car match race on a Saturday night in the summer of 1970. It's Super Cobra Jet, ZL-1, SVO, IROC, Yenko, Shelby, 1LE, Saleen, Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, Bob Glidden, Lee Shepherd, Mickey Thompson, Smokey Yunick, John Force and a billion impromptu stoplight-to-stoplight grand prix races.
It's the longest sustained automotive rivalry in American history and it has just boiled over. Again.
The latest development in this ongoing slugfest is the introduction of the 2011 Ford Mustang GT with its new DOHC 32-valve all-aluminum 5.0-liter V8. Thanks to the new 5.0 V8's 412-horsepower rating and a new six-speed manual, the Mustang GT is now a solid match-up with the recently reincarnated, 426-hp Camaro SS.
To some, what's missing here is the Dodge Challenger R/T or Challenger SRT8. But the Challenger is really in a different class. It's much bigger, nowhere near as raw-nerved and doesn't necessarily attract the same sort of buyer. And prior experience means we know it would finish 3rd in an ultimately unfair comparison.
So this one is heads-up — mano-a-mano. It's IL's $35,425 long-term 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS against a $37,600 2011 Ford Mustang GT yanked straight out of Ford's freshest crop of vehicles. Both have manual transmissions with six forward gears, but only the Camaro has optional Brembo front disc brakes.
Detached objectivity? That's for figuring out whether the Camry or Accord is a better lease deal. Camaro vs. Mustang is a war fought across the landscape of our vehicular souls. It's how these cars feel that matters as much as what sort of numbers they generate.
The Camaro and Mustang have never been more different from each other than they are now. And yet they've never been more evenly matched. Go figure.
The Big Pedal on the Right
There are those who will judge this match purely on drag strip performance. OK, fine. The Camaro SS is still quicker than the Mustang GT. But not by much.
The Mustang may not pack the Camaro's visual firepower, but it's an easy car with which to live.
On the quarter-mile at Auto Club Speedway in lush, parklike Fontana, California, IL's long-term Camaro SS whomped to 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.1 seconds with the traction control turned off (4.8 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). The full quarter-mile went by in 13.1 seconds at 110.4 mph.
Our red Mustang GT (on all-season Pirelli P Zero Nero tires) matched the Camaro SS's blast to 60 mph by hitting that speed in an identical 5.1 seconds from a standstill with the traction control turned off (4.8 seconds with 1 foot of rollout). But the quarter-mile took another two-tenths to complete with a slightly lower trap speed, 13.3 seconds at 107.3 mph.
That's a razor-thin advantage for the Camaro and, just to throw in some additional ambiguity, we also tested another Mustang GT (this one in blue and wearing summer tires), which ripped to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and blitzed the 1,320 feet in 13 seconds at 110.6 mph. That's the kind of razor's edge that can be measured in microns.
Yeah, the straight-line performance is agonizingly close (and apparently varies car to car), but that doesn't mean the power plants of the Camaro SS and Mustang GT are clones of each other. With its advantage of 1.2 liters in displacement and old-school pushrod valvetrain, the Camaro's 6.2-liter LS3 V8 makes big chunks of torque down low in its power band (it peaks at 420 pound-feet at 4,600 rpm, but also makes plenty right off idle), and then pulls strong until it starves for air near its 6,400-rpm redline. It's a throwback engine with great bottom-end grunt and a pretty good top end.
In contrast, the Mustang GT's 5.0-liter V8 puts its deep-breathing 32 valves controlled by dual overhead cams and variable valve timing to work, starting off a bit soft at the bottom end (all its 390 lb-ft of torque aren't available until 4,250 rpm), then pulls mightily through the midrange until it's screaming at its 7,000-rpm redline. This is a 21st-century V8, combining pretty good bottom-end thrust with a great top-end thrill zone.
Forward Motion
Both cars run six-speed manual transmissions, but where the Camaro SS uses the Tremec TR6060 (the updated version of the old BorgWarner T-56), the Mustang is equipped with the new Getrag MT-82. This is all to the Mustang's advantage, as the new Getrag shifts more precisely and more easily, and its 1st-to-4th fuel-sipping "skip shift" mode is less irritating than the Tremec's.
Beyond this, the Getrag box stacks its gear ratios closely, as 5th is a direct-drive 1:1 ratio, while 6th goes deep into overdrive with a tall 0.65 ratio overdrive. It's all very well suited to the 5.0-liter Ford V8's personality and talents. In contrast, the Camaro's Tremec box has wider-spaced gears, with 5th a 0.84 overdrive and 6th gear even taller than the Mustang box with a 0.57 overdrive. Further pushing the Mustang's gearing advantage is a set of 3.73:1 final-drive gears, while the Camaro is geared notably taller with 3.45:1 cogs.
Even though the Mustang takes more technique to launch or to run around a road course, it's easier to keep its engine boiling in its sweet spot because the transmission and gearing are so much more effective at this than the Camaro's. Conversely, that massive overdrive gear ratio and tall final drive in the Camaro mean that the torque-rich Chevy V8 is barely turning 1,500 rpm at 65 mph, which should pay off in fuel economy.
