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Chevy Camaro ZL1 Races Mustang GT Over a Quarter-Mile, Ford's Feelings Get Hurt

If this drag race took place in the Mortal Kombat universe, we’d have heard the game's announcer utter the word “fatality” after that Mustang finally crossed the line. Yes, it was that bad of a beatdown.
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 takes on Ford Mustang GT over a quarter mile 6 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 takes on Ford Mustang GT over a quarter mileChevrolet Camaro ZL1 takes on Ford Mustang GT over a quarter mileChevrolet Camaro ZL1 takes on Ford Mustang GT over a quarter mileChevrolet Camaro ZL1 takes on Ford Mustang GT over a quarter mileChevrolet Camaro ZL1 takes on Ford Mustang GT over a quarter mile
While it’s true that a ZL1 Camaro and a Mustang GT aren’t similar cars in terms of specifications, and one is clearly more powerful than the other, there still should have been less of a difference between these two modern-day icons over a quarter-mile.

It’s also curious how this Mustang manages not to look stock on the outside yet ended up performing worse than a stock model should. However, we are willing to accept there might have been an issue with the car, or perhaps the driver messed up while shifting gears. Any of these scenarios would explain why the car was roughly a full second slower than a factory spec Mustang GT.

At its best, the Mustang GT will put down 460 hp (466 ps) and 420 lb-ft (569 nm) of torque when equipped with a Gen III Coyote V8 engine. Models with Gen II units, meanwhile, have 435 hp (441 PS) and 332 lb-ft (432 Nm) of torque. We’d really like to know what type of gearbox this Mustang has because the 10R80 ten-speed auto is by far its greatest weapon.

As for the Camaro ZL1, this is the high-performance version of the SS specification, which is what you’d normally compare to a GT-spec Mustang. Powering the Chevy is a 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 unit, the same as you get in the Corvette Z06. That means 650 hp (659 PS) and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque are getting sent to its rear wheels—considerably more than its opponent here.

In the end, yes, this was far from a fair fight, and while the Camaro did cross the quarter-mile marker in 11.9 seconds (just 0.2 seconds shy off its official pace), the Mustang took a staggering 13.7 seconds.

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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
Sergiu Tudose profile photo

Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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