Automagically

I wouldn't. They still stick by their cars with down the nose snobbery. Only select few are open minded enough to admit an equal or superior. I was driving with an AMG instructor who owned an M3 and Porsche GT3 and raced them both. You should have seen his discomfort when I said I'd rather have a Mustang because it lets me get loose and power is more linear than the AMG I was driving. Looked like the cop who drank **** on dumb and dumber. It just amused me. I like both of his cars and respect the automotive prowess they both bring but come on, there are other players now.

Automagically

I agree about the waste of time. But my biggest brow raiser is how they describe the two cars. Essentially the Boss drove and felt exactly like what auto journalists claim they want in every performance car and then do a 180 and gleam over the smooth operation of the Camaro. Oh well.

Fenderaddict2

One thing briefly touched on in the article that makes a huge difference on the track is the confidence a car inspires. I have no doubt my Car's limits are well above my comfort level. The fact is the Boss sits high and moves about a fair bit on the track. I've driver stiffer more composed cars faster on the track than I did my Boss first few times out. I've now learned to push through the fear and have been rewarded by performance that seems far beyond what the chassis promises. Randy stayed off the curbing. The feeling IS unsettling. But the car holds even when it seems it shouldn't. Limits of SRA come down to feedback IMHO. Advantage to IRS and magnetic shocks.

dean_acheson

I'm not in on this post much because the article is what it is, but the above lines did catch me as odd.

Here is the Wiki article on Jeremy Clarkson:

"Clarkson often enthuses about whether a car gives you the proper "driving experience". He talks about needing to feel the front wheels connected to your fingers through the steering wheel. His preferred cars need to stir a passion and exhibit a 'soul', and look good, such as his preferred sportscar marque, Ferrari. Clarkson is often seen to be more than willing to accept several other flaws in a car such as practicality, build quality, reliability, if the basic criteria of performance and styling are deemed to have been met.. Clarkson seems to be an admirer of any car that delivers performance and features for less money than traditionally known 'superior' marques, such as the Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and Holden Monaro (marketed in the UK under the Vauxhall brand). He is also known for liking the Noble M12. However, sometimes his liking of cars is more in respect because they do not possess this 'soul' although it is portrayed in the TV show as a legitimate love. It was like that with the Nissan GT-R. He said that it's great but 'sometimes I'd like it to go down the front of my trousers and have a little rummage' implying the GT-R's lack of 'soul'."

eric n

Gotta give Chevy some love here, competition will be good for all of us. It will ultimately improve the breed. I've been a fan of the cts-v from day one, sounds like they wrapped it in muscle car skin and the results are amazing.

True the GT500 will be a different beast, but will it be enough to topple the new super chevy??? Who can say, but it's a safe bet that both would be a lot of fun!!!

Jersey Monte

They don't have a Z28 with an engine size comparable to the 302 Boss so they use their top gun model, hell they may as well used a Vette Z06 OR ZR1 for comparison. I traded a 2010 Camaro for my 12 GT/Prem 6man
the oranges to oranges test has been done many times ie. stock SS vs Stock GT and the Gt comes out of top.
I was anti Ford for many years and used to think all the write ups and tests on the Mustangs were biased , but they were all true, definately the better of the two cars. the real proof in the pudding will be seen when they test the new GT 500 against the ZL1.

Automagically

I too am a Chevy convert. And I'd still like to see an LS7 powered Camaro built more along the lines of the Z06.

CaptDistraction

Ah! I wanted to know what the hell was up with those times. Was going to say Randy is a god if he could pilot those times on the full configuration.

Also makes sense with some of the comments on the braking in the mustang, since there were a few times he complained about the feel of the brakes in zones where I've barely tapped it or just lifted to set the turn (which the fast config would indeed have you going in at more speed and needing to brake).

Too bad it wasn't the full course. I'd love to compare what I can do to what a pro can do in similar platforms.

06GT

Yeah, I was hoping to get some direct comparison to my own times!

