Camaro 1LE lap time bests Shelby GT500 @ VIR, comments?

[MEDISIN]

Originally Posted by tramtwo

The 1LE has done a 2:58 around VIR. No mustang has a faster time than that, with any driver on any day. The GT500 is NOT faster around the VIR than the SS equipped with the 1LE.

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The 2:58 time at VIR was set by Aaron Link (Camaro engineer). I'm not saying it's inaccurate but I feel the standardization of methodologies by the crew at C&D is a fairer basis for comparison. Perhaps a Mustang engineer should run the GT500 at VIR

Ultimately there is a 200+HP discrepancy which speaks volumes about the Camaro chassis/handling capability.

[Cooley]

http://fastestlaps.com/cars/chevrolet_camaro_1le.html For the Camaro 1LE page.

[2cnd chance]

Originally Posted by MEDISIN

The '13 GT500 is faster around VIR than the 1LE: 2013 Lightning Lap

Still the 1LE puts to shame cars that cost 2-3X. It's been funny reading the BMW/Audi/Porsche forums and the lamenting over the beating this $37k car hands out. This plus the ATS, C7, Z28 are cementing the fact that the General is killing it in chassis/handling right now. Zee Germans are especially annoyed by it. Makes it hard to justify charging so much for their offerings...but zee interiors, zee interiors are more refined lol

This I believe was the missed shift lap in the 1LE. It would have bested the GT500 except for a blown shift.

[Bosse'sBoss]

Originally Posted by MEDISIN

The 2:58 time at VIR was set by Aaron Link (Camaro engineer). I'm not saying it's inaccurate but I feel the standardization of methodologies by the crew at C&D is a fairer basis for comparison. Perhaps a Mustang engineer should run the GT500 at VIR

Ultimately there is a 200+HP discrepancy which speaks volumes about the Camaro chassis/handling capability.

YOU ARE 100% RIGHT

[Normagene]

Originally Posted by Synner

HP doesn't mean that much on that kind of track. The 500 has piss poor tires, wheels and suspension compared to the 1LE or ZL1. Theres a big difference between power and usable power.

Forgot to mention, which I think is the Super Snakes number one downfall, the Brakes, absolutely Piss Poor. I was watching motortrend doing comparison laps against the ZL1. And for the record the Shelby was faster for the first lap, second lap times were almost dead even, and from then on it was the ZL1 all the way. The Shelby's times got slower and slower because the brakes kept fading and fading as where the ZL1s times stayed consistent lap after lap with very very little change in lap times. That's why motortrend magazine picked the ZL1 over the Shelby! If Ford had dropped another 8K into it, they would of most likely produced a superior track car. And it's already a little more expensive than the ZL1, so IMO the ZL1 is definitely the Best Bang for the price$$$!!!

I just recently installed the Noweeds Exhaust Diverter System in mine, holy crap, it really sounds Bad-Ass.


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[rickr9504]

Originally Posted by Bosse'sBoss

YOU ARE 100% RIGHT

Well actually C&D admits the car should have being sub 3 minutes in their test. They had worn hot tires and that is why the car did not perform as it should have, here is the source:

[MEDISIN]

Originally Posted by 2cnd chance

This I believe was the missed shift lap in the 1LE. It would have bested the GT500 except for a blown shift.

Originally Posted by rickr9504

Well actually C&D admits the car should have being sub 3 minutes in their test. They had worn hot tires and that is why the car did not perform as it should have, here is the source:

I noticed this too. From the article:

"Almost nothing upsets this chassis, though we did manage to waste a second or so with a poorly timed three-two downshift at the end of sector three, causing a bit of predictable oversteer on hot, well-worn tires. Remove that one regrettable slip-up and add a fresh set of Goodyears, and you have a sub-three-minute car for the low, low price of $37,930."

So yes, it was possible to produce a sub-3min time just as Aaron Link did, but look back to their methodology:

"All the cars are driven hard multiple times and by multiple drivers to ensure we extract the absolute best lap from each."

So if the 3:01.5 was their best lap even with the missed 3-2 downshift, then it was an outlier, not consistent with the other laps. So yes, it could have been better with fresh tires and the proper downshift but how many other cars in the Lightning Lap could have performed better if only this and that were changed?

I still think it's the best (not perfect) basis for comparison across multiple cars and multiple years.

[2015_1LE_soon]

Originally Posted by tramtwo

No production Mustang at any cost has had a better published time than a 1LE on any road course to date.

this setup is bad assed....

What a beautiful comment...

[backeddy]

My best 1LE lat at Laguna 1:41.9x (i could not back it up though), my best lap in a ZL1 1:44.5X. Power is meaningless when it can't be used. With the extra weight and heat sink issues in both the GT500/ZL1 I would never buy one for a TRACK toy. If you just want to be a street bruiser, either will do though...........

[JimE]

Note that this was 3 years ago...

[paul84043]

The 1LE is more than the sum of its parts, it's an engineering wonder. So is the ZL1.
Aside from all the points everyone else has brought up is the close ratio 1-4th gear which allows you to keep this car in it's power band at all times.

It's really a thing of beauty and the numbers speak for themselves.