2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500


A bit of tape on these otherwise ordinary-looking cars have rumors flying that the next-generation Mustang GT500 could be twin-turbocharged. (Well, the tape isn’t the sole reason behind the speculation; the intercoolers visible in their grilles are fanning the flames, too.) But we’re not buying it. Superchargers also need intercoolers and, as we previously reported, the next evolution of the Shelby GT500—due as a 2013 model—again will be supercharged. This time, it’ll have upwards of 600 hp.

Ford insiders we talked to pretty quickly deep-sixed the GT500 turbo rumors. While the Mustang seen here wears the body of the top Stang, it’s possible that it could be a test bed for lesser EcoBoost engines. Rumors of EcoBoost Mustangs have persisted since the engines were first announced. However, the Mustang engine roster was just recently overhauled, and there’s not really any room for the turbocharged, direct-injected family in the lineup. The turbo V-6’s output encroaches too much on 5.0 territory, and the current car’s 305-hp naturally aspirated base V-6 is so good—finally—that we can’t see Ford taking a chance and replacing it already.

Stepping into the 600-hp club with the GT500 won’t be an easy move. Our guess is that the cars pictured here are working to help ensure that the harder-hitting Shelby can keep its cool. Development in the auto industry is ongoing; if you ever talk to a hot rodder, he’ll tell you his car is never done—and he’s only got one. Just imagine that cycle for a company that builds more than a million cars a year.

Supercharged 2012 Chevrolet Camaro May Not Be Called Z28

Supercharged 2012 Chevrolet Camaro May Not Be Called Z28


Since July, we’ve had photographic proof that Chevy’s engineers are hard at work on a supercharged version of the Camaro. The hot pony car is slated to receive a version of the blown 6.2-liter LSA V-8 from the Cadillac CTS-V, where it produces 556 hp. The usual questions of “When?” and “How much?” remain open, and we can now add a third to the list: What’s it to be called?

Not So Fast (About that Z28 Name)

Although many—including us—speculated that this range-topping Camaro would wear Z28 badging, GM insiders tell us it isn’t a sure thing. While our sources are tight-lipped on other possibilities, other Z-based historic nameplates could be in the running, such as ZL-1 and IROC-Z. (We don’t think the ’80s are distant enough for the latter to be a good idea.)

Following a recent Chevrolet dealer meeting, one industrious Camaro fan hopped on a popular message board to post that production of the Camaro Z28 would begin on January 1, 2012—although we’re skeptical that the Canadian Auto Workers union wants its crew on the Camaro’s Oshawa, Ontario, assembly line working on a New Year’s Day, let alone one that falls on a Sunday. The rest of the report, however, is congruous with what we’ve heard: The über-Camaro will sport a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, Magnetic Ride Control likely will be included, the exterior will be styled for maximum inspiration of terror, and the interior will receive modest upgrades.

Improvements for the Rest of Camaro Range

Chevy isn’t looking to do a full-on face lift for the Camaro line—at least not for a few years—but instead is planning to update its neo-muscle car progressively. All Camaro interiors will receive some slight enhancements in the coming year, but GM’s main focus at this point is balancing out the car’s proclivity for understeer. In addition, the V-6 engine in the entry-level Camaro is headed to the massage parlor, where it may be dubbed LFX. Regardless of its christening, the six should emerge with greater efficiency and a very small bump in power from the current 312 hp. (Some Camaro fans have been speculating a jump to 330 or more, but we’re assured the actual increase will be much less.)

It’s not clear whether these evolutionary changes will arrive in time for the special 45th Anniversary Edition Camaro, which arrives this summer. Between prepping that car, launching the convertible this February, updating the V-6, and getting the supercharged model to market, the Camaro team has a busy year ahead of it. We just hope they find time to settle on a name.

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302, Boss 302 Laguna Seca

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302, Boss 302 Laguna Seca


Bullitt. Cobra. Shelby. Mach 1. Ford’s charismatic Mustang has taken on many roles, many forms, and many names during its 46-year history, and the company’s modern marketing machine has pillaged pretty much all of them in the past decade. Boss, however, has stayed largely in the shadows, adorning a few track-only specials sold in extremely limited quantities.