Maybe we will be able to pick up some tips if they post videos of the laps...sometimes they do...

CaptDistraction

From what I can tell, when in a boss LS:

repeat "haha, this is good!" over and over
Stay in the go pedal
Locator decals on steering mandatory

Other than that, not much gleaned


Though would be cool to see Randy's run out there. I love inde, and every time I'm there I find some new way to pick up another MPH here, or get a bit more brave carrying another MPH there.

ShaneM

is anyone here afraid to run their boss up on the curbs at the track? i do it every single lap each time i go out and it doesn't upset the car. Not trying to sound superior to Randy at all, I'm most certainly not pro level. that just surprises me that he would skip curbs out of worry. IDK, maybe it gets more hairy due to higher speeds from being a better driver? or is this some sort of difference between the LS they favor and the normal boss i hoon. I keep thinking about that one engineer that had said he liked the balance of the street boss better and wondering if it would be better or worse competition.

06GT

There are two "curbs" arranged as a chicane right before you get to the start/finish line that are very abrupt on that track, they essentially are two-sided and come to a point. I hit them, but depending on how fast you are going they could upset the car and/or cause a spin.

CaptDistraction

This.

PIR , Firebird West - I'm all over the curbings

Chuckwalla, Inde, Firebird East - seems like they can upset the car quite a bit (especially the ones you mentioned). Curbing to me doesn't seem like a big deal when you have a heavy cornering load on the outside tires and you hit it with the inside tires, but otherwise I feel like it upsets the car more than its worth. On exit/runout curbs (like at MRLS and Inde) I've certainly let the car roll all over them

Damping settings come into play a lot it seems. Once I get a feel for the track surface and how much curbing I want to touch, then I adjust the shocks accordingly.

Krnnerdboy

at the streets of willow, there is the chicane, and there's some rough spots on track that really unsettle the car. That section was never felt in any of the other cars I tracked there other than my boss....tracked an e92 m3, z4M, s2000, and a r56 mini S....it feels like the car is just floating/flying through it and only 3 of the tires are on the tarmac. The bad part is right after that is a 115-40 braking and a 90* left turn...definitely a clencher in the boss. I'm really hoping it's the underdampening that's causing this, and hopefully it'll be relieved once I get my coilovers on

smbstyle

Since were on the topic of Pobst... pretty cool video and view from his S60R WC race car... holy launch control batman!

and going into the turns, you can hear him let off and that blow off valve sounds like a rocket launcher.

GGGforce

Love that turbo, wow. My DD S60R sounds nothing like that car!

cf6mech

Shane if you want.....the 25th you can check it out on my LS.

1trickpony

You might as well compare a GT to a Camaro V6. I'm not surprised at the outcome except the ZL1 is slower in the quarter mile than I expected. The only thing I question, is Motortend on the take? Everybody loved the Boss when it first came out and now its constantly talking to you like your girlfriend (I took that as a negative)? It seems like the MT slammed the Boss on every subjective point. I smell advertising money at work.

DFV

The new issue of AutoWeek (1/23/12), describes the same test of the ZL1 at Inde, see "Babes in Toyland". It was a pre-production version of the car. No mention of the 302 LS in the AW article, but I suspect it is a production vehicle brought in for the purposes of comparison. I'll withhold opinion on which is the faster, Camaro or 'Stang, until after the production cars hit the dealerships and we can have a more balanced test.

cloud9

I'll withhold opinion until I actually see one at the track. We'll see Also, this whole controversy is somewhat pointless. These magazines are for-profit businesses. Their revenue stream is advertisers. All the manufacturers are big customers of theirs, so they have to spread the love. This was clearly GM's "turn" so they get some good pub before the GT500 comes out and gets it's "turn". I truly don't think we'll see ZL1s going by Boss 302s out on the road course, nor do I actually think most owners will show up at the track with one. From a roll in a straight line on a highway, sure, but if that's your thing, buy a GT500 and say ba-bye.