It revs freely and pulls linearly, and its quick throttle makes slight output adjustments easy. In other words, the next Challenger will be the same size as the current Camaro (the Alpha platform Camaro is coming in 2016). But there's something magical about a Chevy small-block. Tough to put into words, but it reminds me of watching old Trans Am Series races. 2021 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody vs 2021 Ford Mustang GT Fastback. Around the flat, skidpad-like Turn 14, the Camaro's cornering grip is 15 percent higher than the Challenger's -- that's a massive advantage. Chevrolet followed up Ford's ponycar lead with the Camaro in 1966, and Mopar mashed up A- and B-bodies to create the Dodge Challenger in 1969. The Challenger rides on Chrysler's LX platform; the Camaro's a cut-down Holden Commodore; and the all-new Mustang still contains traces of Lincoln LS, most notably the floorpan, which results in a high heel point. Having IRS is one thing; having IRS make your car handle better is another. But today, Pittsburgh thrives as an Appalachian ­Silicon Valley, drawing the likes of Apple and Google and consistently ranking among the best cities in America for just about anything—starting a business, raising a family, or drunkenly brawling at football tailgates. George Kennedy | August 21, 2020 Photo: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles / Ford Motor Company / General Motors › 1 of 15 › The Battle for the Best American Sports Car … We know from experience that you can fit six 7.5x17-inch wheels in the trunk—or, if you’d like to stick with the Scat Pack theme, 16 cubic feet of fertilizer. What about out on the Surfschleife? There, in a nutshell, are these three cars: one with tremendous power, another, amazing grip, and the third, somewhere in the middle. So much grip, so much confidence -- outstanding! After some hostile banter, Sam says, "You know, I actually favor the old 1911." The venue is a quarter-mile NHRA-sanctioned drag strip at Mission Raceway Park in British Columbia, Canada. The Mustang is a coupe, and the Charger is a sedan. The details on the competitors in the video above are limited to the fact that one car is a Charger Scat Pack and the other is a Mustang GT. But they’re executed in generation-old plastics on the lower dash, console, and elsewhere. Jump to Latest Follow ... for instance years ago the difference in gas mileage between a V6 Mustang vs. a V8 was just 1mpg, really insignificant -- but the cost to insure for younger drivers was substantially less for the V6 model than the V8 model. Also, there's way too much front overhang. But that would be inaccurate; it’s more like driving Hillsdale, Michigan (population: 8305). It will sticker for $39,490. The Challenger is about 400 pounds heavier than the others, and Chevy and Ford are on the just barely acceptable side of big-boned. One is they're blatantly American. 2020 Chevrolet Camaro vs. 2020 Dodge Challenger vs. 2020 Ford Mustang: Muscle Car Battle; Facebook Twitter. So, too, was the neutral handling balance, a preference cemented at the test track, where the Camaro circled the skidpad at 1.01 g’s. Dodge likes to call the Charger a "4-door muscle c… Weird, right? I'll keep this short and sweet. The Scat Pack hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and pummeled the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds at 112.3 mph. Says Seabaugh, "The 1LE is unflappable. Back to straight-line fury: You sure don't notice the extra lard when the light turns green. The car is massive. Dodge’s engineers have done an impressive job of taming the Challenger’s bulk, but they would do better if they could simply reduce it. 3850. The stitched dash pad, soft-touch panels, and matte-silver toggle switches give the impression that designers fussed over every detail. Special props are due for the engine. I'd road-trip this car, no problem." That won’t do in the first vehicle to offer a factory line lock. For all its heroics, the 1LE’s stiff suspension beats up the occupants on bumpy drives. I sold my mustang GT CS so that I could get the Scat Pack Charger. Also, there's a reason we don't just publish numbers and call it a day. For as similar as they are dimensionally, the Mustang feels dramatically different from the Camaro. Muscle cars drag racing - Ford Mustang Gt takes on Dodge Charger 392 Scat Pack,sound ,acceleration and top speed of modern muscle cars If you believe with an honest appraisal of your situation a new car is in your … As such, it's not a constant problem (kidding). The biggest difference between the Camaro and the others on the fun-to-drive portions of tarmac was confidence. The world first saw the Ford Mustang in 1964. I'm not quite 40 years old, but I well remember when the Lamborghini Countach 5000S made -- are you sitting down? 15/18/25 : 16/19/24 : doors; 2 : 2 : passenger capacity; 4 : 4 : warranty - 3 yr./ 36000 mi. Says associate editor Rory Jurnecka, "The Challenger feels like it smothers the road. Slick automatic transmission . Word is that a new Challenger is coming in 2017 on an all-new platform, and will be at least 300 pounds lighter and 8 inches