- 825
- Charlotte, NC
- CosmicMS3
- I2valve
2000 Chevrolet Camaro SS
2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
Disclaimer:
Welcome back to a not-quite-finished Recommendation. Due to the fact that I forgot my USB Key, pictures will probably not be posted until tomorrow. Anyways, it has been a while since I have written a recommendation and I figure I will take a stab at a different approach. For my eleventh stab at a recommendation, I will actually be test driving two vehicles, overall determining the good and bad qualities of both cars. The views expressed in this Thread are merely assumptions I have come upon while playing the game. The words expressed by this internet conversation, in NO way represent the real-life counterpart of the vehicle. Therefore, that being said, I hope this write-up allows for much conversation and discussion on whatever topics it might bring up.
Introduction:
A debate that will probably never come to rest in the United States is the ongoing battle between the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Although the Camaro has seen the end of its days, the Mustang is still around, shelling out budget performance for teenagers and adults alike. However, there are rumors going about that the Camaro will one day resurrect itself, quite possibly in the horrid new-age retro looks that gracefully touch its competition. Anyways, I figured I had heard enough about who is better than what and decided to create my own assumptions. How better to do this than buy the cars on a very realistic video game; after all, I dont have $75,000 to throw around on two big-boy toys anyways.
Apricot Hill:
This track is one of my favorites ever to grace a GT game. It has moderate elevation changes with both long, wide corners that require throttle control along with corners that have technical braking sections in order to come out clean.
Camaro SS: The first thing I noticed about this car is that it has quite a bit of low end torque; you may be tempted to leave the car in a lower gear to take advantage of this. However, at the higher end, the car seems to struggle, especially around redline. On the other hand, Apricot Hills long, sweeping corners are a perfect match for the SS. It holds the road quite well, only giving slight understeer around long corners. Although the car handled well, the gearing just seems too long, with the car never touching 5th or 6th on the track. Time: 136.146
SVT Cobra: Right off the bat I see that this car has much more top end power than the Camaro I had just tested. While also retaining the mid-range pull, the SVT Cobra effortlessly pulls away on the straights, reaching a well placed 5th gear. This car also impressed me in the S corner right before the home stretch with its quick turn-in and counter steer. However, the car did not seem to hold the road quite as well as the Camaro around long, fast corners, allowing understeer, but nothing you cant control. Time: 133.974
Autumn Ring:
Another fictional track, Autumn Ring is a very technical course that requires quick steering and precise braking. With its share of elevation changes, the vast amount of technical driving involved with this course require a driver to be very aware of their surroundings along with the characteristics of the car they are driving.
Camaro SS: This may not have been the best selection for Autumn Ring. Right after jumping in the car I knew this may not be pretty. Immediately, I notice the sloppy steering around the complex section also present in AR Mini. To top that off, if you dont exit a corner at the correct angle, the SS emits a large amount of understeer. Braking isnt the greatest while cornering, with a lot of body roll which also adds to the understeer. Once again, I found the gearing to be way too high for this track; you will spend the majority of the race in 2nd or 3rd gear. Time: 129.320
SVT Cobra: I must say that I enjoyed Autumn Ring much more in the SVT. While the braking isnt great, it is pretty good, allowing the car to stop quickly for the tight turns and hairpins. Be careful though, upon exiting corners in second gear, be ready to control the throttle to reduce wheel spin. And while steering is more precise than the SS, it isnt like turning on a dime; the SVT still shows signs of understeer upon exiting corners with a good amount of speed. Time: 128.125
Fuji Speedway 80s:
A real-life speedway, Fuji 80s is a very fast track with only a handful of corners; most of which are long and fast. The straightaway that passes over the start/finish line is a good test of both high speeds and hard braking. Drivers need to be aware of the varying speeds of the long corners, especially where the chicane would be in the 90s version.
