Thursday, April 8, 2010

Inside Line runs the numbers on 2011 Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro V6 models


2011 Mustang V6

Before your palms get all sweaty, let's be clear – the boys and girls at Inside Line have put the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro LT and the base 2011 Ford Mustang toe-to-toe. This isn't the big bad SS vs GT throwdown the world has been clamoring for, but that's fine by us. Both models dish out over 300 horsepower, and when it comes right down to it, there will be more V6 engines battling it out in high school parking lots that V8s.

So how'd they do? The big-boned Camaro V6, complete with its 3,790-pound curb weight, managed to dish out a 6.1-second 0-60 mph run, a 14.3-second quarter-mile time and .86 g on the skidpad. Coming down from 60 mph, the Bowtie delivered a stopping distance of 111.78 feet. Those are all solid numbers, to be sure, but they don't quite stack up to what Ford brought to the table with its pony.

The Mustang is a considerably smaller car in nearly every way, and right off the bat, it has 282 fewer pounds to lug around. With a curb weight of 3,508 pounds, the Mustang clicked off a 5.6-second 0-60 mph sprint, a 13.9-second quarter-mile and .91 g on the skidpad. Can you say "smoked?" Throw in 60-0 mph in 103 feet, and it's clear Ford wanted to ensure that the 'Stang not only puts the hurt on its arch rival from General Motors, but it's also clear that the Blue Oval was seeking to build a solid all-around performer.

Before the Chevrolet faithful start clamoring about price, it should be noted that both cars fall within $1,000 of each other. The General clearly has a lot of work to do before the 2011 models roll out, but we have it on good authority that their engineers are hard at work. Fortunately for enthusiasts, this clearly isn't the end-all, be-all... it's just the latest volley.

Source: Autoblog

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