shorter, with a smaller wheelbase. The closely matched Mustang and Camaro approach it more slowly but go deeper, with the Ford checking its speed first though decelerating far less drastically than the Dodge. Still, like all V-8 Challengers, there's something totally lovable about the Scat Pack. The 6.2-liter cam-in-block V-8 in the Camaro reminds me of a scene from the film "Ronin." Curb Weight (lbs.) The two cars vying for position are the 2019 Ford Mustang GT and the 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320. Even if you were to idle the new Mustang across a perfectly smooth surface—say, a showroom floor, an under­taking readers are advised to pursue—its specialness would show. Exactly. Dec 4, 2014 View Photos. Turn the 1LE team loose on a smaller, lighter car and even the new Mustang will be feeling the heat. Specifically because the Mustang GT has packed on 196 pounds of heft compared to the last GT Track Pack we tested. It is interesting to note the trap speeds of these two. If life consisted of nothing but straight lines, the Challenger Scat Pack would be your winner. First, the Challenger Scat Pack lines up against a Ford Mustang GT. Iron Mike Tyson once said, "Everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the mouth." Although it can't match the 15.7-inch meaty brakes on the M2 Competition. I just don't get it. What a difference four years makes…. Dodge continues to vigorously plunder its past with the new R/T Scat Pack, which takes its name from a 1968-71 Dodge marketing program and takes its engine from the modern-day SRT. The Mustang has a separate fan following for sure, but the Challenger has proved itself time and again to be a worthy competitor. The future is anyone's to win, as is a future ponycar comparison test. Huzzah!" The Dodge Challenger and the Ford Mustang are equally capable muscle cars, and probably are the most favorite ones. 3685. Ford Mustang Exterior. The more things change, they then change right back. We can’t say the same for the 145-foot stop from 70 mph, but only because you’d be lucky to get that out of a six-figure supercar today. It’s just 2.3 inches shorter, 0.1 inch narrower, and 0.2 inch taller. Another is long-hood, short-deck styling suggesting a corral full of horsepower. 2021 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack vs 2021 Ford Mustang GT . One of them was new for 2019 — the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 — and the other was the 2018 Ford Mustang GT with Performance Package 1. Three great American turnarounds meet again to settle the score. Jared Gall. Usually you're turning left or right. It’s a brilliant representation of the heyday of muscle cars, with a healthy dose of modern technology … A whole year has passed since the Chevrolet Camaro got its new head- and taillights, but it’s not yet wearing grooves in the porch with its rocking chair. That indicates that the Mustang is the faster car if the driver could get it to hook and get launch better. Jurnecka gets a bit less metaphoric in his praise: "The most road-racer-sounding engine in the group. The Challenger thinks different. Until then, we advise you to go grab a Camaro SS 1LE. 3600 . We voted the Challenger’s engine and the Camaro’s chassis our favorites, but both of those cars have glaring shortcomings not found in the Mustang. On our Pittsburgh loop’s wet blind crests—yes, it rained—and sharply decreasing radii, the Super Track Pak’s upgraded suspension managed the Challenger’s 4226 pounds far better than expected. But that's what happens when your wheelbase is 5 inches shorter than the Camaro's, even though the cars are only 2 inches apart in length. Now, this is the kind of fight we like to see: two modern American muscle cars with comparable stats and big V8 engines duking it out for drag race supremacy. The Mustang most impressed the three of us on the freeway. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to the  Terms of Use. Rory showed up at the rodeo in the 1LE, got out of the car smiling, and said, "I'm thinking about buying one." Defining what exactly makes a ponycar is tricky, but you can boil it down to a few key attributes. That bandwidth and adaptability make the Mustang our choice as the best product of Detroit’s muscle-car revival. Trouble for the Mustang GT is that the heavier, less powerful Camaro 1LE ran it in 24.5 seconds. The 'Stang's ride is better, but with the windows down there's not much to hear, whereas the Scat Pack's mega V-8 howls. Fitting the SRT engine into the more affordable Scat Pack, then, was an inspired move. Our car experts choose every product we feature. The Ford has a better start, but … Dodge holds tight to the adage that there's no replacement for displacement (never mind the blown Hellcat). 