Camaro SS: This car is much better suited for Fuji 80s than Autumn Ring. This car acts as if it is on rails around the long right hander before the long straight. It also allows for easy, slow weight transfer around the sharper corners with little wheel spin due to the gearing (finally, a plus!) However, 6th gear in this car is pointless and merely used in real life as a gas-saving mechanism and is never reached along the straight. Before the hard braking section, the SS reached a speed of 155 mph and had a solid feel when it had to hit the brakes hard. Time: 130.985
SVT Cobra: I was even more impressed with the performance provided by the SVT than I was with the SS. The only thing I will complain about is that it did not seem to hold the long corners as well, making the driver correct themselves slightly to keep a good line. However, whatever the SVT lacks in cornering is made up along the straights. This car screams down past the start/finish, eventually peaking at 160 mph before the hard braking zone (which it handled quite well). Time: 127.566
Conclusions:
As my numbers have shown, the SVT Cobra out-runs the Camaro SS in all the races I have preformed. However, the Camaro is as little as a second behind in many of the trials. This will eventually lead to the question which is the best bang for the buck? To this I would eventually have to say the Camaro SS. You can buy this car new, at ANY time, at the Chevrolet dealership for $22,150. Thats about $12,900 less than it would take to buy a new SVT Cobra R (not to mention that you have to WAIT for a new one to come along in the Used Cars). With the money you save, you can easily put a mild tune on the SS that will blow away a stock SVT Cobra.
On the other hand, the SVT may be suited for different typed of courses; specifically more technical courses but maybe not as tight as Autumn Ring. But you must be wary of the weight in both of these cars. The SVT outweighs the SS by 150lbs, but the SS isnt the lightest thing at 3432lbs. This makes me wonder where the Ford picks up the extra weight. It has a smaller engine than the SS (5.4L vs. 5.7L) and has smaller dimensions all around (10 inches shorter in length and 1.5 shorter in width) but only sits an inch higher than the SS. We will never know (although we can assume its the wing) where this extra weight comes from but we DO know the SVT makes about 35 more horsepower and around 15 more ft/lbs or torque than the SS.
Overall, both of these cars preformed well with the tests I have required. If I were to suggest these cars to people I would propose the Camaro SS be used on straighter tracks with not many or long sweeping corners. For those who are up to it, the SVT Cobra is not too shabby on the corners and takes the straights at a faster pace than the SS. All in all, it all really depends on driving style and habits. Try them both for yourself in Arcade mode and find which one suits you the best!
2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
Disclaimer:
Welcome back to a not-quite-finished Recommendation. Due to the fact that I forgot my USB Key, pictures will probably not be posted until tomorrow. Anyways, it has been a while since I have written a recommendation and I figure I will take a stab at a different approach. For my eleventh stab at a recommendation, I will actually be test driving two vehicles, overall determining the good and bad qualities of both cars. The views expressed in this Thread are merely assumptions I have come upon while playing the game. The words expressed by this internet conversation, in NO way represent the real-life counterpart of the vehicle. Therefore, that being said, I hope this write-up allows for much conversation and discussion on whatever topics it might bring up.
Introduction:
A debate that will probably never come to rest in the United States is the ongoing battle between the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Although the Camaro has seen the end of its days, the Mustang is still around, shelling out budget performance for teenagers and adults alike. However, there are rumors going about that the Camaro will one day resurrect itself, quite possibly in the horrid new-age retro looks that gracefully touch its competition. Anyways, I figured I had heard enough about who is better than what and decided to create my own assumptions. How better to do this than buy the cars on a very realistic video game; after all, I dont have $75,000 to throw around on two big-boy toys anyways.
Apricot Hill:
This track is one of my favorites ever to grace a GT game. It has moderate elevation changes with both long, wide corners that require throttle control along with corners that have technical braking sections in order to come out clean.
Camaro SS: The first thing I noticed about this car is that it has quite a bit of low end torque; you may be tempted to leave the car in a lower gear to take advantage of this. However, at the higher end, the car seems to struggle, especially around redline. On the other hand, Apricot Hills long, sweeping corners are a perfect match for the SS. It holds the road quite well, only giving slight understeer around long corners. Although the car handled well, the gearing just seems too long, with the car never touching 5th or 6th on the track. Time: 136.146
SVT Cobra: Right off the bat I see that this car has much more top end power than the Camaro I had just tested. While also retaining the mid-range pull, the SVT Cobra effortlessly pulls away on the straights, reaching a well placed 5th gear. This car also impressed me in the S corner right before the home stretch with its quick turn-in and counter steer. However, the car did not seem to hold the road quite as well as the Camaro around long, fast corners, allowing understeer, but nothing you cant control. Time: 133.974
Autumn Ring:
Another fictional track, Autumn Ring is a very technical course that requires quick steering and precise braking. With its share of elevation changes, the vast amount of technical driving involved with this course require a driver to be very aware of their surroundings along with the characteristics of the car they are driving.