Even so, the slightly smaller displacement of the Ford V8 helps the Mustang pull out a win in fuel economy. The EPA rates the Ford at 17 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway compared to the Chevy's 16 mpg and 24 mpg performance. (Your numbers may vary with the rate at which you incinerate tires.)
That Big Round Thing in Front of You
The most obvious difference between the Camaro's and Mustang's respective chassis is out back where the Chevy has a multilink independent suspension while the Ford retains the same sort of solid rear axle that underpinned the chariots of the Roman Legion.
Ford has never tuned the Mustang's suspension better than on the '11 GT. There's a certain eagerness to how the Mustang reacts to steering inputs, as if the car just can't wait to move. Even with the traction control engaged, the Mustang GT is always dancing, ready to pounce and excited to test the limits of its P245/45R19 Pirelli P Zeroes. It's flat fun.
As well tuned as the Mustang's solid axle is, however, it's still not an independent system. The Mustang's rear end takes its time to calm down after knocking against a pothole or bump, and this sort of skittishness can be unnerving. On the rugged freeway surfaces of Southern California, the Mustang's rear end never quite has a chance to settle in completely. It's as if the coil springs are always working back there and they want you to know it.
Meanwhile the Camaro SS feels as if its summer-spec 245/45R20 Pirelli P Zeroes are sutured to the pavement with steel cables. The independent rear suspension produces a poised, comfortable ride the Mustang can't match, and deals with pavement hiccups almost casually. If the Mustang feels like it's skipping over the road, the Camaro feels like it's a smothering steamroller. The steering doesn't have the same giddy, light feel that you sense in the Mustang, but it's precise and quick enough. It's reassuring where the Mustang is entertaining.
On the slalom course, the Mustang GT waltzes through at a respectable 65.9 mph while the Camaro goes full blitz at 68.2 mph. At the skid pad the Mustang orbits at 0.87g, while the Camaro is slightly better at 0.89g. The Camaro may not win the argument when it comes to the sense of subjective engagement by the driver, but its handling performance is undeniably impressive.
The Brembo-equipped Camaro dominates the braking zone with consistent 111-foot stops from 60 mph. The best that the Mustang can do on its all-weather rubber is 117 feet. We should note, however, that the blue Mustang GT with the optional Brembos and summer tires did the job in just 109 feet.
It's Mark Donohue's Z/28 and Parnelli Jones' Boss 302 bashing through the Trans-Am season finale at Riverside in 1969. It's Jungle Jim Liberman's Camaro facing Raymond Beadle's "Blue Max" Mustang in a Funny Car match race on a Saturday night in the summer of 1970. It's Super Cobra Jet, ZL-1, SVO, IROC, Yenko, Shelby, 1LE, Saleen, Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, Bob Glidden, Lee Shepherd, Mickey Thompson, Smokey Yunick, John Force and a billion impromptu stoplight-to-stoplight grand prix races.
It's the longest sustained automotive rivalry in American history and it has just boiled over. Again.
The latest development in this ongoing slugfest is the introduction of the 2011 Ford Mustang GT with its new DOHC 32-valve all-aluminum 5.0-liter V8. Thanks to the new 5.0 V8's 412-horsepower rating and a new six-speed manual, the Mustang GT is now a solid match-up with the recently reincarnated, 426-hp Camaro SS.
To some, what's missing here is the Dodge Challenger R/T or Challenger SRT8. But the Challenger is really in a different class. It's much bigger, nowhere near as raw-nerved and doesn't necessarily attract the same sort of buyer. And prior experience means we know it would finish 3rd in an ultimately unfair comparison.
So this one is heads-up — mano-a-mano. It's IL's $35,425 long-term 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS against a $37,600 2011 Ford Mustang GT yanked straight out of Ford's freshest crop of vehicles. Both have manual transmissions with six forward gears, but only the Camaro has optional Brembo front disc brakes.
Detached objectivity? That's for figuring out whether the Camry or Accord is a better lease deal. Camaro vs. Mustang is a war fought across the landscape of our vehicular souls. It's how these cars feel that matters as much as what sort of numbers they generate.
The Camaro and Mustang have never been more different from each other than they are now. And yet they've never been more evenly matched. Go figure.
The Big Pedal on the Right
There are those who will judge this match purely on drag strip performance. OK, fine. The Camaro SS is still quicker than the Mustang GT. But not by much.
The Mustang may not pack the Camaro's visual firepower, but it's an easy car with which to live.
On the quarter-mile at Auto Club Speedway in lush, parklike Fontana, California, IL's long-term Camaro SS whomped to 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.1 seconds with the traction control turned off (4.8 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). The full quarter-mile went by in 13.1 seconds at 110.4 mph.
Our red Mustang GT (on all-season Pirelli P Zero Nero tires) matched the Camaro SS's blast to 60 mph by hitting that speed in an identical 5.1 seconds from a standstill with the traction control turned off (4.8 seconds with 1 foot of rollout). But the quarter-mile took another two-tenths to complete with a slightly lower trap speed, 13.3 seconds at 107.3 mph.
