I see both sides to the argument. However being me I will always side with a maverick. Besides a 400hp car is a built car, just factory built My car is maybe 375 at the fly wheel likely less than that.
I don't know about the LS1 being "pitiful"! My 98 LS1 Camaro was factory rated 305 hp at the flywheel... It pulled 330 hp on the dyno! That was at the wheels! It is common knowledge that the LS1 was seriously underrated by the factory. That is not so with the other LS engines. When you have an LS2 rated at 400 fwhp, it will pull around 330 rwhp. At the time, before the GTO, GM had a 'thing' about making sure the Camaro/Firebird never rated close to the Vette. Every time GM built a coupe that was cheaper than the Vette, but had the same power, Vette owners would throw a fit. The LS1 F-bodies had the same engine and power, but GM couldn't bring itself to rate it the same as the Vette. Vettes rated much higher hp during this era, but would actually pull the same at the wheels. It's not widely known, but around 2000 model year, LS1s, even in the F-cars, got LS6 engines... minus LS6 heads. The intake alone was good for 15 rwhp, but GM didn't tell anyone and only raised the hp rating on 'premium' models like the SS, which ended with 330 'rated hp'. 2002 Z28s were pulling awesome power right off the showroom. I was happy when the GTO was announced, then royally cheezed when they cancelled the F-cars. That is when I got back into Fords. I have owned 3 late Z28s and was ready for an 03, then they took a big dump on me. They were great cars. You could pick them up cheaper than a Stang, yet they had far more bells and whistles... on top of the huge power difference. Don't get me wrong, they weren't rockets compared to 'built' cars, but they were crazy fast for something you could get for $20-somethingK from the dealers lot. The guy that bought my car bolted on a set of headers and an LS6 intake, along with a free flowing muffler and K&N filter... He recently pulled 378 rwhp! Stock cam, heads, computer... nothing touched internally. It was a 12 second flat car when I had it. Got 28 mpg hwy with the AC on too. 30 if the AC was off and I babied it. I go into all this because someone made a comment that LS1s were "pitiful", AND to tout the GTO a bit as a great bang for the buck car. Dave Edit: My car was 3600 lbs! (with me) Still a 12 second ride! The GTOs are EVEN HEAVIER!
All things aside, it's great to have a place to come talk to car guys about cars! Ford, Chevy, Pontiac who gives a damn as long as it's American!! Thanks for the great conversation. Later, Josh
We'll I probably should have said that better because you took it the wrong way. I meant the LS1 powered GTO's were kinda pitiful...but that wasnt the engines fault that was more with the car itself being too heavy and such. More than one magazine said they were the slowest LS1 powered cars they've ever tested. I know the LS1 Camaro and Firebirds were fast I would never knock the LS1 as an engine so take a :chillpill
I haven't done any research on them, but doesn't the new california style mustangs have only styling mods done to them? and if so, would that classify it to be like the grabbers?