The Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro are two sports car titans forever locked in gladiatorial combat with each other for both sales and performance bragging rights. 2015 saw the debut of both the all-new sixth-generation Mustang and Camaro, which are inarguably the best yet to come from their respective automakers. To truly appreciate just how far these two muscle cars have come though, one should take a look at where they were not that long ago.
That’s what Motorweek’s Retro Reviews are for, and they’ve just rolled out a timely comparison piece on the 1994 model year Mustang GT and Camaro SS. It’s truly amazing how far technology has come in the past 20 years.
With a MSRP of just $17,280, the Mustang GT coupe was still packing the traditional pushrod 5.0 V8 pushing out a meager 215 horsepower and a more-respectable 285 lb-ft of torque. It took 6.8 seconds for the GT to reach 60 mph from 0, compared to the 4.6 seconds of today’s 430 horsepower Mustang GT. A quarter-mile in the 1994 Mustang GT took an embarrassing 15.6 seconds, while the 2015 Mustang can complete the 1320 in about 12.9 seconds. Motorweek makes the excuse of it being a muggy 80 degree day for the poor track times, but we don’t really buy it.
Motorweek does rightly note though that the 1994 Mustang GT was a big upgrade in terms of suspension upgrades, allowing for high speeds in tight turns. The 1994 Chevy Camaro SS was a similar upgrade in terms of handling over the outgoing third-generation models. The 94 Camaro was slightly cheaper than the Mustang at $16,999, while offering 275 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque from the “Cast Iron King” LT1 V8. The new 2016 Camaro also has a LT1 motor borrowed from the Corvette, only it makes 455 horsepower and can power the newmore agile Camaro from 0 to 60 MPH in 4 seconds flat.
Keep in mind, the newer cars also have more safety and convenience features than the 90s models, while also delivering better fuel economy. Sure, they may cost about twice as much, but you’re getting twice as much car if you ask us.