I drove the SS, 5.0, and R/T. Of the three, the 5.0 still wins IMO as the best all-around car, and the one I can live with daily.

The SS is a great car, and I like the look, especially with the RS package, but the interior gets a lot wrong. Poor placement of controls, bad steering wheel, poor visibility, and high beltline killed it for me.

In terms of driving it though, it was decent. Plenty of power, suspension was softer than I would have hoped for, but overall it wasn't a bad ride. I think the exhaust is quieter than the 5.0 or R/T in stock form though.

I know personally, I couldn't live with the Camaro as a daily driver. I just found too many things I didn't care for right off the bat.

 

In terms of the interior I definitely think it's unique, pretty much love it or hate it. As far as functionality I thought it was fine, didn't have any issues with the location of controls, etc. Maybe it's because I'm not really tall and I had the seat moved very far forward. Dunno.

 

That very well could be it. I'm 6'4", so my seat was down and back as far as it would go.

 

Comparing dyno charts of a factory Ford 5.0L vs. an LS3 Camaro with muffler delete (which probably didn't help performance all that much, if at all), the Camaro definitely "out-torques" the much-smaller-displacement Ford engine, but the disparity isn't as great as I would have guessed. Also of note is the Mustang's dyno sheet is SAE whereas the Camaro's is STD (it was the only near-factory LS3 dyno sheet I could find). In the end, I think Ford did an excellent job with the new Coyote engine. We already know that the LS3 is a proven powerhouse of an engine.

 

Going from a ls1 camaro to the new 5.0 mustang i would have thought there would be a bigger difference on those charts.

My only complaint about the new mustang is the lack of low end torque, but i am coming from an lsx platform, i guess my expectations were too high.

 

They sure did. You're right, the disparity isn't THAT great, but it is noticable when driving them back to back, that's all I'm really saying. Of course as mentioned the Getrag in the 5.0 is geared so that the car is still very quick and accelerates well throughout the entire RPM band.

 

I know exactly what you're saying. Having driven both cars, albeit in a rather "grampa" fashion, I can tell you that the overall refinement of the Mustang lends a sense of drama-free acceleration. I actually felt that way in the Camaro, too, though, so maybe I'm missing something. Also, comparing the SAE Mustang chart to the STD Camaro chart, the numbers are *almost* identical. Couple that with virtually every magazine test pitting the Mustang (with 3.73 gears, mind you) against a Camaro with its numerically-highest-available gear, and the 'Stang beats it in every "0-xx MPH" acceleration test. I'm not sure what gears were in each, respective car, but the videos showing 1/8 mile runs, Mustang 5.0L auto vs. Camaro SS L99 (auto), indicate to me that the 'Stang isn't a slouch in low-end grunt.

 

The LS1 Camaro is a much lighter car, too. In fact, a friend of mine at work owns a Roushcharged 2008 Mustang GT and typically gets beaten at the drag strip by virtually-stock LS1 Camaros and Firebirds. That said, I have a feeling that an LS1 Camaro would walk one of the new, two-ton LS3 Camaros, as well.

 

Finding a "stock" LS1 Camaro is about as easy as a needle in a haystack.

 

 

I said "virtually" stock. They mostly had CAI's and exhaust modifications -- nothing too extreme.

 

I had a 98 Z-28 LS1. That cars was super quick. When i was in Kalamazoo yesterday, i saw a SLP 2010 Camaro with the stinger hood. That hood really made the car look like a 69 Camaro. Ronn

 

That's all mine has, all it needs too..

 

What kind of 1/4 mile times are/were you running in your "lightly modded" LS1?

 

Never been to the track, plenty of street kills though, including my new 5.0.

Although i wasn't very comfortable with the stang at that point and we haven't had a chance to rematch but i think the stang will have 1+ cars by 100.

 

I drove a 2SS six-speed and all I can say is what a great motor! Pulls hard and early...feels powerful right off idle. BUT...Once again, I don't like the styling at all.

 

Most of the runs I have seen back up what he is saying. The stang pulls harder as the RPM's go up. Right after they both shift it takes a sec to put more on it. Similar experience with my Z28 and my buddies CS/GT. Even with my much lower (numerically 2.73's when I was mostly stock still) gears mash it at 2500 rpms you can feel it plant you better. You'd feel the disparity more on an off idle romp though than you would a drag race unless you were just looking for it. Haven't driven either yet but I can already guess what the Camaro feels like owning an LS1 and LS2 car my LS2 car being very similar in the HP to weight category.

As far as an LS1 Camaro beating the LS3? Not if the driver can actually drive it otherwise driver's race and who has the most/better mods. From what I see the launching it is just harder than the LS1 cars.