I'm not a Ford guy but the Shelby is a WICKED machine!!! It looks intimidating, sounds wicked, a has near 700hp, top speed of 196mph, and its American muscle!!! There are a few cars that demand respect... That is definitely one of them!
I'd have a car with it's power envelope available to me for a track car or "weekender" as described above. I'd probably lean more towards the Camaro because of it's suspension.
Neither the Camaro or the Mustang have been one of my "I want that one" kind of car. Corvettes (or a '62 'Bird convert) have always been on the top of that list.
If you want the best power/torque to price ratio, this is the car for you. You get more than double the torque and power of many so-called sports cars, and for less than double the price. The ZL1 has better ride quality (like the CTS-V) than the GT500 and would have a more comfortable ride for daily use. However, the ZL1 has lousy interior ergonomics, less comfortable seats (IMO), and outward visibility is lousy for daily use. The CTS-V is a better choice than the ZL1, unless exterior styling or price are major factors. The GT500 weighs about 300 lbs less than the ZL1 and has an extra 80 hp, giving it a substantially better power to weight ratio. I've also heard many ZL1 owners complain about the launch control system, and though the system in the GT500 has faults, it's better than the ZL1s. (The GT500 lets you choose the launch RPM, and the ZL1 decides for you based on temperature, barometric pressure, and a host of other variables).
In the hands of a capable driver, the GT500s handling isn't far off the ZL1s. I will say that based on my experience behind the wheel of the Shelby and CTS-V, the CTS-V (or ZL1) is easier to drive fast for someone unfamiliar (like myself) with either car. Some critics have even argued that the GT500 is better balanced, but I can't agree with that. I test drove three different CTS-Vs (one manual and two automatics) and the magneto suspension is very comfortable in the normal touring mode and it firms up and inspires confidence in the sport setting. Despite the comfort, they did feel heavy and didn't have the same fun, sporty feel as the Shelby. I test drove three different Mustangs including a 2012 Shelby, 2012 Boss 302, and 2013 Roush RS3. Nobody would allow test drives of the '13 GT500. The Shelby or the Boss would make a great daily driver, but the Roush wouldn't, at least not in my opinion. To my surprise, the Shelby and Boss felt very refined and were very well rounded cars.
Don't let us decide for you. Go out and see for yourself. Take a Shelby, ZL1, and CTS-V for a test drive. If you can't find a '13, test out a '12 model. Everyone likes different things and what's important to one person may not be important to someone else. I also recommend you go to some other forums for information direct from current owners of all the cars you are interested in testing/buying.
In the vid, you'll see that his lap time was 2 minutes, 49 seconds on the 3 km long circuit.
My best lap time on that same circuit with my 06 SRT8 (stock motor with a CAI and Diablo tune) was 2:31, this past summer. Was the 500 pilot going flat out?
From the video, I'd say no. In talking to some guys that were there that day for the Ford video shoot, I was told there was also a new Boss 302 out on the track and it turned better times than the Shelby.
Very confusing. Can't really give you a good opinion unless I was able to actually drive the Shelby myself. I doubt if that's gonna happen!
Yeah, the Boss 302 is a better track car. Can you confirm that was a 2013 Shelby GT500? The 2013 has an extra 100+hp over the 2012 model. I barely heard any tire sqeal at all in that Shelby video. It's really hard to determine if the driver was pushing the Shelby to its full potential from watching that video. I have a feeling it wasn't pushed all that hard. We all know that a skilled driver could probably run a faster lap in a Honda Accord than an unskilled driver could in a much faster car.
Here's a video of a 2013 Shelby being driven pretty hard around Sebring:
My buddy just got his 2013 GT500... it's a monster. I'm not a mustang guy at all but this car was borderline scary IMO. Crazy power and sounds fantastic but my SRT is much more comfortable as a daily driver. Having said that, I'd love the new Cuda to be similar to this 500 in terms of raw power but with a few more creature comforts and bit more refinement (if that is possible).
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