MotorTrend Best Driver's Car: ZL1 vs. GT500
 

MotorTrend's Best Driver's car is in progress now with the GT500. Looks like it ran a 1:33.84 at Laguna Seca.

See performance #s here and video:
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ford...ers-car-video/

For comparison, the ZL1 1LE (6spd manual version) ran a 1:34.30 at Laguna Seca in the 2017 BDC competition: https://www.motortrend.com/news/chev...t-drivers-car/

Also, I think the Car and Driver Lightning Lap will be out in January (for Feb edition), so should have a VIR lap time comparison.

Here comes all the "it wasn't the same day so it doesn't count" comments. Not that I don't disagree with those but I will point out the conditions may or may not have been better for the Camaro. We'll never know. All that being said I'm glad we at least have another comparison done by the same driver (aside from the throttle house one where the gt500 had bald tires apparently). Hopefully someone else compares both cars on track same day and same driver and both car's come appropriately tired.

Even though I am soon to be in a ZL1, I can't help but be impressed by Randy Pobst's thoughts and comments, and the time he ran, in the GT500. In the video he said "beautiful balance" and was literally giggling and said "this Mustang rocks." I'm amazed at how well balanced it must feel considering the 56/44 weight distribution (vs. 54/46 in the ZL1) to have Randy P. giggling and laughing throughout his hot lap.

And to top it off he ranked it as the best track car in this year's field which includes several full blown supercars. I'm sure the GT500 is going to win BDC this year. I'll be shocked at this point if it doesn't win.

Other quotes from Randy about the GT500 from the video:
"Really impressive work from Ford Performance...DANG!"
"Mustang...Mustang...Amazing!"
"I'm just blown away."
"This is the best stopping car we have."

Also, the GT500 set a BDC record of 107 dB fly by. Yikes!

I like liking both cars, so I can just be happy with the astronomical performance potential of both cars (ZL1 and GT500). It's this competition that has evolved these cars into the supercar realm -- now imagine what GM will respond with in a hopefully future 7th gen ZL1...or if the 6th gen continues a few more years, an evolved 6th gen ZL1 with an LT5 and revised front fascia and body work...?

What a time for pony cars!

It doesn’t win. Randy mentioned somewhere else (Instagram maybe?) that his top choice didn’t win. He’s just one of many judges, but it’s still impressive he gave it the top pick.

I feel like one of the Porsche's or the C8 gets it.

By the way, on that C8 Z51.... 1:37.83. The SS 1LE put down a 1:37.78 when it was running in Best Driver's Car. Less about the exact time and more about the relative time - the SS 1LE is still proving to be the best track car for the money...

I wonder where the A10 ZL1 1LE stands at Laguna in Randy's hands? I'd bet the time in comparison to the GT500 us real close - basically on top of each other.

I don't think anyone here ever made those types of excuses. At least not in the VS sub-forum. And for sure not me.

At this point I'm not even concerned with any more Camaro vs Mustang comparos. I think it is very much clear that GM and the Camaro pretty much were the best overall and even more so when price is thrown into the mix. I doubt any of these comparos will mean anything anyway. The GT500 is priced way too far out of reach for the vast majority of people. And they're never going to pit it against a car that has all the advantages against it that it has against the ZL1 and C8. So it's pointless to even discuss as far as I care.

The GT500 is obviously bad to the bone. Stores are selling them for thousands over MSRP and have a waiting list, which makes it at least $25,000 more than you can get a ZL1 1LE for. While that's a substantial amount of money for us regular working people, it's nothing for 20 year old youtubers and professionals out there. Hell, that's the price of a several options on Porsche, Lambo, Ferrari, etc. I don't know how the GT500 rides, but I know how rough the ZL1 1LE is.

I can't stand those young youtubers. Most of them look like beta Soy boys or whiny little girls.


Society would be much better without social media.

^ I think I would have to agree. It's breeding some of the most whiniest spoiled brats ever and look how many people subscribe to them!

I kinda agree but I also think it comes down to mentality. Those of us who worked hard for what we have and earned every penny the hard way, I doubt anyone in that category would ever pay a dime extra for ADM even if it we could afford it. But then there's those who think they're in that category...they might have worked, but working for them meant being the manager at their dad's company or being handed a business or a hefty inheritance or something. Those people don't really understand that $25,000 is a hell of a lot of money. And there are those whom like I said before just do it to brag. Like, look at me, I can afford it. And that's cool.

Irregardless, to each their own. But these types of people are soo arrogant and selfish and are on such a "me only" high or want to feel like they belong to some upper echelon of people who can attain such a car that they all are paying markups. If they all simply walk out the dealership then there would never be a markup. But that also means that someone else might get the car instead of them and they won't get to be in their exclusive club, lol!! They can have the dang car for all I care.

Not to take away from the beast that is the GT500, but I feel like a car with 100 hp (and 3 years of development) advantage should have a bigger gap than .46 seconds.

I’d like to see a test of average lap time over 10 laps, simulating a typical run session at a HPDE type event. That would be a test of real world performance, not just a one-lap wonder. Can the brakes handle the heat, are the tires being overworked, cooling systems up to the task, etc. I doubt the 500 could even do 10 laps without having to stop for fuel...

The 500 is an extremely impressive, American engineered beast!

SS1LE is the greatest performance bargain we've ever seen.