Video(s): Mustang GT vs. BMW M3

Out of all the cars the Ford Mustang is compared to, most are rear wheel drive, V8 powered muscle cars. This is a natural comparison. Most people expect a little trade off in ride quality, fit and finish, and other niceties when driving a muscle car. It's just part of the deal, right?

Well, maybe not so much. Fit and finish, along with ride quality, are on the rise with each new iteration of pony car. The newest version of the Mustang has by far the nicest interior and highest quality of any previous version. But is it on par with the BMW M3, in both quality and speed?

Well maybe not quality. But in terms of not only straight line quickness, but cornering as well, the Mustang can certainly hang with its dramatically more expensive German brethren. Just how well, you ask? You'll just have to check out the videos to see.



Source: Motor Trend

2011 Ford Mustang wins first comparison test with Camaro, Challenger

The pony car wars have been fully rejuvenated, despite many obstacles such as high gas prices and a declining economy. The Mustang has been going strong for many years, while the Camaro and Challenger are reborn. Both have surpassed the Mustang in power and straight numbers.

When we found out that Ford was coming back strong for 2011 with the rejuvenated 5.0L moniker backed up by a serious boost in power, up to 412 from a paltry 315. Naturally, we expected there to be many comparison tests to follow.

The first comes to us thanks to Motor Trend. And as expected, the new Mustang claimed victory against a Camaro SS and Challenger SRT-8. Not surprisingly, thanks to it's better power to weight ratio. But the Mustang also claimed victory in quality and fit and finish. Head on over to MT to see the full comparo.

Sunday tidbits: Chevy can't keep up with Camaro demand, Mustang could have had independent suspension for $100?

File this one under not surprising: Bloomberg is saying that the demand for GM's reborn Camaro is far exceeding supply, resulting in cars selling for over their sticker price. While this is great news for an automaker wallowing in bankruptcy, it's tough news for fans of the car that have been clamoring at the bit to get one.

Dealers have already taken 25,000 orders for the new Camaro, and have delivered around half of them. Analysts told Bloomberg that the cars are going for around $500 over sticker on average, and at least one dealer is saying that he won't have one on his lot for sale in at least a year.

In other irritating news coming out of Detroit, Motor Trend's Angus MacKenzie is saying that the S197 Mustang almost got an independent suspension, and at a lower cost than you would possibly imagine.

According to MacKenzie, the 2005 Mustang was all set to get the independent suspension that it would have shared with the BA-series Falcon sedan built in Australia. Even when it was decided that the two cars would use different platforms, Ford designers set about designing an independent suspension specific to the Mustang.

So why did it still end up with a solid rear axle? According to MacKenzie, product development executive Phil Martens convinced Bill Ford Jr. that they could save $100 per car if they dropped the IRS and went with the solid axle. MacKenzie's sources say that the cost of sorting out the current Mustang's suspension actually cost $98 more per car than the IRS that could have gone in the car.

Video: More 2010 Ford Mustang burnout goodness, MT test numbers

We can never get enough tire smoke, and thankfully neither can the guys at Motor Trend.

That fact is very apparent in their latest video, which features a GT being put through it's paces.

MT garnered some pretty respectable numbers from the new GT, running a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.9 at 101.7 mph. For the record, that's two tenths quicker and 2 mph faster than the 2008 GT.

The only problem is that the 2008 Bullitt ran a 5.0 0-60 and a 13.7 quarter, but that was with a 3.73 gear. The 2010 GT that MT tested had a 3.31 gear (3.73's are optional).

Overall the folks at MT were quite impressed with the new pony car. You can read the whole first test impression here.

Chevrolet Camaro convertible on hold

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeIt wasn't a big surprise when Chrysler announced that it had nixed the idea to produce a Challenger convertible. The LX based coupe wasn't developed with a soft top in mind and it would have taken too much cash to beef up the chassis in order to remove the roof. And cash is in short supply for the big three nowadays.

Now Motor Trend is reporting that GM is delaying the release of the Camaro convertible for the same reasons. They will be delaying it's release for a year as the automaker tries to keep it's head above water. Spending money on a niche vehicle is a hard sell for GM when they're trying to get their hands on some federal bailout money, after all.

MT gets better numbers from ZR1 than C&D

Most automotive journalists have already experienced the raw, unbridled power of the new Corvette ZR1. Motor Trend has joined the party, and they brought their own extensive list of testing equipment with them.

Motor Trend tested the ZR1 at the Chrysler Proving Grounds because its 5-mile loop is one of the few places that has the space to test the ZR1's top speed. The mag was able to crest 200 wind-adjusted mph, and MT computers showed that the ZR1 was still pulling when that magical number was achieved.

Hitting 200 mph puts anything on four wheels in the supercar club, and a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds ranks the ZR1 near the top of any exclusive car club. MT testers also needed only 11.2 seconds to travel a quarter mile and crossed the magic line at 130.5 mph, which they point out is 6.1 mph faster than the Dodge Viper.

Car and Driver was the first to test the ZR1 and posted slightly slower 0-60 and quarter mile times of 3.4 and 11.5 seconds, respectively. Other impressive stats from MT, however, include a 60-0 brake distance of just 97 feet and max lateral acceleration of 1.1 g, which easily bests the Viper's .99.

Bottom line is, the ZR1 is fast.