Slap the Stage III Roush powertrain on a dyno, and the readouts bear no resemblance to the stock GT's. Peak horsepower swells from 215 at 4400 rpm, to a heady new crest of 315 horses at 5500 rpm-a gain of 100 horsepower. There's great news in the torque department, too, with an increase from 285 pound-feet at 3500 in stock form to 345 pound-feet at 3750 rpm in Roush trim. That's a jump of 21 percent, backed up with mesa-flat torque delivery that beats 275 pound-feet all the way from 2000 to 5500 rpm.
This is not the sort of power Roush suggests plopping into an otherwise stock Mustang GT. Far from it, the Stage III rides on a lowered suspension that features retuned shocks, struts, springs, and anti-roll bars. The rear lower control arms are Roush parts, as well, engineered to help tame the live axle's gyrations under drive and cornering loads. To get it all slowed down, there are cross-drilled rotors at all four corners; the fronts measure 13.0 inches and are gripped by Brembo calipers wearing braided stainless lines, while 10.5-inch discs spin out back. Big 18-inch wheels are shod with generously proportioned (245/40ZR18 front, 295/35ZR18 rear) BFGoodrich Comp TA ZRs. It's all wrapped in a complete Roush body styling package and accented with Roush embroidered floor mats and a built-in trunk tool kit.
On any given summer evening, at any given burger stand, there comes a moment when the Cokes go flat and all the big talk about dynos tearing loose from their moorings wears thin. It's time to slam the hoods and slam down the gas pedals. That, after all, is the real justification for dropping a major chunk of change on a musclecar.
Bury the throttle in either the Camaro SS or the Roush Stage III, and mayhem is assured. Indelicate throttle application in first gear nets acrid plumes of rubber smoke, coupled with all the visceral sensations your inner delinquent craves. All the world becomes your deserted high school parking lot, as you pounce on every opportunity to compress the seatback padding and make the instrument needles jump.
Drive the Camaro SS like someone else is buying the tires, and it electrifies you with a rich V-8 audio track backed with irresistible power right from idle. Work up through the six-speed manual gearbox, and the smooth SS feels incredibly long legged. Regular pushrod engines aren't supposed to rev with this kind of unbridled enthusiasm, but remember the LS1 is far from a "regular" pushrod engine.
Meanwhile, the Stage III Mustang is decidedly rowdier, with an intoxicating rumble emanating from the side pipes that's a joy to the car's occupants, yet surprisingly subdued to rubber-necking spectators. Inside, it's like having your own private THX sound system demo. Crush the cut-pile under the throttle pedal, and the increasingly urgent whine of the supercharger cuts through the Roush's baritone exhaust music with the malevolent intent of Satan's own bone saw. If the sound and feel of the Roush Stage III Mustang fail to push your heart to the brink of mitral valve float, you're either already dead or a dyed-in-the-wool Chevy fan.
Time to turn off the seat of the pants and turn on the timing gear. In the Camaro SS, the launch drill is simple enough, and almost indistinguishable from that of a more ubiquitous Z28. Switch off the optional traction control, then feed in as much power as tire grip will permit. Finding the balance between throttle and clutch engagement in the SS takes a try or two. Get it just right, and you hit 60 mph in a satisfyingly abrupt 5.2 seconds.
That's quick, but no better than the last Z28 we tested. Where's the extra 15 horsepower? Good things come to those who wait. Stick around, and the extra juice materializes as velocity builds. The SS hits 100 mph a full second ahead of the Z28 (12.0 seconds against 13.0) and notches the quarter mile in 13.6 ticks with a terminal speed of 106.5 mph. The Z28 trails in the quarter mile by 0.1 second and 4 big mph.
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