The Results Are In: GT350R v. ZL1 (Video)

Over the last couple of decades, the modern muscle scene has been transitioning from family cars with absurd amounts of horsepower dumped in, to proper sports machines with sharp handling and great brakes set to the glorious soundtracks of viciously powerful V8 engines.

While modern pony cars may look and sound like their ancestors, they accelerate, turn and stop like high-end, thoroughbred European exotics. This truly is a golden era of muscle car culture and we hope that it never ends.

The most popular modern muscle cars on the market are, of course, the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro (we love you too, Dodge). Their never-ending battle, which started in the mid-’60s, has lasted for over 50 years, and will likely continue until the Sun explodes. Each year, the new generation of the most powerful Mustangs and Camaros have the solemn duty of showing the world who’s boss by way of track performance, which is exactly why Motor Trend pitted the new Shelby GT350R against the mighty Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in a legendary muscle car shootout.

Despite the similarities between these muscle car icons, there are some noteworthy differences. First, the Shelby has a smaller but higher revving engine which delivers less power and torque via its naturally-aspirated V8. The Camaro houses a much larger 6.2-liter supercharged engine which produces over 100 more horsepower than the Mustang and astonishingly, over 200 more lb-ft of torque!

Which one is better?

Even after testing both cars on a track, Motor Trend hosts Jonny Lieberman and Jason Cammisa had a tough time deciding which car was superior. The more powerful Camaro was quicker around the track than the more nimble Shelby, which surprised everyone. In the end, though, the Shelby was declared king, as it offered a purer, more refined and more enjoyable driving experience.

The Camaro was praised for its unbelievable power, great engine, and magnificent chassis, but since the taping of this episode, the new ZL1 1LE was introduced…and we can`t wait for the rematch.