The Boss Mustang is hitting the streets once again in the form of the track-oriented Boss 302 unveiled at the Rolex Historic Races at Laguna Seca. According to the company, the 2012 Mustang Boss 302 is the “quickest, best-handling straight-production Mustang ever offered by Ford.” It pays homage to its track-star forebears by lightening and strengthening key components, juicing up the engine, and wrapping it all in the vintage color schemes that Boss Mustangs are known for still today.

A Redux Whose Time Has Come

Aerodynamic changes include a deeper front air dam and a rear spoiler. Not accidentally, the changes stylistically connect the new car to its predecessor, right down to the livery, including Competition Orange, Performance White, Kona Blue, Yellow Blaze, or Race Red. These are offset by white or black C-stripes and a matching roof.

Inside, however, the 2012 Boss 302 couldn’t be less like the original—today’s UPS trucks come with more creature comforts than most track-oriented muscle cars from the late 1960s. The new Boss models receive an Alcantara-covered steering wheel, dark metallic dash and door panels, a black shift knob, and cloth seats with “suede-like” center inserts. The GT500’s Recaro front bucket seats are optional. Eleven pounds of sound-deadening material are missing, to allow more of the engine’s uniquely tuned exhaust sound to fill the cabin.

What a Difference Four Decades Makes

While the ’69 Boss 302 may be the stuff of legends, by modern standards, its (claimed) 290 hp at 5800 and 290 lb-ft of torque at 4300 rpm is less power and only marginally more torque than the 2011 Mustang’s V-6, never mind the brawny V-8 powering the GT. In the Boss, the GT’s 5.0-liter is upgraded with new intake runners, revised camshafts, and more aggressive engine controls, raising output from the 412 hp to 440. Torque drops slightly, from 390 lb-ft to 380.

The power gets to the wheels via a short-throw six-speed manual transmission with a beefed-up clutch, while the rear end packs a 3.73:1 axle ratio and carbon-fiber plates within the limited-slip differential. A Torsen diff is an available upgrade paired with the Recaro seat option.

One of the most interesting features of the 2012 Boss 302 is its quad exhaust system, developed to give the car a unique sound. The two primary pipes exiting the rear handle most of the exhaust gases, while two smaller pipes branch off from the exhaust crossover and exit discreetly along the lower body sides, just in front of the rear wheels, sending gases through a set of metal discs that generate unique sounds. Should the owner live somewhere with more lax noise regulations, the plates can easily be removed in favor of aftermarket dump valves.

Race Car with a License Plate?

In its quest to turn the Boss 302 into what it calls “a race car with a license plate,” Ford upgraded the GT’s suspension with stiffer springs and bushings, adjustable shocks, and a thicker rear anti-roll bar. Ride height drops 11 mm up front and 1 in the rear. As with the original Boss 302, shock adjustment is done manually—in this case via a screw atop each shock tower—among five stiffness settings.

The Mustang’s electric steering system has also been reworked, giving the driver a choice of three feedback settings—Comfort, Normal, and Sport. Traction and stability-control systems are reprogrammed to offer a choice of full engagement, no engagement at all, or an intermediate sport mode.

The 302’s black-painted wheels measure 19 by 9 inches in front and 19 by 9.5 in back; wrapped by 255/40 front and 285/35 rear Pirelli PZeros. The GT’s optional Brembo brakes are upgraded with high-performance pads and unique ABS calibration.

Ford’s performance claims for the 2012 Boss 302 include cornering capability in excess of 1.0 g, shorter stopping distances than provided by the GT—even with its available brake upgrade—and a 155-mph top speed. Ford declined to provide acceleration figures, but the 302 should handily beat the 2011 Mustang GT’s marks of 4.6 seconds from standstill to 60 mph and 13.2 seconds through the quarter-mile at 109 mph. Whatever the time, it will certainly best the ’69 Boss 302’s 6.5 seconds to 60 and 14.9-second quarter-mile at 93 mph. (That seemed much faster back then.)

Lighter and Tighter: Laguna Seca Edition

Additionally, Ford is launching an even more exclusive “Boss 302 Laguna Seca” model for the harder-core buyer. It ditches the rear seat and some creature comforts while additionally stiffening the body and suspension, and carrying over the aerodynamics package from the Ford Racing Boss 302R almost unchanged.

