Camaro SS Drops Rear Seats for Less Weight, Then Looks to Drop Shelby GT350

That is why we found this sixth-generation Camaro so interesting. Aside from running an E85 mod, it’s just a regular Camaro SS, albeit one that’s now missing its rear seats. Granted, that’s not an extreme weight-saving measure, but it should definitely make a difference when accelerating.

The Chevy also has a six-speed manual gearbox, which would normally put it at a disadvantage in terms of shift times, but that’s not an issue here, seeing as how the Shelby GT350 is also equipped with a six-speed manual of its own in the Tremec TR-3160 unit.

In terms of muscle, the Camaro SS is animated by a 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine, putting down 455 hp (461 PS) and 455 lb-ft (616 Nm) of torque. A little extra power is to be expected here courtesy of the E85 mod, but nothing major. Still, we reckon this example should hit 60 mph (96 kph) in just under 4 seconds, seen as how 4.0 seconds flat is the time advertised by Chevy for a stock Camaro SS.

Of course, 0-60 times aren’t particularly important when racing from a roll. That is where torque really comes into play, as do the drivers since they’re the ones doing the shifting.

Speaking of torque, the Camaro SS actually has more of it than the Shelby GT350, whose 5.2-liter flat-plane crank V8 puts down 526 hp (533 PS) and 429 lb-ft (582 Nm). Keep in mind this car is also running on E85, so it too has a little extra power on tap.

In the end, this was a really close fight, which makes perfect sense when you add up all the variables.