Just an observation from an EVO VIII owner...

I am truly at a loss for words when it comes to the Mustang vs. Camaro rivaly...I cannot believe that any Mustang owners can talk **** about Camaros...I have raced 3 Stangs and 2 Z28's...all were slightly modified based on the exhaust note and sound of the engines. I spanked all 3 stangs easily, but both Z28's edged me out after 5000 rpms in 4th gear...I am virtually bone stock for all the record...Now obviously I don't know what every car had under the hood as far as bolt-ons and tuning, but I would say that the top end in the 5.7L V8 is much more powerful than the 4.6L V8...Anyone have a perspective on this? Maybe I have some type of issues with my top end? Has anyone in a stock EVO VIII put it down on a Z28?

 

i have owned both cars. 2001 z-28 and 2002 gt. yes the z-28 was faster, but the mustang was just a better car plain and simple.

 

We would all be winners if this rivalry consisted of racing head on to see which one sustained the most damage.

 

I was not thorwing a low blow by anymeans...I dig the body sytling of the stang over the Camaro in recent years and it is still a bad-*** car!! I was just surprised when it happened...

 

Yup, since 1993, the Camaros have mostly been faster, except for maybe the new supercharged Cobra and it's a heavy sucker. Traditionally, SCCA T2 class made the Z28s use an air intake restrictor to slow them down enough to make them competitive with Mustang Cobras - and E36 M3s.

My 1995 Z28 was very close overall with my buddies 98 Cobra and in 1995 the Camaro had the less powerful LT1. The LS1 powered cars pretty well clobbered the Mustang.

Jim

 

This is an AGE old rivalry that goes back years. I've owned both too ('96GT...DOG slow, and a '98 WS6 Formula - MUCH faster ) and while I have a preference for the F-bodies overall, I think the new GT is a decent piece too. They're both decent performers for not a whole lot of money with, again, lots of history behind 'em both.

 

The Camaros have great top end. I went up against a modded LS1 Z28 and I couldn't even out launch him. The kid was about my age and he launched the damn thing perfectly. From there he just kept pulling. LS1s are good engines and respond very well to mods. Up until the '03 Cobra, the Mustange wasn't really competitive with the LS1. But with the supercharger in the '03/'04 Cobra, they started destroying LS1s.

 

I've got a 95 Z28 and am very familiar with mods on the LT1 (93-95) and LS1 (98-02) cars. The LT1s make about 250-260 whp stock (100 mph 1/4 mi trap speed) and the LS1s make about 300-325 whp stock (105-109 mph 1/4 mi trap speeds). Both respond very well to hotter cams and ported heads. For example, my 95 passes emissions easily and runs low 12s at ~113 with a mild cam and ported heads. Torque is 330+ at the wheels from about 2500 rpm