Camaro SS vs 2010 Ford Mustang GT

Chevrolet Camaro SS:The six-speed manual, 3.45:1 geared 426 hp Camaro SS was the quickest car of the group by a wide margin, stomping 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and running through the 1/4-mile in 13.0 seconds at 111 mph. That speed is particularly impressive considering the Camaro SS weighs almost 3900 pounds. On the road, the V8 has enormous torque and can pull away from lesser cars from less then 2000 rpm on the freeway. At idle the big 6.2-liter rumbles ever so slightly.

And we like that. Still it takes full throttle and some revs to really hear this motor sing, so a more aggressive exhaust tuning is needed. Back at the track, the SS stopped from 60 mph in an incredibly short 107.8 feet. Credit that particular number to the serving tray size, 14-inch front and 14.4-inch rear Brembo brakes.  If you'd like to get a taste of the Camaro's handling right now before it arrives in dealerships this April–give a Pontiac G8 GXP a spin. The Camaro is built on an evolution of that same GM global rear-drive chassis engineered and tuned in Australia. Creating a Camaro from those bones was no easy task. The front wheels were pulled forward, but the overall wheelbase (112.3-inches) is shorter than a G8's by more than two-inches. Chevy is appropriately pleased that they were able to shave some height on the front suspension towers to accommodate the Camaro's fender and hood proportions without noticeably effecting the ride quality. In the rear, for the first time, the Camaro has a fully independent multi-link suspension. So how does this chassis work compared to the Mustang GT and Challenger R/T? Brilliantly. On both the tight corners and long sweeping bends of the country roads in South San Diego County, we were not able to find the limits of the suspension or tires.

The Camaro engineers have masterfully masked the fact that it weights almost two tons. Back in the city, that capable suspension does not punish the driver when the big Camaro SS hits broken pavement and potholes. The ride is smooth, supple and refined–nearly on par with the softer-tuned Dodge Challenger R/T. But there is something missing. As quick and as capable as the drivetrain and chassis is, the Chevy lacks a bit of that raw visceral emotion we were expecting. Is the Camaro too quiet, too polished–too un-Camarolike? Perhaps. But that's nothing a trip to the Summit Racing Equipment website won't fix.

Ford Mustang GT Premium:

This year, the Mustang is fresh from a mild refresh of the successful 2005 redesign. But any Mustang fan will be familiar with the basic powertrain. The 4.6-liter V8 remains largely the same and now makes 315 hp. Our Track Pack-equipped car came with 3.73:1 gears and a five-speed manual. Okay, so compared to the larger displacement competition the Mustang's horsepower number seems, well, wimpy. But the key to the Mustang's persona and performance compared to its rivals is weight–or more precisely, lack thereof. The Mustang GT weighs 3500 pounds.

That's about 400 pounds less than either the Camaro SS or Challenger R/T. So the relatively modest horsepower meant our Mustang could still hustle to 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and run through the 1/4-mile in 13.9 seconds at 102 mph. The 4.6-liter sounds good rumbling down the street or revving at the track, with an amplified version of the traditional V8 howl any motorhead kid will peg as a Mustang from three blocks away. Though Mustang is down a gear from the six-speed Camaro and Challenger, the shift action and clutch take-up is smoother than either of them. The braking performance was rather unexpected: It stopped from 60 mph in only 110.8 feet. That's only three feet longer than the Brembo-equipped Camaro took to do the same job. 

The Mustang is smaller than the Challenger or Camaro with a much shorter 107.1-inch wheelbase. So even though the Mustang still uses a solid rear axle, it feels light, tight, nimble and more like a sports car than the others. The Mustang encourages you to press it hard through twisty roads and rewards the driver with a poise not found on previous Mustang GTs. The Ford isn't isolated and hushed like the Chevy. There's a mechanical rawness to this car that feels, well, old school. The tradeoff is, of course, ride quality. While the Dodge and Chevy muffle big bumps and freeway imperfections, the Ford translates every one of them to your backside in the cabin. The ride is stiff and not as polished as the others here.