Inside Line took the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, together, on a field trip: to Westminster, California where where they were both tested on the same dyno at MD Automotive, run the by same operator on the same day. In case any memories need refreshing, the specs run thusly: the ZL1 has a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 belting out 580 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 556 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm, for a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 184 miles per hour. The Shelby GT500 rocks up with a supercharged 5.8-liter boasting 662 hp and 631 lb-ft, for a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed in excess of 200 mph. Both get the power down via six-speed manual transmissions.
All things being equal, the dyno returns should have them split by something like 82 hp and 75 lb-ft. But good luck with equality, at least on this day: the Camaro charted 497 hp and 497 lb-ft, a the kind of 15 percent drop you might expect due to driveline losses, and just 11 percent of its torque sapped.
The GT500 would have none of it, charting 595 hp and 603 lb-ft. That leaves an on-the-road gap of 98-hp to the ZL1, and even though it loses more torque percentage-wise, it still comes out at an absolutely insane 603 lb-ft.
This latest info gives a new round of ammo to the armchair testers until the comparos start rolling in. But as numerous folks have commented on the dyno tests, what’s really important is this: this is a great time to be a car enthusiast in America.
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