Motor
09-02-2008, 09:27 AM
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=131034?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1 .*
[QUOTE]World's Most Expensive Mustang Meets Corvette
I'll See Your Live Axle and Raise You Four Leaf Springs
Glance underneath the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR and 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and you'll shake your head in disbelief at the $82K Mustang's solid-axle rear suspension and the $77K Corvette's transverse leaf springs. Alongside a technological marvel like the Nissan GT-R, these two look hopelessly geriatric.
But give the old men a chance. The Corvette Z06 and GT500KR are 10,000 times more capable than any 1960s forebear with similar hardware. In addition, whether you take a shine to them or not, they have 10,000 times more personality than the robotized GT-R. Most importantly, they have gargantuan torque, which they deliver to dramatic effect.
These V8s Couldn't Be More Different
Chevrolet isn't taking many new-school shortcuts here. This Z06 has a 428-cubic-inch V8. OK, so it's the modern, fuel-injected, all-aluminum 7.0-liter LS7 V8, but this is a lot of engine to find in any mass-produced 2008 passenger car. It also has a dry-sump oil system so you know it's hard-core.
The 7.0-liter is capable of 505 hp at 6,300 rpm and 470 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. Redline is marked at 7,000 rpm, and the LS7 makes the trip without strain. A six-speed manual gearbox drives the rear wheels through 3.42:1 rear gears.
All GT500s start with an off-the-shelf DOHC 5.4-liter V8 with an iron block and aluminum heads. A Roots-type supercharger capable of 8.5 psi of boost and an air-to-water intercooler are then fitted. Once the GT500KR gets to Vegas, Shelby replaces the standard hood with a heavily ducted carbon-fiber piece that feeds air to a conical filter provided by Ford Racing.
Shelby also recalibrates the 5.4-liter motor with more aggressive spark mapping and installs a less restrictive exhaust. The resulting soundtrack is highly unique. Imagine how Frank Bullitt's Mustang GT 390 would sound if he missed a turn, drove straight into San Francisco Bay and somehow kept the engine running. Then add supercharger whine.
With these upgrades, the blown Ford V8 makes 540 hp at 6,250 rpm and 510 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. A six-speed manual is standard. A 3.73:1 rear end is a mandatory $195 option for the KR; normal GT500s have a 3.31:1 rear gear.
Surprisingly, equipment varies widely between the Ford and Chevy, with every advantage going to the Z06
[QUOTE]World's Most Expensive Mustang Meets Corvette
I'll See Your Live Axle and Raise You Four Leaf Springs
Glance underneath the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR and 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and you'll shake your head in disbelief at the $82K Mustang's solid-axle rear suspension and the $77K Corvette's transverse leaf springs. Alongside a technological marvel like the Nissan GT-R, these two look hopelessly geriatric.
But give the old men a chance. The Corvette Z06 and GT500KR are 10,000 times more capable than any 1960s forebear with similar hardware. In addition, whether you take a shine to them or not, they have 10,000 times more personality than the robotized GT-R. Most importantly, they have gargantuan torque, which they deliver to dramatic effect.
These V8s Couldn't Be More Different
Chevrolet isn't taking many new-school shortcuts here. This Z06 has a 428-cubic-inch V8. OK, so it's the modern, fuel-injected, all-aluminum 7.0-liter LS7 V8, but this is a lot of engine to find in any mass-produced 2008 passenger car. It also has a dry-sump oil system so you know it's hard-core.
The 7.0-liter is capable of 505 hp at 6,300 rpm and 470 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. Redline is marked at 7,000 rpm, and the LS7 makes the trip without strain. A six-speed manual gearbox drives the rear wheels through 3.42:1 rear gears.
All GT500s start with an off-the-shelf DOHC 5.4-liter V8 with an iron block and aluminum heads. A Roots-type supercharger capable of 8.5 psi of boost and an air-to-water intercooler are then fitted. Once the GT500KR gets to Vegas, Shelby replaces the standard hood with a heavily ducted carbon-fiber piece that feeds air to a conical filter provided by Ford Racing.
Shelby also recalibrates the 5.4-liter motor with more aggressive spark mapping and installs a less restrictive exhaust. The resulting soundtrack is highly unique. Imagine how Frank Bullitt's Mustang GT 390 would sound if he missed a turn, drove straight into San Francisco Bay and somehow kept the engine running. Then add supercharger whine.
With these upgrades, the blown Ford V8 makes 540 hp at 6,250 rpm and 510 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. A six-speed manual is standard. A 3.73:1 rear end is a mandatory $195 option for the KR; normal GT500s have a 3.31:1 rear gear.
Surprisingly, equipment varies widely between the Ford and Chevy, with every advantage going to the Z06