The 2012 Mustang Boss 302 and 302 Laguna Seca hit dealerships sometime in 2011 at a price yet to be determined. Figure around $36,000 for the base 302 and upwards of $40,000 for the Laguna Seca. Considering that Ford isn’t having any trouble finding homes for its $50,000 Shelby GT500s, we expect the limited-edition Bosses to likewise go quickly.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28


When we first saw these photos, we were pretty sure this Camaro-shaped vehicle was a Chevrolet, but someone managed to deftly tape over the trunklid badge. How could we be sure? Then we noticed the bow tie on the door, and came to the airtight conclusion that this car is indeed a Chevy. But what’s under the hood?

Luckily, in another sticker-related misstep, someone opened the door and revealed one of the most poorly placed communiqués we’ve ever seen: a tag on the dash that confirms that this is a Camaro Z28—a vehicle often rumored but not officially announced. Even better, the sticker reveals that this mule is powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 backed up by a six-speed automatic transmission. Chances are very good that this is the Cadillac CTS-V’s LSA powerplant, which is rated there for 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque, as opposed to the higher-powered LS9 V-8 from the Corvette ZR1. Chances are equally good that the Camaro Z28 also will be offered with the CTS-V’s six-speed manual. So, in a sense, you can think of the Z28 as the bow-tie version of the CTS-V coupe, and the ultimate in attainable Chevy awesome.

The tape and camo is thwarting our ability to discern all of the styling changes, but we do note a few. The rocker panels might be reshaped, and there’s a new rear fascia with quad pipes sticking out. (The current top-dog Camaro, the SS, sports dual exhaust pipes.) And we bet the mosquito netting up front is hiding some mean-looking grillework. The matte-black rims are wrapped in wide, Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, and there’s some seriously big brake hardware on display.

Obvious competition will come from the 550-hp, supercharged Mustang Shelby GT500 and Dodge’s naturally aspirated Challenger SRT8, the latter of which is expected to be bulking up from 6.1 to 6.4 liters in the near future. Then there are the myriad tuned Camaros; we’ve reviewed both a supercharged Camaro SS from Lingenfelter and Hennessey’s LS9-powered HPE700 Camaro.

And while we usually have to make an educated guess as to when prototypes such as this will appear in showrooms, that info also was revealed by the dash sticker. Expect this awesomest of factory Camaros for the 2012 model year. We predict a Detroit auto show reveal in January, and expect sales to commence by the fall of next year.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Z28

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Z28


Contrary to popular perception, there is not just one higher-performance Chevrolet Camaro on the way, but two thumpers. It is ­perhaps instructive to look, as Chevrolet has, at the current Ford Mustang lineup. In addition to the bread-and-butter V-6, V-8, and convertible versions, the Mustang ­corral includes the ground-pounding supercharged Shelby GT500 and the track-oriented, naturally aspirated Boss 302.

Chevrolet will match Ford move for move, first with what company insiders call the “HP” edition. This is the model that until recently had been assumed to get the Z28 badge. It carries the Cadillac CTS-V’s supercharged LSA V-8 engine making at least 550 horsepower, bolted to a six-speed manual. The CTS-V also donates an updated version of its magnetorheological shocks and asymmetrical half-shafts (differing diameters) to reduce axle hop. From the Corvette comes an active exhaust system with a flap that opens at high engine speeds to reduce back pressure. It’ll carry massive, track-ready, two-piece Brembo rotors and new high-perform­ance Goodyear tires, at 285 mm front and 330 mm rear. It should get to 60 mph in less than four seconds. The monster engine will be covered by a bulged and louvered hood, the center section of which is made of that fastest of materials, carbon fiber. The top-shelf Camaro will also have a higher, trunklid-mounted spoiler and a unique front fascia with a deeper chin. Owing to this car’s overwhelming power, the company decided to change its name to the more historically consistent ZL1 badge, as that model was a big-block bruiser, not a track-tuned road racer like the Z28. The ZL1 will go on sale in February of  2012.

