Ford Mustang VS Chevrolet Camaro

  • Thread starter Thread starter JCE
  • 243 comments
  • 12,967 views

Ford Mustang VS Chevrolet Camaro

  • Total voters
    84
The GT-500 is a cruiser first.

I'm betting the GT-350 will live up to the Shelby name, but remember, the GT-500 was nothing special in anything but a straight line originally.

The fact that the new GT-500 can actually handle well enough to be compared against a Corvette and not be completely absurd says a lot.

Nevermind the revalved/shocked GT-500 that they let a couple magazines test which apparently fixed the handling problems in the GT-500 testers, hopefully it's the version which hits the streets.

As for a lighter Camaro, well, I'd love to see it happen, but if it is lighter, it won't be able to match the Mustang pricewise, sadly.

The Zeta doesn't look to be cheap, and as they say, good, cheap, light...pick two.

It will certainly be a hell of a matchup, and the Challenger will be interesting flavor, but I don't see how it won't be too heavy to really compete properly, relying on pure nostalgia, versus the Camaro which will probably be the performance champ, and the Mustang with the bang/buck strategy.

I've been waiting for this for years, one more year to go!
 
Challenger is supposed to be offically annouced tomorow in Daytona Beach, Florida before the Pepsi 400. I wonder if they will be using it as a pace-car or something?

Anyway, I would agree that the Challenger is WAY too heavy to be the all-out performance or price champ. Unless Dodge is going to be pulling a fast one on us, I'm probably looking at a situation in which the Challenger will be better matched to the GTO and Monte Carlo, not the Mustang and Camaro.

As for the Camaro, it can be done cheaply. The GTO was a steal at $30K, and being that the Camaro will presumably be smaller and use cheaper engines and such, the price should go down as well (however, similarly equipped GTO and SS' should be about the same price). As for the weight issue, analists predicted the weight of the "average" Zeta car (presumably the Commodore) somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 lbs, but I think that is going a bit overboard. Given the Camaro's chances of being the smallest of the Zeta models, I'd peg the weight between 3500-3700, give or take a few, so about there the Mustang is right now.
 
All Mustangs are not GT500's though.

A base GT weighs 3450 lbs.

I will be very impressed if Chevy gets the Camaro down to 3500 lbs and can keep it priced competitively with the Mustang.
 
Won't happen. The new Camaro is pretty hefty...
 
It will be heavier than the Mustang, but the Camaro's advantage will be in the form of higher output, an extra cog in the gearbox, and an IRS suspension. It will weigh less than the current (or should I say, past?) Pontiac GTO which weighs in at 3725.
 
I think we can safely say the '03 camaro's woulda had the engine GTO's got, at 350hp. and then in '05, obviously the 400hp LS6
I don't know, can 25hp make .2-.3 in the 1/4? probly.
 
I voted for the Mustang, but I'm a bit biased.
 
Josh
I voted for the Mustang, but I'm a bit biased.
Click to expand...

Let me guess. Because you own a Mustang? :sly:

Oh and another Mustang FTW!
 
Well, obviously the Mustang is more important to not just the United States either. At one point in time, it was sold in Europe and Australia, no?

I belive that for the most part, the F-Bodies were sold in the US... Although I seem to recall seeing the Camaro listed on the Chevrolet UK website at one point, and I could have sworn that I had seen it in some videos from a classic American car show in the UK.

...Anyhow, it takes a real man to drive a Camaro or Firebird, so we will just leave it at that... lol
 
Hmm, I recently saw that the '69 SS also had those 3-piece headlights. So, what's the difference between the SS and RS (Rally-Sport)?
 
The differences between the RS and SS are mostly style things. The Rally Sport package usually offered a blacked out grille with hidden headlights, special interior, and thus special badging as well. The Super Sport was the high-performance model (the Z/28 being track-oriented, SS better suited to the strip) that offered a 350 or 396 and a few other high-performance goodies as well.

...You may have seen an RS/SS Camaro, an option that could happen, but seem to be pretty rare if I remember correctly. Baisically you would be getting an RS Camaro with SS parts beneath it, much like the B4C police cars of the 4th Generation.
 
Ah, thanks for the explantion.

Truth be told, I've really wanted to restore a '69 Camaro, but I could only find RS' with those headlights. The Camaro I saw was a SS Convertible, so I thought it was an identity crisis til' I saw a SS with the RS headlights on the web.

The only other difference I could find where that they all seemed to have different paint jobs on the sides. Well, that and probably the headlights, though I've seen SS' with 4 and some with 2.

Here's that SS Conv. with the RS-Like Headlights.
 
That might be an RS/SS, I'm not completely sure. I know that the bumble-bee stripes like that one there were optional on the SS (I belive you could have full-stripes as well, but that usually went to the Z/28).

It looks like it was a restoration/clone job to me, but I can't be completely certain.
 
I think that is one but not sure. I can't make out the badge on the side other wise I'd be able to tell.
 


I zoomed in for the best resolution/size to check it out, and it is indeed badged as an SS.
 
I was the 29th Vote on the Camaro. :sly: Not to just even it up, but also there is just so much promise showing for the new car.

Camaro also has Yenko and the COPO names running for it, offering firebreathers to the public that absolutely butchered the heavier GT500KR. Lest we forget the 69 documented ZL-1 series Camaros with the legendary Aluminum 427 block and about 550 hp. 👍
 
Just as a note Jetboys427, the Yenko was part of the COPO program. My local Chevrolet Dealer, Berger Chevrolet, also built cars for the COPO program. I've only seen a few, most of them at the annual "Super Chevy Show" that Berger hosts on Labor Day weekend. The newer edditions, noteably the 4th-gen models built 1998+. There were 380 up to 420 BHP versions, and Berger also had a hand in the GMMG ZL1 Supercar model that used the C5-R's 427ci V8.
 
