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Old 05-13-2013, 07:37 AM   #1
jwfisher
Racetracks have turns
 
Drives: 58 Hupmobile
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 6
2016 Camaro versus 2015 Mustang - on spreadsheets

With all the discussion about the upcoming next generations of the Mustang and Camaro, I decided to put what we know in a spreadsheet, and then take it to the next step.

I called it "educated extrapolation" because we know certain things about the 2015 Mustang and 2016 Camaro. In the case of the Ford there has been a degree of discussion of it from Ford (versus rumor), we have seen the engineering mules, and because as a member of the press I've been seeing Ford do their thing for the past few generations of the Mustang.

And I've done the same thing for the Camaro. We know the Camaro will be based on the 100% brand new "Alpha" platform (currently used by the Cadillac ATS and 2014 CTS) - so unless Chevy makes another over-sized decision out of the great new platform, we could have a base Camaro weight of as little as 3275 pounds for the base 4-cylinder turbo model. we won't know the size for sure until we see a mule, but because of the weight loss directive and because the new platform is the ATS, we know the general size of the Camaro will be somewhat smaller and considerably lighter.

And since the LT1 has now become the base corporate V-8, that means the 450 HP base V-8 Camaro will pull only 7.74 pounds per HP. That's astounding. And should be sobering to Ford engineers.

Even more so going forward into the future, it's not the ultimate HP number that matters, it's the pounds-per-HP. And the required fuel economy, working in increments towards that 54.4 CAFE corporate average by 2025. The LT1 makes it's contribution to that with state-of-the-art direct injection and cylinder deactivation.

And right now Ford has no direct answer to the latest GM engine assault, except to take every single pound possible out of the retreaded S550 platform. And before somebody quotes numbers from an upscale Mustang that is paying licensing fees to a dead icon from the 60s, remember that this is the base V-8 car that we are talking about. Not yet the higher-up models.

Here's the link to my post and the spreadsheet of Camaro specs: http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/?p=15925. And the link to my spreadsheet of the 2015 Mustang: http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/?p=13283. Read the text first for my full explanation.

And in both cases, I've added the current cars to the spreadsheet for purposes of comparison. And in the case of the Camaro, I've added the ATS specs to it, since we know the Camaro will use that platform.
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