More interested in track days than high-tech dampers? Chevrolet plans to have you, and the Boss 302, covered. Around April of  2012, Chevy will release what so far has been referred to by insiders as the “Track Pack.” This significantly stiffened Camaro will be the hard-core version, with handling as its primary focus. That doesn’t mean it won’t get a power upgrade, though. The “Track Pack,” which might inherit the Z28 moniker, could have an uprated iteration of the standard V-8 or a version of the LS7 7.0-liter V-8 from the Corvette Z06. Both high-performance models will—like all 2012 Camaros—carry revised interiors, too.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro Gets 45th Anniversary Edition, Face Lift, and 323-hp V-6

2012 Chevrolet Camaro Gets 45th Anniversary Edition, Face Lift, and 323-hp V-6


The first time we experienced a major oil shock—the Disco-fabulous 1970s—it eviscerated the muscle-car scene, leaving us with neutered behemoths constructed with all the care of a North Korean knock-off Benz. In comparison, as today’s crude oil and prices at the pump again head north, muscle-car fans are still coming out winners. Ford’s Mustang Boss 302 is a track-attacking monster. And now Chevy is actually increasing the standard horsepower in its base V-6 2012 Camaro, from 312 to 323, while maintaining a 30-mpg highway rating.

Happy Birthday to You

For the hard-core Camaro community, though, the bigger news is the 45th Anniversary Edition Camaro. While a 45th birthday is less noteworthy than a 50th, who wants to wait another five years? By then, the Camaro will probably be a wheatgrass-electric hybrid. The 45th Anniversary package is available for the top-spec Camaro regardless of engine, and dresses up the car’s exterior with asymmetric hood and trunk-lid stripes, new-design 20-inch rims, a spoiler, and HID headlamps. Inside, the package splatters 45th Anniversary logos all over the place—seats, dash, instrument panel, steering wheel, sill plates—and trims the seats, steering wheel, shift boot, armrests, and center console in red, white, and blue contrast stitching. Disappointingly—but not surprisingly—it offers no performance upgrades. It should, however, look very sharp at the local Sunday-morning car club, alongside owners clad in Camaro hats, T-shirts, and windbreakers, clutching Camaro key chains and Camaro thermoses.

As for that smaller engine, GM’s 3.6-liter V-6 is its workhorse, powering everything from the Cadillac SRX (as of yesterday) to the Buick LaCrosse. The Camaro’s version is now dubbed LFX (in the past it was called LLT), and it makes 323 hp versus last year’s 312. The engine has longer-duration camshafts and an improved head design with larger intake valves. It drops 21 pounds, mostly thanks to a composite (read: plastic) intake manifold and lighter connecting rods, and Chevy says it is still good for 30 mpg on the highway.

On the dynamic front, engineers went to work on the chassis, sorting the stiff ride of the V-8-powered Camaro SS. The new suspension features retuned front and rear dampers, and new solid anti-roll bars front and rear. You know the drill though—we’ll believe it when we drive it.

Bye, Bye, Miss Steering-Wheel Pie

General Motors was also kind enough to clean up the Camaro’s interior for 2012. Most notably, the deep-dish steering wheel—the bane of people everywhere who like steering wheels—is gone, replaced with Chevrolet’s corporate tiller. The gauges dump the retro font from last year’s car, and the monolithic slab of cheap plastic that used to span the majority of the dash has been replaced with several smaller panels. (We just hope the quality is better.) To deal with the Camaro’s pillbox-inspired visibility problems, Chevy added a standard rear spoiler. Since there will now be absolutely no rearward visibility, a rearview camera system is available; it displays the image on a screen located in the rearview mirror.

If visibility is the only compromise we have to make with the new Camaro—and Chevrolet seems to be trying hard to provide it all in terms of power and economy—then it’s just another welcome sign that the 2010s will be a lot gentler on the auto industry than were the ’70s.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1


It’s an epic, decades-long battle waged in showrooms, at the race track, at stoplights, and in internet forums. Chevrolet versus Ford, Camaro versus Mustang. Commencing in the mid-’60s, the clash has been marked by tit-for-tat product introductions, as each brand seeks to match its competitor in every conceivable pony-car niche. Currently, the cars face off in the V-6, V-8, and droptop arenas, but the latest Camaro has ceded the high-performance crown to the Mustang and the brutal, 550-horse Shelby GT500. That ends now.

Welcome the reborn Camaro ZL1.

