2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 vs Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

If you ask muscle car fans what was the best car in the history, many of them will remember a Mustang or a Camaro made between the late 60s and early 70s. Indeed, this period was a Golden Era for muscle cars, when their popularity was on its peak. Excited by the performance of Nicolas Cage on a ’67 Mustang in “Gone in 60 seconds”, many people dream about having such a car in their garage, but hardly anyone can imagine how difficult it is to manage all those horses under the hood during everyday drives. Without proper skills in handling and control, the driver could literally kill himself, if he tried to reach the limit of the car’s abilities.

Nowadays the class of pony cars is still alive, which means that Ford and Chevy still manufacture their V8-powered monsters, and the fans still argue about the superiority of their favorite model.  However, what has changed since that time, is the cars’ handling and safety systems. Stuffed with electronics, they allow amateur drivers to feel the car power without risking their lives.

To see the benefits of each car, we took the most powerful versions of 2013 Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro: Shelby GT500 and ZL1, and decided to compare them face to face. Though we know that it is unreal to determine which one is the winner, especially to devoted fans, there are some objective facts that tell the difference.

Comparing to most supercars, both cars are quite affordable starting from $54,995, even though they do not lag behind them in terms of power. As such, Selby GT500 has a 5.8 liter engine with unbelievable 650hp, and the Camaro’s 6.2 liter V8 is charged with “just” 580 horses. Looking at these cars you will notice a substantial difference from their base modifications, such as an aggressive style with large air vents to cool the hot engines.

The cars look stunning from all sides, the 2013 Camaro has a little lower and wider body, making it look like a supercar, while Shelby GT500 maintains the true muscle car design traditions. Anyway, it is a matter of taste, so we leave the right to choose to you.

The trademark Cobra badge on Shelby GT500 as well the emblem on ZL1 does not let anyone confuse the car with any other model, showing what breed they belong to. The cars received new optics, with halo lights in Camaro and redesigned rear lights in Mustang. Finally, the design of each car will leave no one indifferent, except, maybe, guys from Greenpeace.

Comparing the specs of each car, there are many common points, for example, both of them have quad exhaust, spoiler and a rear diffuser to keep the beasts firmly on the road. To ensure excellent handling, each of the Camaro’s wheels is 20’’ in diameter, while the Mustang’s wheels are 19’’ at the front and 20’’ at the rear. Camaro is also wider and longer than the Mustang, and some say that it is based on the same platform as Pontiac G8. Chevy’s pony car weighs 4120 pounds and the creation of Ford’s engineers is 270 pounds lighter, consider an advantage in the engine power, and you can expect a better dynamics from Shelby GT500. The 2013 Mustang keeps to the drag racing traditions with its solid rear axle, adding one more advantage for its fans in the “war”.  On the other side, in 2015 Shelby will shift to an independent suspension, and the next generation Camaro is expected to be lighter and faster, so be sure that the battle will continue.