2010 Ford Shelby GT500 vs. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Road Dynamics

Whereas the GT500 can be hurled into a turn, and you can use the responsive steering and engine to sort out the geometry from there, the Camaro demands carefully judged entry speeds and track position. You get one shot at the optimum line, as the car's trajectory is pretty much non-adjustable from the moment you pull the steering wheel off-center. Try anything other than lifting off the gas -- which destroys mid-corner speed -- and the front end simply runs wide. Compounding the problem is the Camaro's low seating position and gun-slit windows, which make it difficult to place the car accurately.

Out on real world roads, the Camaro is easily the smoother, more refined, more mature car of the two; more deliberate in its moves, and more measured in its responses. The LS3 is a sweetheart, as rich and smooth as molten chocolate right through the rev range, but the drivetrain is spoiled by the aggressive clutch takeup high in the pedal's arc of travel. Other niggles include the oddly profiled steering-wheel rim, which is uncomfortable to hold, and the strangely shaped shifter. The Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual is also not as quick and slick as the version in the ZR1 Corvette.

The GT500 is a much more lively ride off the track, with lots more sharp vertical motions through the suspension, and an unmistakable two-step from the live rear axle through anything other than super-smooth turns. The brakes don't feel as robust as the Camaro's, and the engine is harsher, but the steering is wonderful, the retro-style billiard ball shifter easy to use, the pedals are better placed, and the exhaust crackles and barks like a race car's.