2016 B5 Pearl Blue Charger ScatPack … (It's rad!) And when it came time to aim our convoy along Ohio’s flat and featureless I-80 for home, nobody complained about the Challenger’s comparatively cushy ride. Turn your minds back half a decade and remember how bad the Camaro was when it launched, or even years after it launched. No doubt some of you are thinking, "Hey, the new 'Stang's 70 pounds lighter than the Camaro. Says Rory, "Plenty of passing power. New 2019 Ford Mustang GT takes on 2019 Dodge 1320 Scat Pack Challenger .Drag race,top speed ,acceleration of two of the best modern muscle cars The Challenger R/T is the only car in its class weighing more than two tons and, until now, was the only one with less than 400 horsepower. While I'm happy it's not slavishly retro, I think the new metal represents a swing and a miss. The Dodge Charger Scat Pack … Ford Mustang versus? I hope you appreciate how amazing that last sentence is. Then we get about 10 miles of straight-up cruising next to the Pacific Ocean through Malibu along the Pacific Coast Highway. The Scat Pack Charger was tuned with FBOs. It’s hard to reconcile the 2015 Ford Mustang and its competitors with the city in which muscle cars were born. Having four doors obviously makes the Charger the more family-friendly car between the two, but the 2-door configuration of the Mustang affords it sportier styling and convertible options that the Charger lacks. There's a reason the Ferrari 458 Italia doesn't have a solid rear axle. We take these two V-8-powered rear-drive two-doors to rural Pennsylvania to find out. That's considerable. This car also does have a motivating V-8 and the engines are coupled with lighting quick transmissions. The suspension trades comfort for capability to a degree that is hard to appreciate anywhere but on a track, and this interior would feel cramped and cheap at half of the 1LE’s price. Rory sums up why the brand-new Mustang didn't win this way: "I'm angry because Ford didn't benchmark the Boss for the new Mustang the way Chevy benchmarked the Z06 for the new Stingray." The Dodge Challenger Scat Pack 392 Widebody and Ford Mustang GT are costly, inefficient, impractical toys – and we love them both dearly. It is remarkable how tight this car feels. The Camaro ZL1 is one such someone, its greatest feat not being the 580 horsepower its supercharged V-8 produces, but the ingratiating way in which its chassis handles that output. It’s a sensation amplified by the long hood and how far back in the car the driver sits. To properly test such studs we ran them along one of our favorite driving routes, an approximately 45-mile butt-kicking collection of roads we call the Surfschleife. The car’s basic profile is familiar, but at anything closer than field-artillery range, the stretched proportions and tauter skin are unmistakable. The result is a car that feels as if it belongs on a racetrack and in a faster class than the Challenger and the Mustang. Three great American turnarounds meet again to settle the score. Sometimes these things are that easy. As a driver you feel more confident in the Mustang. 2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE vs. 2019 Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack Level 2. The slightest steering input results in an immediate reaction. Spence replies, "Forty-five. How much per month?" The ride was much better than in the other two ponycars. © 2021 MotorTrend | MOTOR TREND GROUP, LLC. As for not being able to see out of the Camaro, that's only when you're turning left. The steering is hefty and immediate and the unanimous favorite among our voters. The Dodge’s hulking widebody stature is sure to give owners as much joy (and attention) as its enormous V8’s torque. It might handle better than expected, but the Scat still doesn’t stick as well as the other two. Despite that fact, a touch of mush at the top of the pedal travel relegated the 1LE to second in the brake-pedal scoring. There’s a thicker rear anti-roll bar, a front-subframe K brace, and brakes from the outgoing GT500. It’s a jarring pairing, like wearing a custom-tailored shirt with sweat pants. But the Mustang’s higher side glass grants the driver spectacular views all around, and trim B- and C-pillars make this the only car of the bunch that doesn’t desperately need a rearview camera. Find the best price, mpg, 0-60, ratings, pictures, specs and features. The Scat Pack hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and pummeled the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds at 112.3 mph. With Recaros lifted from the Z/28, a boisterous dual-mode exhaust, and a few other extras, the Camaro tallies at $41,880. I know you commenter types will say different, but if you're honest with yourself, cruising on the freeway is where most of us spend the bulk of our time. There was no smooth way to run the figure eight. … Compared to the Challenger R/T Scat Pack, the Brembos on the Mustang Bullitt have much better stopping power and brake feel. If we wanted to make a bad pony-car joke, we might call the Challenger a Clydesdale. To send you galloping off into the weekend with visions of high-performance pony cars, check out this rodeo-themed three-way comparison test between 2015 the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack, 2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE and 2015 Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack. It's big and wide and wants to wrap every inch of tarmac in a giant bear hug." Hand-me-downs lose their whiff of sadness