Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 v Ford Mustang R-Spec 2020 Comparison
Created in America, adapted in Australia, these two memorable muscle-cars deliver an epic supercharged V8 experienceColour me purple
Writing rules for the internet dictate that we specify very early in this story we are comparing the 2020 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the 2020 Ford Mustang R-Spec.
We don’t start with something like: “You can hear them coming on this mountain road long before you see them. That tangible, almost three-dimensional, V8 bellow, mingling with and then overwhelming a distinct supercharger whine. As throttles lift, the crackle and bang of fuel exploding in the exhausts resonates and ricochets through the tress.
“Now they’re into view, squat and menacing on fat wheels and thin rubber, sitting flat as they peel into the tight bend, a green and white blur of speed, sound and sight. They probably don’t need to be going this quick for the cameraman… But they are, because they can.”
No, we don’t write that sort of purple prose any more.
Just as well probably…
Why are we comparing the ZL1 and the R-Spec?
Why the hell wouldn’t you compare these two? From General Motors via HSV comes the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 coupe that has been converted (sorry, remanufactured) from left to right-hand drive in Melbourne at Walkinshaw Park with full homologation compliance.
And from the Blue Oval, it’s the Ford Mustang R-Spec, a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 coupe that has been modified in Australia because the Yanks wouldn’t do it. It’s built with factory parts and sold through Ford dealers with full ADR compliance and a full Ford warranty.
In anyone’s view, these are extreme performance machines. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 claims outputs of 477kW and 881Nm from its pushrod LT4 engine, while the Mustang R-Spec… Well, Ford and development partner Rob Herrod are a little shy about posting an official number, but somewhere north of 520kW and 820Nm at the crank of the quad-cam Coyote engine is in the ballpark.
Both cars on test here are rear-wheel drive and six-speed manual (you can’t get an auto R-Spec), as befits the traditional muscle-car ethos.
Moulded over the top of these potent mechanicals are slick coupe body shapes. The Mustang is familiar, harking back to 1964 and the birth of an icon. The Camaro also has a hint of its genesis, but it’s sharper, leaner, more brutal and more futuristic. They both look fabulous.
Who will the ZL1 and R-Spec appeal to?
Back in the days when there was an Australian car industry with local high-performance tuning divisions, cars like these would have come from HSV and FPV, based on four-door Commodore and Falcon bodyshells.
But our car manufacturing business is gone, so instead we get these local adaptations of American muscle-cars.
The 2020 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2020 Ford Mustang R-Spec look different to our sports sedans, but the scripts read the same. Excessive noise, energy, acceleration and capability added to vehicles that have a working-class base.
Remember, just as there used to be fleet-hack Falcons and Commodores, there are also four-cylinder versions of the Mustang and, at least in the US, Camaro.
So back to the question. They will appeal to anyone who loves that traditional V8 ‘two turning, two burning’ ethos. And there are a lot of us still out there.
How much do the ZL1 and R-Spec cost?
This is where the comparison with the local iron starts to untether, especially in the case of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. It retails for $159,990 plus on-roads costs, although you will find brand-new examples at better prices on carsales.com.au.
The Ford Mustang R-Spec costs $99,980 plus ORCs, which is a whole lot more affordable, but still not cheap. The chances of finding one at a discount price on carsales.com.au are pretty much zero. Just 500 have been built and they are all accounted for -- as far as we know.
The reality is remanufacturing is not a cheap process. HSV brings in fully built-up ZL1s from the USA and pretty much strips them back to the shell to convert them to right-hand drive. We went through the process for the atmo V8 Camaro SS here.
Herrod Performance and Ford don’t have to flip the Mustang’s steering wheel; instead they upgrade the GT’s engine to produce the first factory-backed supercharged Mustang.
The local build is driven by the fact Ford Performance in the USA, which builds the big-bazooka Shelby GT350 and GT500 Mustangs for the Americas, can’t (or won’t) engineer a right-hand drive solution for those cars.
So, Herrod and his crew apply their expertise, along with Ford Performance here and in the USA. The cars are put together on the old Ford assembly line at Campbellfield and in a nice touch, the name comes from the FPV back catalogue.
There you have it, instant classic.
We won’t drill deep into the equipment lists again here, but it’s worth noting the cheaper Ford is also the better equipped. It has important safety features like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane keep assist as standard, while the Chevrolet misses out on that and embedded satellite navigation.
Thankfully though, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are offered with the ZL1 (as they are with the R-Spec), so at least you can get some navigation help that way.
The Mustang also comes with a full five-year/unlimited-km warranty supported by both Ford Australia and Herrod Performance.
Standard servicing will cost $299 for the first 24 months or 40,000km, but due to its added drivetrain complexity, the R-Spec requires servicing every six months rather than the 12 months for the standard GT.
HSV offers a three-year/100,000km warranty for the ZL1, while servicing is scheduled every 12,000km or nine months. There is no capped-price servicing program but the cost is estimated to be $2141.32 (including GST) across the first five services.
Watch the drag race between Ford Mustang R-Spec and Chevrolet Camaro ZLI
What do the ZL1 and R-Spec do well?
Approaching the 2020 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2020 Ford Mustang R-Spec, the initial focus really was on the horsepower.
We’ve dealt with that in a separate drag strip video. There was some frustration simply because the surface at Heathcote (Vic) was just so slick. Both cars were wheelspinning most of the way to 400m. Our own Bathurst-winning guru test pilot Luke Youlden was not amused.
