Gt500 Vs Corvette C7
Introduction
Here at Hanky Ford/GM our business is growing. Each day we have new customers and each day our salesman work to sell from our huge lot of cars. It has come to my attention that our District Manager has reached the end of his contract on his old vehicle and is in need of a new one to replace it. The car must be flashy, high class, and attractive. After doing some small amounts of research on the vehicles we offer it has come to my attention that only two fit those qualifications. One is the Chevrolet Corvette C7. The other is the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. Both cars are top of the line and attractive. Research was conducted to figure out which one of these two models would be overall a better choice.
The decision was based on several major factors: Specification, Efficiency, and Performance. Each one of these categories contains its own individual parts which needs research. Some of the most popular magazines, such as Popular Mechanics and Motor Trend, as well as The New York Times, a few websites and a book were taken into account.
Specifications
Both of these vehicles come in a variety of packages and models, however the models we will look at today contain only the Shelby GT500 model of the Ford Mustang and the C7 LT1 model of the Corvette.
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
To start it off I will refer to the motor. The Mustang comes standard with a Supercharged, 5.8 Liter, 32-Valve, Dual Over Head Cam V-8 motor which produces 662 Horsepower at 6,500 rotations per minute (Ford). This is its greatest output at any given point. It also puts out a whopping 631 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpms, this being its greatest reading of torque. Along with the motor comes its TREMEC 6-speed manual transmission. It is fitted with a 3.31:1 final drive ratio and single linkage. This drivetrain gives the Mustang an unbelievable ride, bringing it up to speeds over 200 mph. On a straight quarter mile track it only took the Mustang 11.6 seconds to run the entire length, and it reached 125.7 mph. It travels from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Along with the drivetrain the Mustang comes fitted with front and rear Brembo disc brakes, electronic power steering, 19″ front and 20″ rear aluminum wheels, and an eight speaker audio system. The GT500 comes with a few upgradeable features, which for a few extra bucks you can really accessorize the car, like a “track ready” package, fully adjustable front and rear shocks as well as Recaro bucket seats. Other specifications of the Mustang include a wheelbase of 112.3 inches, a weight of 4088 pounds, a length of 288 inches and an estimated fuel economy of 15/24 mpg.
Chevrolet Corvette C7 LT1
Now the Corvette is fitted with a larger, 6.2 Liter, V-8 LT1 motor with variable valve timing and direct fuel injection (Chevrolet). However even though it is larger in size than the 5.8 Liter motor that the Mustang is outfitted with, it only produces an estimated 450 Horsepower, an estimated 450 lb.-ft. of torque, and a combustion ration of 11.5:1. It is estimated to have a fuel economy of 26 mpg highway. The reason for its low performance values lies not in the motor, but above it. What the LT1 lacks is a supercharger. This could deliver much more power to the motor without sacrificing too much fuel economy. To make this motor drive, attached to it is the active rev match 7 speed manual transmission. It has an option which allows for an automatic, paddle-shifted 6 speed transmission. It is also fitted with 19″ front and 20″ rear wheels which comes stock sporting the Michelin Pilot Sport ZP tires. The C7 has a wheelbase of 106.7 inches, and an overall length of 177 inches. Its width is 73.9 inches, and it has a height of 48.6 inches (Chevrolet).
I made a small chart to help show the relation between the two cars. Refer to Figure one to compare both vehicles side by side.
Figure 1
Engine Comparison between C7 and GT500
From the chart it is clear that the mustang pulls well ahead of the C7 in terms of performance. It is able to provide more horsepower as well as torque using a smaller engine. This is not easy to accomplish because many factors have to go into the engineering process when trying to make more out of less. For example a few details which couldnt be overlooked are the air to fuel ratio as well as its delivery. The Mustang uses a supercharger to deliver fuel and air to the engine block while the C7 only uses an intake manifold. Instead of using the supercharger Chevrolet gave the manifold variable valve timing and direct injection, which is some common technology integrated in nearly every car today. The 6.2 liter motor by Chevy is very underdeveloped, and if given the proper attention could more than likely outperform the Mustangs 5.8 liter.
Efficiency
In our day and age with gas prices soaring higher than ever efficiency is a very important factor when choosing the right vehicle. A few extra miles to the gallon could save you hundreds of dollars per year which means more cash in your pocket, and less left back at the pump.
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Mustangs have never been known for great gas mileage. They were known to be fast, inexpensive cars that could go down a quarter mile fast and drink plenty of gas while doing it. It wasnt until the 2012 model was released with a v6 motor that could produce 330 horsepower as well as get 30 miles to the gallon. This was a great feet for Ford, as it provided a fast vehicle with a great name that wouldnt break the bank. However when it comes to the 662 horsepower GT500 it is impossible to achieve that kind of efficiency. Even though it couldnt quite get the mileage into the 30s it did surpass the 20 miles per gallon mark. The GT500 is capable of achieving 15 miles per gallon city driving and 24 miles per gallon highway driving (Smith). This is huge for a vehicle that can output over 600 horsepower. To put this in perspective, I drive a Ford Ranger that has a v6 motor, and puts out 200 horsepower maximum. It gets about 14 miles to the gallon city, and approximately 24 miles to the gallon highway. Granted my vehicle is older which means the technology is older but just the idea that you can use the same amount of fuel and get a much better return out of it is mind blowing.
Chevrolet Corvette C7
The Corvette has been the iconic Chevy vehicle for years. It has been fitted with the most common motor for decades, the Chevy 350 cubic inch motor, which is equivalent to 5.7 liter motor. Equipped with the right fuel and air delivery this motor could accomplish a decent fuel efficiency. However the new C7 has a 6.2 Liter motor, an entire half liter larger than its predecessor. This means not only more power, but more fuel needed to power that leap in size. Modern day technology, like variable valve timing and direct fuel injection, has made fuel consumption much better in a large motor like this. The LT1 motor has an estimated fuel economy of 26 highway miles per gallon (Chevrolet). This is quite the feet of engineering and is made possible using Chevys new cylinder deactivation technology which, when activated by the vehicles on-board CPU, turns this 6.2 liter V-8 motor into a 3.1 liter V-4 motor. This is similar to the technology used in the Northstar motors made by Cadillac. How it works is simple. The cylinders work in response