when they come from someone you love. Premium 2dr Coupe (5.0L 8cyl 10A) 1SS 2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl 6M) Good performance value . Gotta love crackling spit. A decade ago, you’d be lucky to get performance like that out of a six-figure supercar. FLASHBACK FRIDAY: In case you missed it, earlier this week, we dropped the first drive of the updated 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350  We've also been wrangling a new 2019 Mustang vs 2019 Camaro comparison test that you'll see very soon. 4232. The Mustang’s lineup includes the EcoBoost, EcoBoost Premium, the coupe-only GT, GT Premium and the coupe-only Bullitt and Shelby GT350. Technology … When we cruised next to the beach, the Mustang more or less tied the Challenger. We ranked it behind the Challenger’s engine only because its muted vocals sound as though the mufflers are stuffed with cotton. To which Sam counters, "It's served my country well. Rory felt the shifter is too notchy and high-effort. It is in fact like déjà vu all over again. I agree, and I'm going to go a step further: I'm disappointed. Back that engine up with a tight gearbox and a linear clutch and you’ve got a powertrain to match the neck-straining chassis. The Camaro 1LE is a spectacular car, a testimony to what a group of focused engineers can accomplish even inside a monolith like General Motors. Meanwhile, its two direct and highly successful foes have recently been freshened with changes of their own. Yes, yes, there are some advantages to a live axle, but they are few and far between. Finally, we get a 5-mile section of the 101 freeway in which we test things such as ride quality, cruise control, and the radio. It’s as if every bolt between the fire wall and the front hubs is torqued to the verge of snapping (minus the sense of imminent catastrophe). For now. top speed - 165 : drive type; rear wheel drive : rear wheel drive : fuel type; Premium unleaded (recommended) Premium unleaded : Pros . Christian called it a "sweetheart" on the twisty sections. At $39,490, our base Scat Pack was both the cheapest and the most powerful car in this test. Ford Mustang GT — Cars.com We brought a Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 and Ford Mustang GT to the drag strip to see which sports car does the quarter-mile best. You can't go wrong! The Camaro SS is hands-down the best driver's car of the group." The exterior is where you’ll find the most obvious differences between these two cars. That chassis lends the 1LE its toe links, rear shock mounts, and wheel bearings, while the anti-roll bars are modeled after those that tame the ZL1’s power. There is the fan following of this car which spans for more than decades to be exact. But by focusing all our attention on that animal, we missed the fact that the Dodge Boys are selling a car with 485 naturally aspirated ponies for less than $40K. The 2014 face lift also brought about a dual-mode exhaust system that isn’t an option so much as a privilege. Ford cautions that it is “intended for use only on racetracks” and that “racing your vehicle will void your warranty.” But expecting owners to wait until the warranty is up to engage this function is like thinking Justin Verlander is waiting until marriage to test-drive Kate Upton. Here's what I wrote about the Camaro SS convertible versus the Mustang GT convertible back in 2011: "While the Chevy is much improved, it's still not competitive with the Ford. How'd that happen? The current generation Ford Mustang pays visual homage to the original pony car, though with … That’s exactly what the Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack ($39,995) does with its 6.8-liter Hemi V8 (485 horsepower). For you numbers freaks: Challenger, 4235 pounds; Camaro, 3886 pounds; Mustang, 3814 pounds. This is where the IRS pays off bigtime. My notes said things like, "Superb steering. Under throttle, the rear end wanted to step out, and if you lifted, the Mustang would default to understeer. To wit: Challenger, 485/475; Camaro, 426/420; Mustang, 435/400. That's no doubt how the good men and women at Ford are feeling right now, especially because, as tested, the winning car costs about $4500 less than the optioned-up Triple Yellow Mustang. Just as many of Detroit’s assembly lines have slowed and stopped, the fires died one by one in Steel City’s mills, too. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Powered by a 5.0-L Coyote V8 engine, the GT has 460 hp and 420 lb-ft of … ... Ford Mustang GT. But after cycling through the cars, senior editor Tony Quiroga stepped out of the Camaro and proclaimed it a great track car—a meaningful distinction, as he called the Mustang a great road car (and the Challenger a great SUV). Turns out, it's not all about weight. Brakes feel strong with no fade. That's because it has a big power and torque advantage over the other two. A salesman’s pen on the tile beneath a front tire would register as a mi­nute twitch of the steering wheel. And we loved the faux-suede steering wheel, an easy grab for sweaty mitts. That’s matched by a redesigned front suspension supported by a lighter, stiffer subframe.