Open Secrets are Hard to Keep

It’s been a bit of an open secret that GM was working on a high-po Camaro to slot above the 426-hp SS model. Spy photos revealed the car’s 6.2-liter supercharged V-8, and most assumed that car would wear the storied Z28 badge. But Chevy’s product planners had something different in mind, and we now know the car will wear the reclaimed ZL1 moniker. (SLP Performance previously held the rights to the historic alphanumerics.)

A quick look back is in order. The 1969 Camaro ZL-1 was one of the ass-kickingest machines to ever roll out of Detroit. Dressed up in nothing fancier than base Camaro trim—including dog-dish hubcaps—that original ZL-1 looked like a measly six-cylinder wimp. Without even an engine-designation badge, its only real giveaway was the factory-installed cowl-induction hood. (Well, until you started it up and brought the aluminum big-block 427 to life.) The car was only available via Central Office Production Order (COPO), which installed the 427 option in the Camaro shell. Just 69 copies were built, and the ZL-1’s official 430-horse output figure was grossly underrated, mainly for insurance purposes. It was a quarter-mile king, and is among the quickest factory-built and street-legal beasts ever created.

Back in the present, the 2012 ZL1 aims to grow the legend, and it comes well prepared with a supercharged LSA V-8, borrowed from the Cadillac CTS-V. Producing an estimated 550 hp—a figure on par with the actual output of the original—and 550 lb-ft of torque from its force-fed 6.2 liters, this burly Camaro is seemingly built to terrorize drag strips rather than road courses, so perhaps ZL1 is more appropriate than Z28. (The Z28 was a racer, after all, competing and winning in Trans-Am.) A short-throw, six-speed Tremec manual is the only transmission.

Aiding driveline longevity and pavement adhesion are a beefed-up driveshaft and differential with asymmetrical half-shafts; the latter twist fat, 305-width ZL1-specific Goodyear Supercar F1 gumballs. The 20-inch forged wheels are 10 inches wide in the front and 11 in the rear, but the overall wheel-and-tire package is 22 pounds lighter than the Camaro SS's narrower 20-inch setup. We (conservatively) estimate the ZL1 will cover the 0-to-60-mph run in four seconds flat, while 0 to 100 mph should be accomplished in 9.9 seconds and the quarter-mile in 12.5. Monstrous two-piece Brembo rotors—measuring 14.6 inches in the front and 14.4 in the rear, and squeezed by six- and four-piston calipers—are the centerpieces of the braking system. The latest adaptive magnetorheological shocks sit at all four corners, and drivers can choose between Tour and Sport settings. The ZL1 also marks the introduction of a new electric power-steering system. Weight is said to be about the same as the Camaro SS's—the stronger driveline added weight, but some was pulled out with stuff like the wheels and hood, so it's roughly a wash—which puts this top-spec Camaro at 3900 pounds or so.

Many More Pieces of Flair

While the sleeper look of the original was awesome, the new ZL1 will be highly differentiated from its lesser kin. Up front, the lower fascia is dotted with brake-cooling ducts and four fog lights, and has a large splitter and a wide-mouth intake. The domed hood is aluminum with a louvered carbon-fiber center section that Chevy says helps downforce, while the rear end gets a larger integrated decklid spoiler and quad exhaust finishers. The exhaust system houses an actuated flap, as on the Corvette, that opens at higher engine speeds to both reduce back pressure and deliver a blood-boiling growl.

The cabin gets a few modest upgrades, including alloy pedal covers, a head-up display, and emblems for the headrests and door sills. Sueded material is applied to the shifter, the new flat-bottomed steering wheel, and the front-seat inserts. The auxiliary console gauges are standard on the ZL1, and feature a boost readout that we wouldn't recommend actually looking at while behind the wheel—keep your eyes on the road, please.

We're told the ZL1 will start around $47K, although Chevy could revise the pricing upward later, and it's unknown if the model will get hit with a gas-guzzler penalty. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to wait to get our hands on this brute, as it doesn't go on sale until February of 2012. So the GT500, which costs $49,495, will gallop on unchallenged for a little longer. And what about the more-racetrack-oriented Mustang Boss 302? Maybe the Z28 will find a place in Chevy’s modern lineup after all . . .