Hmmm, it's a tied again. Come on Mustang fans!
 
Its been interesting thus far. But given how iconic both cars are, I think I would rather have a tie than an all-out winner.
 
YSSMAN
Just as a note Jetboys427, the Yenko was part of the COPO program. My local Chevrolet Dealer, Berger Chevrolet, also built cars for the COPO program. I've only seen a few, most of them at the annual "Super Chevy Show" that Berger hosts on Labor Day weekend. The newer edditions, noteably the 4th-gen models built 1998+. There were 380 up to 420 BHP versions, and Berger also had a hand in the GMMG ZL1 Supercar model that used the C5-R's 427ci V8.
Click to expand...
Yenko was a part of COPO? I was in the understanding that Yenko was just an in-house dealer program that was going on, while COPO was the GMPD of the era. 👍 I don't really want to be seen as another member just spouting off cool names and figures to sound smart; I'm in the true pursuit of knowledge of automobiles, so I really appreciate you guys pointing that straight for me.

Also, I'd like to comment and say how rather well civilized this board has remained in this whole debate. Kudos to members YSSMAN and JCE3000GT for adding their insight and rivalry. Good stuff. 👍👍👍👍👍


Cheers,
Jetboy
 
Thanx...

Yes, dealers like Yenko and Berger were all part of the COPO program, along with Nickey and Dana Chevrolet dealers as well. I belive that Yenko by far had the most popular models, but as for numbers, I'm not sure who's are the most rare.

Berger played a bigger role in high-performance Camaros in the 4th-gen than they did with the 1st-gen, but all of their models were quite rare compared to the Yenkos and SLPs of the respective eras.
 
The 1st gen creations were absolutely beautiful. I'd drive one everyday in a heartbeat regardless of gas prices. 👍
 
31st vote for Ford Mustang. :D

The Boss 429 is what won me over. Not also that, the new Shelby Mustang GT500 accelerates fast. Especially for under $50,000. (4.5 seconds to get 60 mph.)

shelby_front_big.jpg
 
What's so special about the BOSS 429? The Mach 1 and BOSS 302 were faster, and they could both turn left and right. Granted, the BOSS 429 was more of a drag car (similar to the Chevrolet COPOs) than an all-around performance car, but I think the car gets way too much credit for what it was.

...As for the new GT500, I think I've made my opinion about the car pretty clear. Its pretty below-average for a 500 BHP car, given that a Corvette that not only costs $10K less and has 100 fewer BHP can outperform it, but so can the $30K Subaru STi. That doesn't mean I hate the car, as I actually do like it, but I find it hard to consider it a reasonable deal given that I'm not a Ford fanboy.

But I suppose if Chevrolet built a $50,000 Camaro ZL1 with 505 BHP and performed similarly to the GT500 I wouldn't be complaining, but I'm sure Ford fans and those who don't care much for both would as well.
 
This is just one case of looks being worth it's weight in money. I mean look at this car for christ sakes!

07ShelbyGT500_01_HR.jpg

4314.jpg

2007_Ford_Shelby_Rear_Shot.jpg


Don't like red?

gt500grill.jpg

shelbygt50007.jpg

Ford_Mustang_GT500_DV_06_DAS_011.jpg


I mean good god it's so much better looking than the ZO6 and the new Camaro.
 
...Well thats a matter of tastes I suppose. I think it is a great looking car, and anyone who says it isn't is off of their rocker, but I wouldn't place it higher than the next-gen Camaro. But for the Corvette, I'd have to agree with you.

But I wouldn't call the Corvette ugly by any means. Granted, they will never top the C2 Stingray Coupes, but every Corvette design is an instant classic no matter how dull it may be.

...I seem to remember people saying the same thing about the C5 and C4 Corvettes in their era as well...
 
As you know I owned a C4 Corvette...I bought it more because it was a Corvette and I thought it was fast...I was wrong. I do like the C5 it's a decent looking car...but it isn't "pretty". I'd rather own the 4th gen WS6 Trans-Am than any other LS1 coupe.

*edit*
Wow what a badly structured post...I don't even know what I mean...:lol:
 
The problem for the Corvette is that it always has to be a step ahead of what is going on in the industry, and often times early on in it's life the design isn't widely accepted. I think as time progresses, the C6 will get better recognition for it's tasteful design and overall clean looks compared to it's predecessors.

As for the Trans-AM WS6, it is a very sexy car. I liked them a lot, and my God did they go like stink. I've been tracking the 35th-Anniversary WS6 "Screamin' Chicken" models online to see how they have depreciated, and it hasn't been much. Those were argueably the best looking 4th-gens out of the F-body designs, but I still prefer the Camaro by days end.

It doesn't have to be outrageous, it just has to have a nice engine/trans combo and be quite fast. I thought the early 4th-gen Camaros (1993-1997) were by far better looking than the Firebirds and Mustangs of the era, but unfortunately the tables sorta turned 1998+. But that doesn't mean I don't want my 2002 35th Anniversary Camaro SS in white with the T-Tops...
 
YSSMAN
I thought the early 4th-gen Camaros (1993-1997) were by far better looking than the Firebirds and Mustangs of the era, but unfortunately the tables sorta turned 1998+.
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree 100%. In late 1998 when the 1999 Mustangs rolled out with the redesign they instantly got better looking vs the Camaro/Firebird. Even though the Z28 was faster than the Mustang GT...I just liked the look of the GT more. But either way...you can't go wrong with either of them really.
 
I like those GT500s much better than the Camaro concept or Corvette. I've always liked Corvettes, but I have one huge problem with the look of the current generation one. I can not stand those headlights. :yuck:
 
Back