In the end, as we noted, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 emerged the narrow winner to 100km/h and the clear leader across 400m.
But there were provisions and riders with that – including a failing shifter fork in the R-Spec test car’s Getrag MT82 gearbox that made the 2-3 shift a slow and safe exercise.
Hardly surprising considering the amount of work our test car had copped from the media before we got our hands on it – including the press launch at Tailem Bend and several trips to strips before and after that.
Ford and Herrod clearly anticipated what this car would be in for, as it was fitted with a cooler for the limited-slip diff that whined like a Kelvinator fridge when in action. No optional cooling is needed for the ZL1, which comes standard with 11 heat exchangers!
But our frustrations with the R-Spec pretty much evaporated the moment we left Heathcote. Its engine is effortlessly strong right throughout the range, without ever feeling like a grenade.
The Mustang runs adaptive magnetorheological (MagneRide) dampers that vary from almost comfortable to rock-hard, giving it a broad range of personalities.
The steering has real feel and quick response, while the six-pot Brembo brakes and excellent Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber pulled straight from the Mustang GT (the latter fitted to half-inch wider wheels front and rear) are more than capably up to the task.
But the Camaro just does the sporting stuff that little bit better. Its engine has got a stronger mid to top-end, it steers with race-car directness, sits flat as a tack and has grip from its massive 20-inch Contis (the rears are 305s versus the Mustang’s 275s) that goes on for days.
The Chev also runs adaptive magnetorheological (Magnetic Ride Control) dampers and in this case the set-up starts firmer than R-Spec and stays that way through the range.
Sadly, it doesn’t allow personalisation of preferences like the Mustang does. Brembo six-pot callipers keep hauling the ZL1 down from big speeds.
In all, the ZL1 is that bit more confronting to drive than the R-Spec, in part because its engine and exhaust notes are much more obvious in the cabin than the Mustang.
Outside, both cars sound epic, although the Ford allows you to control that via a switch. The ZL1’s bi-modal exhaust does its own thing.
While our Mustang’s gearbox had issues, we know from past experience it’s a sweet shifter when right. The ZL1’s Tremec TR-6060 is similarly co-operative. Both also have good rev-matching systems, if you’re not a natural heel-and-toer.
Given their muscle-car heritage you might expect these cars to be lead-tipped arrows, but that could not be further from the truth. Luke has a lot of tarmac rally experience and he was genuinely excited at the prospect of either of these cars turning up at such an event.
What could the ZL1 and R-Spec do better?
Both the 2020 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2020 Ford Mustang R-Spec test cars were manual and they are both heavy, have limited vison (especially the Camaro) and chew fuel like, well, supercharged V8s. For all those reasons, these are not ideal daily drivers in the city.
You can get an auto version of the ZL1 (in fact the latest being built are auto-only), which will please many customers. A supercharged automatic Mustang just might be in the works for the future, so watch out for it if that’s your preference.
Neither car is usable by families. They are 2+2s but only send people you dislike back there! The Camaro’s small boot accessed by a tiny lid degrades its functional proposition even more. The Mustang is that bit better at this sort of stuff.
While there are some hard cabin plastics, the Camaro is more cohesive in its interior styling and presentation, but why the media touch-screen points at the floor is a mystery.
The Mustang now has its slick 21st century multi-mode digital dash in front of the driver, but continues with the retro toggles and dials in the centre stack.
Both Luke and I prefer the Chevrolet’s smaller thinner-rimmed steering wheel. Praise for its lower seating position and body-hugging front seats too.
The ZL1’s local RHD job does have its shortcomings though. Most obviously, the centre console in the armrest has not been reversed, so the driver’s elbow rests in the cup-holder. For the most part though, this is a very good conversion job.
So which is the winner – ZL1 or R-Spec?
More purple prose time.
“I’m chasing Luke Youlden on a winding mountain road. He’s in the ZL1 and I’m in the R-Spec and we’re driving harder and harder… Nibbling at a velocity where I am hyper-alert and he is probably half asleep.
“And it’s incredible how fabulous these two cars are at this. Explode along the straights, clamp on the brakes (but not as hard as you might expect) then burrow into the corner (faster than you might expect) and flatten the throttle at the exit… Sooner than you might expect.
“Then do it all again at the next bend in this wiggling road. These are the roads on which these two new-generation Trans-Pacific muscle-cars excel. They’re exquisite heavyweights, crazy powerful yet light on their feet. They’re both winners.”
Except this is carsales.com.au and you expect and deserve a winner.
If all you are interested in is pure performance then it’s got to be the ZL1. This is a great car and a worthy successor to the GTSR W1 as HSV’s performance flagship. It’s one of those rare cars that delivers the truly memorable drive its looks and specs promise.
But as an all-rounder it’s got to be the R-Spec. It’s much cheaper, has a better equipment specification and comes with complete warranty and service backing from one of Australia’s biggest brands.
On top of that, it gives little ground away to the ZL1 as a memorable sports drive while being more comfortable and functional to live with at the same time.
All hail the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Ford Mustang R-Spec, Australia’s new-generation muscle-car champions!
How much does the 2020 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 cost?
Price: $159,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged petrol V8
Output: 477kW/881Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 15.6L/100km (22.5L/100km on test)
CO2: 362g/km
Safety rating: N/A
How much does the 2020 Ford Mustang R-Spec cost?
Price: $99,980 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8
Output: 520kW/820Nm-plus
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 14.0L/100km (23.9L/100km on test)
CO2: 324g/km
Safety rating: Three-star ANCAP (2017)
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