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2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Pitted Against 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Leguna Seca (Video)

Alright, enough with the hasty videos with the new Chevy Camaro ZL1 running around Virginia International Raceway. It’s time for a high-budget, high-stakes face-off between two super pony cars. But considering the fact that Ford is still fine-tuning the 2013 Shelby GT500 and all of its 650 horsepower, they sent in the next best thing to combat Chevy’s range-topping Camaro: the Boss 302 Leguna Seca.

Now, trolls on YouTube are crying foul about the obvious power mismatch between the two when looking at the ZL1’s 580 horsepower to the Boss’ 444 horsepower. But if they understood simple math, they would take notice that the power-to-weight ratio between the two machines is closer than it seems. With the track-ready Ford producing .12 hp/lb to the supercharged Chevy’s .14 hp/lb, the Boss finishes just 2.45 seconds behind the ZL1 around Inde Motorsports Ranch. The Chevy’s victory has to do with more than just the power of power, but the sophistication of Magnetic Ride Control and independent rear suspension.

Will it be enough to keep the 650-horsepower Shelby at bay? We can’t wait to find out. Kudos to Motor Trend for another awesome video.

Former staff.

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Comments

  1. All I have to say is Muahhahhahahahah!

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  2. I wonder how they would do On Lombard St., San Francisco

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  3. It is a fun comparison if not a completely fair one. I’ll admit to being a semi-troll here. But we Blue Oval folks love good competition – and our Bosses rock at a $10K savings over the ZL1. For some of us a naturally aspirated engine is preferred. But hats off the to Bow Tie guys for building what is obviously a great car. And we don’t expect Chevy to keep the ZL1 at -70 in the HP war for long. Now if you guys had a naturally aspirated small block Z28 to toss at the Boss LS – That would be a fair fight!

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  4. I honestly thought the ZL1 would have been smacked around, wow.

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  5. I have to say that if enough of the old GM still exists there will never be a Camaro that can dethrone the Shelby. 650hp?!? In a Camaro?!? That will outrun a Corvette?!? It’s unlikely to be ALLOWED to happen. Know what I mean? Of course, power is nothing without control…if GM can manage to trim the weight a bit, tune the suspension a shade more, then maybe the power deficit can be overcome…but we’ll see…

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  6. I would take the camaro over the mustang any day, but this comparo is definately not fair, on tht note, any comparo is not “fair” in my book as the camaro is almost a generation newer, so the camaro should win against any comparable mustang simply by virtue of its advanced suspension compared to the mustang’s archaic one, the 2015 mustang vs the 2015 camaro will be much more interesting battle.

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  7. i LOVE the Laguna Seca, but just from the specs i had no inclination that it would even get close to the ZL1. now lets see what happens when that new Shelby hits the streets!

    i still predict a decisive win for the ZL1 on the track. in a straight line? not so much. unless GM stops with the insipid internal limiting and bumps the HP. it would be nothing to trump the Ford hp. what with the already larger displacement motor, and the fact that barely tuned LS9 and LSAs are well above 650hp.

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  8. I am willing to guess that the Shelby GT500 will be even slower than the Boss 302 Laguna Seca, around VIR because the Laguna Seca is the Ne Plus Ultra road racing package,
    the Shelby is for junior high bench racing braging rights, I think the ZL-1 is quite safe until the
    Mustang gets a new chasis, but by than, by than so will Camaro.

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  9. i lve this car andif u think this is unfair to test just how far they could go motortrend (i think) put the zr1 against a gt-r on a tight course on a cold morning (advantage nisssan) however the camaro was only 2 something seconds behind and actually the choice for daily driving aswell as being better at hittting apexes

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  10. Speaking of the ZL1 vs the GT-R, there are a few lap times floating around on the net where the ZR1 handily beat the GTR as well as a few Ferarris Lambos and the like. And I don’t mean by a mere 2 seconds or so. I’m talking 2,3,5 secs or more on the same track in the same conditions including the same driver.

    I’ll post the times when I get on my computer. Right now I’m on my phone.

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    1. sweet id love to see those that would be so cool

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      1. here ya go. these are from Camaro5 website. Here’s the link with the full times and discussion. i just noticed that the ZL1 times are NOT from Car and driver. they are based on this indepenedent VIR lap vid below:



        http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205729

        One more record for the ZL1.

        Some lap times from Car & Driver’s “Lightning Lap” (http://www.caranddriver.com/features…-2012-page-8):

        1 2:45.9 MOSLER MT900S LL3 11/08
        2 2:48.6 DODGE VIPER SRT10 ACR LL3
        3 2:49.8 MOSLER PHOTON LL5 2/11
        4 2:50.7 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1 (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires) LL3 2/12
        5 2:51.8 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1 (Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires) LL3 2/10
        6 2:51.8 LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP570-4 SUPERLEGGERA LL5 2/11
        7 2:52.3 KTM X-BOW LLU 2/10
        [2:52.38 2012 Camaro ZL1]
        8 2:53.2 NISSAN GT-R LL3 2/12
        9 2:53.5 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 (Z07) LL3 2/11
        10 2:53.9 LAMBORGHINI MURCIÉLAGO LP670-4 SV LL5 2/10
        11 2:54.6 FERRARI 430 SCUDERIA LL5 11/08
        12 2:55.6 NISSAN GT-R LL3 11/08
        13 2:55.9 PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS LL4 2/11
        14 2:57.4 DODGE VIPER SRT10 LL3 10/07
        15 2:57.5 PORSCHE 911 TURBO S LL4 2/11
        16 2:57.6 ARIEL ATOM 3 LLU 2/10
        17 2:58.0 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG LL4 2/11
        18 2:58.2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 LL3 8/07
        19 2:58.5 CHEVROLET CORVETTE GRAND SPORT LL2 2/10
        20 2:59.0 NISSAN GT-R (all-season tires) LL3 11/08
        21 2:59.5 AUDI R8 5.2 FSI LL4 2/10
        22 3:00.7 FORD GT LL4 11/06
        23 3:00.7 PORSCHE PANAMERA TURBO S LL4 2/12
        24 3:01.1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 LL3 11/06
        25 3:01.2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE (Z51) LL2 11/08
        26 3:01.6 DODGE VIPER SRT10 LL3 11/06
        27 3:01.8 PORSCHE 911 GT3 LL3 8/07
        28 3:02.8 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302 LAGUNA SECA LL2 2/12
        29 3:03.6 CHEVROLET CORVETTE (Z51) LL2 8/07
        30 3:03.8 PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER LL3 2/11
        31 3:03.9 PORSCHE CAYMAN R LL3 2/12
        32 3:04.0 CADILLAC CTS-V SEDAN LL2 11/08
        33 3:04.0 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 LL2 2/11

        Reply
  11. the shelby and the cobra are the best mustangs not the gt 500

    Reply
    1. i mean gt 500 boss

      Reply

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