Quote:
Originally Posted by 2010REDSS
Sorry....but I strongly disagree.
The only reason these modern day versions of the "pony car wars" exist is competition.
The ZL1 1LE was a response to the GT350R, which was a response to the Gen 5 Z/28, which was a response to the Boss 302.....etc. etc.
In my opinion the long delay in the current version of the GT500 is that the ZL1 1LE set that next bar a fair amount higher than Ford saw coming. Well....that and some of the engine problems they are having with the GT350.
This competition is driving continued leaps in performance and whether you are a Chevy or a Ford guy - this is good for all of us.
Team Camaro will have a response to the GT500. Count on it. I don't have a clue what that might be.....we can all speculate and that is fun......but another bigger/faster/stronger Camaro will be coming.
One more reason I firmly believe this is true is that it would make absolutely zero sense for the "best" (defined by performance, etc.) Gen 6 Camaro to come only three years into the Gen 6 cycle. There is a lot more runway left for the Gen 6 platform and there is no way Team Camaro would toss out their best Camaro not even mid-way through the platform.
Just what that next Camaro is....I really don't know. I have some high hopes, but hope is not a strategy. 
Just my $0.02 |
While I agree the competition between the two forces better models I believe what Bhobbs was aluding to is once the models are set that is it.
5th Gen ZL1 debuts with 580HP and boom GT500 responds with 662. Hellcat comes out with 707. They could have put the LS9 in but they did not. They chose to just sit idle with 580.
GT has had continuous improvments to the engines since the Coyote debuted in 11 and Camaro has had 0 save for the transition to gen 6.
11-12 GT was 412HP, 13-14 was 420, 15-17 was 435 and now 18 is 460.
10 SS was 426, and so was 11, 12,13,14 and 15. 16 camaro debuted at 455 and still at 455. Now you might say that is because the others are playing catch up and that might be fair, but they are continuously trying to improve their powertrains. GM just stands pat.
Based on that history, I don't see the ZL1 getting the LT5 whenever the GT500 comes out.