Camaro SS: This may not have been the best selection for Autumn Ring. Right after jumping in the car I knew this may not be pretty. Immediately, I notice the sloppy steering around the complex section also present in AR Mini. To top that off, if you dont exit a corner at the correct angle, the SS emits a large amount of understeer. Braking isnt the greatest while cornering, with a lot of body roll which also adds to the understeer. Once again, I found the gearing to be way too high for this track; you will spend the majority of the race in 2nd or 3rd gear. Time: 129.320
SVT Cobra: I must say that I enjoyed Autumn Ring much more in the SVT. While the braking isnt great, it is pretty good, allowing the car to stop quickly for the tight turns and hairpins. Be careful though, upon exiting corners in second gear, be ready to control the throttle to reduce wheel spin. And while steering is more precise than the SS, it isnt like turning on a dime; the SVT still shows signs of understeer upon exiting corners with a good amount of speed. Time: 128.125
Fuji Speedway 80s:
A real-life speedway, Fuji 80s is a very fast track with only a handful of corners; most of which are long and fast. The straightaway that passes over the start/finish line is a good test of both high speeds and hard braking. Drivers need to be aware of the varying speeds of the long corners, especially where the chicane would be in the 90s version.
Camaro SS: This car is much better suited for Fuji 80s than Autumn Ring. This car acts as if it is on rails around the long right hander before the long straight. It also allows for easy, slow weight transfer around the sharper corners with little wheel spin due to the gearing (finally, a plus!) However, 6th gear in this car is pointless and merely used in real life as a gas-saving mechanism and is never reached along the straight. Before the hard braking section, the SS reached a speed of 155 mph and had a solid feel when it had to hit the brakes hard. Time: 130.985
SVT Cobra: I was even more impressed with the performance provided by the SVT than I was with the SS. The only thing I will complain about is that it did not seem to hold the long corners as well, making the driver correct themselves slightly to keep a good line. However, whatever the SVT lacks in cornering is made up along the straights. This car screams down past the start/finish, eventually peaking at 160 mph before the hard braking zone (which it handled quite well). Time: 127.566
Conclusions:
As my numbers have shown, the SVT Cobra out-runs the Camaro SS in all the races I have preformed. However, the Camaro is as little as a second behind in many of the trials. This will eventually lead to the question which is the best bang for the buck? To this I would eventually have to say the Camaro SS. You can buy this car new, at ANY time, at the Chevrolet dealership for $22,150. Thats about $12,900 less than it would take to buy a new SVT Cobra R (not to mention that you have to WAIT for a new one to come along in the Used Cars). With the money you save, you can easily put a mild tune on the SS that will blow away a stock SVT Cobra.
On the other hand, the SVT may be suited for different typed of courses; specifically more technical courses but maybe not as tight as Autumn Ring. But you must be wary of the weight in both of these cars. The SVT outweighs the SS by 150lbs, but the SS isnt the lightest thing at 3432lbs. This makes me wonder where the Ford picks up the extra weight. It has a smaller engine than the SS (5.4L vs. 5.7L) and has smaller dimensions all around (10 inches shorter in length and 1.5 shorter in width) but only sits an inch higher than the SS. We will never know (although we can assume its the wing) where this extra weight comes from but we DO know the SVT makes about 35 more horsepower and around 15 more ft/lbs or torque than the SS.
Overall, both of these cars preformed well with the tests I have required. If I were to suggest these cars to people I would propose the Camaro SS be used on straighter tracks with not many or long sweeping corners. For those who are up to it, the SVT Cobra is not too shabby on the corners and takes the straights at a faster pace than the SS. All in all, it all really depends on driving style and habits. Try them both for yourself in Arcade mode and find which one suits you the best!
