We drove a $50,000 Ford Mustang GT and an $86,000 Chevy Corvette GS to see which we liked better - here's the verdict
First up, the spectacular new Mustang GT. The Mustang has been in the Ford lineup since 1965 and is in its sixth generation.
I have traditionally been deeply impressed with 'Stangs. The updated 2018, in fastback 5.0 trim, was no exception,
"Obviously, this is a Mustang, so it can haul in a straight line," I wrote in my original review last year.
"Onramp runs and passing on the freeway are tons of fun. When the back end hunkers down and the tires grab, the joy is palpable. Yeah, let's face it, I loved the car. The gas bill might take some getting used to, but the 2018 Mustang GT is an excellent plaything. You'd want to drive it every single weekend. And then you might even want to spend the money and drive it every day."
The Mustang looked good in the Southern California sun.
As the Mustang ages, Ford has internationalized it. (The car is very popular overseas.) The overall effect is to continue presenting the Stang, after over five decades, as a sports car with global appeal, versus a stonking old American muscle car.
The color was "Triple Yellow," and yes, it was very, very yellow indeed. Optioned out the wazoo it came in at about $50,000 (although our tester wasn't officially stickered).
Let's get to the good part: that magnificent, naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8.
At 460 horsepower, the power is a bump on the 2017 car, thanks to re-engineered fuel-injection technology. And how's this for Blue Oval cool? The engine is nicknamed "Coyote" and produces 420-pound-feet of torque.
"The real trick with the V8-motored Stangs these days is to deliver German-sports-car-level performance without grinding the backwoods American edge off," I wrote.
"This is harder than it sounds. But Ford has done it, and even sneakily altered the Stang's looks by streamlining the exterior. But that engine continues to rock 'n' roll."
The Mustang GT can be had with either a six-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic. The stick is possibly my favorite on any performance machine these days.
That said, while it gorgeously channels the 'Stang's power to the rear wheels, amid the glorious rumble and roar of that V8, it gets some stiff competition from the manual in the Vette, when the Vette is equipped.
The 0-60 mph run in the GT passes in under for seconds.
Updates aren't too radical: the front has been made more sleek.
And so has the back.
Trunk space ... isn't too bad.
There was ample space for my suitcase, and I could have crammed a few more in there. What we have here is an American Grand Touring car — hence the "GT," but really all Mustangs are in that general camp.
Meaning, without a doubt, more practicality than the Vette, which as we'll soon see barely has room to stash a gym bag.
The Mustang GT combines a thirst for premium fuel with a small gas tank. You have to get used to visiting the pump.
The MPGs are 16 city/25 highway/19 combined, but the tank can hold only 16 gallons.
The SYNC 3 infotainment system runs on a small screen, but it's pretty good.
Ford has upgraded SYNC over the past few years, and it's now quite good. There's all the usual stuff: navigation, a dandy audio system with SiriusXM, USB/AUX ports, Bluetooth connectivity, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Now on to the monumental Corvette Grand Sport. The Vette arrived in 1953 and is now in its seventh generation.
When it came to the Arctic White 2017 Grand Sport I tested, I didn't hold back.
"This is the greatest Vette ever," I wrote in my review. "I grew rapidly addicted to the combo of the eight-speed, the V8, and the suspension dynamics. Over and over again, I let the revs climb slowly north on the tachometer, feeding in a flow of throttle and then abruptly increasing my input. Boom! The back end locked down, the front rises slightly, and you're off as if you've been fired from a howitzer. The power is sweet and honey smooth, but there's so much of it."
By the way, the original Grand Sport Corvettes were created by the car's first chief engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov, in 1963. They were intended to be race cars, designed to run in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Vette GS was much more of a sharklike wedge than the 'Stang. But the C7-generation Vette has plenty of fans when it comes to the design.
Yes, the Vette has but two seats, while the Mustang has, technically, four. But the Mustang's back seat is, well, not exactly roomy.
The tester we borrowed stickered at a well-optioned $86,000.
The Grand Sport also packs V8 power.
But it comes in a higher-displacement form: the 6.4-liter LT1 eight-pot with 465-pound-feet of torque.
The horsepower numbers match the Mustang, but we need a larger-displacement motor to get there. Torque for the Vette is beefier, and you do feel it when you drop the hammer and feel the energy piping to the rear wheels.
The eight-speed auto means that the GS is fast as heck to 60 mph.
How fast? 3.6 seconds fast, to be precise. The automatic Vettes are all faster than their manual counterparts. If you do want to shift gears yourself, however, you can switch to using paddles located behind the steering wheel.
With the top down, the Vette GS comes off a menacing fun.
But to be sure, the design is considerably more supercar-aggressive then the Mustang's.
This is nothing new. For decades, the Vette has had the Camaro to do direct battle with the Mustang and has been able to pull out the stops on a bold exterior impression.
Because the Vette needs space out back to stash the convertible top, there's very little space to stash cargo of any sort.
On the plus side, the Vette has a pretty cool hood that opens in the opposite direction of what most folks are used to.
The Corvette GS actually has a slightly larger fuel tank than the Mustang GT: about 19 gallons.
The MPGs for the Vette GS are 16 city/25 highway/19 combined — exactly the same as the Mustang GT.
The Vette runs Chevy's Intellilink infotainment system.
We're fans of this system. You have CarPlay plus Sirius radio, Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports, navigation — and of course 4G LTE wireless connectivity managed through OnStar.
As much as I love the Corvette Grand Sport, the winner is the Mustang GT!
While the Vette offers the best performance for the money of almost any sports cars in the world, the Mustang gives you a similarly potent V8, a marvelous driving experience, and far greater versatility.
In the battle of a big V8 with no back seat and a microscopic truck versus a big V8 with a teeny back seat and decent-size truck, the latter takes the prize. Also, the Mustang GT is much cheaper.
Having driven a bunch of Mustangs and a bunch of Corvettes in the past few years, I can confidently say that both machines are as good or better than the best the Europeans have to offer. Corvettes, in particular, deliver Ferrari-Lamborghini-level thrills for a fraction of the price and with true race-track cred: the race-car version of the current-gen Vette has torn it up in endurance racing against Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, and even Ford's mighty GT supercar.
But lately, my favor has leaned Ford. "Brothers and sisters, if you think a sports car might be for you, just get one of these," I've written of the 'Stang.
The GS is astounding, tempting, and rather wild. But I'd personally buy the Mustang GT.
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