I just got my december issue of Motor Trend and I see on the cover "Camaro SS vs Cobra mustang" and I'm like woo hoo finally a good comparison of two good cars. Yet as I was reading I got more and more disapointed, the SS only had the shitty 2.73 gears instead of the performance axle 3.23 gears. Thats only for the Auto, why they got an auto instead of a 6sp is beyond me. It's an '02 35 aniversary edition and they got an auto with bad gearing.. it still beat the stang straigh line, but ford did a good job for once with the suspension set up and it squeked by in the slalom (.68mph) but the dyno results where awful, the cobra only got 240 to the wheels and the SS only got 268. That gives the cobra a loss of about 25% and the camaro 18%. for cars with supposedly 320 hp running mid 13's something is wrong, my stock '98 Z ran 13.1 last night!

Was the Stang auto?

I just purchased that issue also. When I was done reading that article, I was left scratching my head. Anyway, I bought the issue because of the new Lambo article.

MT sucks, like all American mags, BTW EVO is the best and they actually test drive the new Lambo themselves in the current issue.

Originally posted by SymTrips
.... but the dyno results where awful, the cobra only got 240 to the wheels and the SS only got 268.

LOL

Yup EVO is definately the best car mag. But its too expensive over here.

Originally posted by Ruchmate
Yup EVO is definately the best car mag. But its too expensive over here.

I live in the same area and what the hell, it's like 4 more bucks, come on.

Are u nuts? 8 bucks or so for a mag is crazy. I bought a few when i went to England and I just read the articles at the stand here.

I buy EVO and CAR every month... Pick up Top Gear when Borders has it as well. I dont think that 24 bucks a month is too bad for those three mags... And out of American mags what do you guys think is the best? I personally prefer C+D out of the big mags and Sports Compact Car...

Road and Track, and SCC, EVO is the best though.

320bhp Cobra? I thought Cobra now has 390? And runs in the 12s?


wait a minute....this thread is almost a year old.....lol

Originally posted by RacingManiac
320bhp Cobra? I thought Cobra now has 390? And runs in the 12s?


wait a minute....this thread is almost a year old.....lol
LOL thats what i was thinking too, until I realized it was a year old. I think bringing these threads back from the dead should be illegal.

2001-2002 Cobra had a NA 4.6L making 320hp. Ran mid 13's.... Mt ****ed up on that test... no 2002 LS1 should be under 300RWHP.... if anything they should be a good 10-20RWHP over, depends on the weather and envirement they tested in I guess...

Originally posted by SymTrips
I just got my december issue of Motor Trend and I see on the cover "Camaro SS vs Cobra mustang" and I'm like woo hoo finally a good comparison of two good cars. Yet as I was reading I got more and more disapointed, the SS only had the shitty 2.73 gears instead of the performance axle 3.23 gears. Thats only for the Auto, why they got an auto instead of a 6sp is beyond me. It's an '02 35 aniversary edition and they got an auto with bad gearing.. it still beat the stang straigh line, but ford did a good job for once with the suspension set up and it squeked by in the slalom (.68mph) but the dyno results where awful, the cobra only got 240 to the wheels and the SS only got 268. That gives the cobra a loss of about 25% and the camaro 18%. for cars with supposedly 320 hp running mid 13's something is wrong, my stock '98 Z ran 13.1 last night!


First of all, no SS has been built and shipped with 2.73, the only way you can get 2.73 on a F-body is buy a Trans Am and Z28 without the "PERFORMANCE AXLE RATIO" option, this option includes 3.23 rear gears and a aluminum driveshaft and is only available on A4's.
The easiest way to tell if it has it is by the RPO codes on the door jam, if it states GU5, then it has 3.23 rear/aluminum driveshaft.
Otherwise without looking at the RPO spec sheet, go under the car and see what color the driveshaft is, if it's shiny and metal looking, it's aluminum. If it has a light rust apperance to it, it's steel and when it has a steel driveshaft, that means it has 2.73's.

Now WS6, Firehawk and SS gets 3.42 rear if it's a six speed, 3.23 rear if it's a A4.

Now the way them dumbass magazines tests it, they don't enter redline, just stay out of them, load the car up with all fluids full including the gas tank and the tires pressurized to manufactor's specs. I read a fine print of that on the bottom of MT vechicles specs sheet that stated the above.

I really don't think they get the cars and beat the hell out of them to get the #'s since I know GMHT performance magazine does it since most of the time it's the customers that brings them the car, Evans Smith does most of the testing if the customers allows them the permission to do so.
Evans Smith is a mustang driver, GMHT gave him a Z28 or SS and he got it in the 12's. GMHT creidited him for the ultra smooth shifting he does to get in the 12's, like a notchless feeling between gears down the strip. They said it felt like one gear is running the whole time.

Second of all, MT is a Ford biased magazine.

Originally posted by M Prophet


I live in the same area and what the hell, it's like 4 more bucks, come on. EVO is like 125% more expensive than RT. like Ruch said, that's just crazy for a magazine. I'm too poor to spend 9 bucks on a mag...

Evo doesnt even sell here, even if they do, you could probably get it at Chapters (prestigious bookstore), along with Roundel and Bimmer magazines. I'd rather get those, too :)

EVO is great, but the price is insane. That doesn't stop me, but it makes me think twice.