That's a razor-thin advantage for the Camaro and, just to throw in some additional ambiguity, we also tested another Mustang GT (this one in blue and wearing summer tires), which ripped to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and blitzed the 1,320 feet in 13 seconds at 110.6 mph. That's the kind of razor's edge that can be measured in microns.
Yeah, the straight-line performance is agonizingly close (and apparently varies car to car), but that doesn't mean the power plants of the Camaro SS and Mustang GT are clones of each other. With its advantage of 1.2 liters in displacement and old-school pushrod valvetrain, the Camaro's 6.2-liter LS3 V8 makes big chunks of torque down low in its power band (it peaks at 420 pound-feet at 4,600 rpm, but also makes plenty right off idle), and then pulls strong until it starves for air near its 6,400-rpm redline. It's a throwback engine with great bottom-end grunt and a pretty good top end.
In contrast, the Mustang GT's 5.0-liter V8 puts its deep-breathing 32 valves controlled by dual overhead cams and variable valve timing to work, starting off a bit soft at the bottom end (all its 390 lb-ft of torque aren't available until 4,250 rpm), then pulls mightily through the midrange until it's screaming at its 7,000-rpm redline. This is a 21st-century V8, combining pretty good bottom-end thrust with a great top-end thrill zone.
Forward Motion
Both cars run six-speed manual transmissions, but where the Camaro SS uses the Tremec TR6060 (the updated version of the old BorgWarner T-56), the Mustang is equipped with the new Getrag MT-82. This is all to the Mustang's advantage, as the new Getrag shifts more precisely and more easily, and its 1st-to-4th fuel-sipping "skip shift" mode is less irritating than the Tremec's.
Beyond this, the Getrag box stacks its gear ratios closely, as 5th is a direct-drive 1:1 ratio, while 6th goes deep into overdrive with a tall 0.65 ratio overdrive. It's all very well suited to the 5.0-liter Ford V8's personality and talents. In contrast, the Camaro's Tremec box has wider-spaced gears, with 5th a 0.84 overdrive and 6th gear even taller than the Mustang box with a 0.57 overdrive. Further pushing the Mustang's gearing advantage is a set of 3.73:1 final-drive gears, while the Camaro is geared notably taller with 3.45:1 cogs.
Even though the Mustang takes more technique to launch or to run around a road course, it's easier to keep its engine boiling in its sweet spot because the transmission and gearing are so much more effective at this than the Camaro's. Conversely, that massive overdrive gear ratio and tall final drive in the Camaro mean that the torque-rich Chevy V8 is barely turning 1,500 rpm at 65 mph, which should pay off in fuel economy.
Even so, the slightly smaller displacement of the Ford V8 helps the Mustang pull out a win in fuel economy. The EPA rates the Ford at 17 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway compared to the Chevy's 16 mpg and 24 mpg performance. (Your numbers may vary with the rate at which you incinerate tires.)
That Big Round Thing in Front of You
The most obvious difference between the Camaro's and Mustang's respective chassis is out back where the Chevy has a multilink independent suspension while the Ford retains the same sort of solid rear axle that underpinned the chariots of the Roman Legion.
Ford has never tuned the Mustang's suspension better than on the '11 GT. There's a certain eagerness to how the Mustang reacts to steering inputs, as if the car just can't wait to move. Even with the traction control engaged, the Mustang GT is always dancing, ready to pounce and excited to test the limits of its P245/45R19 Pirelli P Zeroes. It's flat fun.
As well tuned as the Mustang's solid axle is, however, it's still not an independent system. The Mustang's rear end takes its time to calm down after knocking against a pothole or bump, and this sort of skittishness can be unnerving. On the rugged freeway surfaces of Southern California, the Mustang's rear end never quite has a chance to settle in completely. It's as if the coil springs are always working back there and they want you to know it.
Meanwhile the Camaro SS feels as if its summer-spec 245/45R20 Pirelli P Zeroes are sutured to the pavement with steel cables. The independent rear suspension produces a poised, comfortable ride the Mustang can't match, and deals with pavement hiccups almost casually. If the Mustang feels like it's skipping over the road, the Camaro feels like it's a smothering steamroller. The steering doesn't have the same giddy, light feel that you sense in the Mustang, but it's precise and quick enough. It's reassuring where the Mustang is entertaining.
On the slalom course, the Mustang GT waltzes through at a respectable 65.9 mph while the Camaro goes full blitz at 68.2 mph. At the skid pad the Mustang orbits at 0.87g, while the Camaro is slightly better at 0.89g. The Camaro may not win the argument when it comes to the sense of subjective engagement by the driver, but its handling performance is undeniably impressive.
The Brembo-equipped Camaro dominates the braking zone with consistent 111-foot stops from 60 mph. The best that the Mustang can do on its all-weather rubber is 117 feet. We should note, however, that the blue Mustang GT with the optional Brembos and summer tires did the job in just 109 feet.
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