[04ctd]

Originally Posted by Shane361

Because with the 2013 Shelby..what else is there?

um..something that will hook up, turn, and go fast??

car & driver pretty much dismissed it, and raved about the 1LE camaro..which was much faster around VIR.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...p-2012-feature


Thanks to a revised shock, spring, and anti-roll-bar tune, the old SS's slightly soggy initial compliance is gone. In its place is tighter, but more graceful, body and wheel control.

The car gained a full second over the regular SS in the uphill esses of sector two, where confidence and grip led to an entry speed of 126.1 mph. Still more impressive is the 1LE's 115.8-mph average speed through the sector, a number that nearly matches the SS's peak sector speed of 116.2 mph. Very fast fact: The 1LE was only a tenth of a *second slower than the Ferrari 458 through the uphill esses.








Ford Shelby GT500 • 3:00.6
At 662 horsepower, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is the most powerful car we've tested at VIR. So why couldn't it put down a sub-three-minute lap? Why didn't it beat the heavier and less potent Camaro ZL1? It comes down to two related reasons: balance and traction.

Yes, the GT500 is lighter than the ZL1, but that's not the full story. Look at where it carries its weight—the GT500 puts 56.6 percent of its 3896 pounds over its front wheels. The ZL1 achieves a better balance with 52.9 percent of its mass resting up front. Nose-heavy, powerful, and rear-drive is a combination that makes putting power to the ground difficult. Just ask anyone driving a two-wheel-drive pickup in the snow.

As a result, with just 43.4 percent of its mass over its powered rear wheels, the GT500 couldn't accelerate as hard out of corners as the ZL1, couldn't get its full power down, couldn't turn its impressive horsepower into miles per hour. Still, the Shelby's turn-in grip is strong. In sector one, the GT500 matches the ZL1's peak roadholding. But at the corner's exit, the GT500 is 4.6 mph slower. Balance is part of the problem, and the GT500 also has narrower wheels and tires than the ZL1. On the track, the rear contact patches feel dime-sized.

Quick transitions upset the GT500 more than the ZL1 and cost time in the uphill esses. Good brakes are a plus, but the GT500 is a car that is not comfortable *cornering at the limit. VIR proves, once again, that handling can trump a superior power-to-weight ratio.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...3-class-page-5