![]() And most manufacturers have found benefits from fuel injection other than simply draining the gas tank expediently (with a capacity of sixteen gallons and a test-trip efficiency of 12 mpg, both the Camaro and the Firebird needed pit-stops every 192 miles). Five liters is an ample piston displacement in the era of $1.50-per-gallon energy. We could carp all day long about catalytic converters and the enemy in Washington, but the essential problem is underhood impotence stacked against 3400 pounds of dead weight. Truth to tell, neither powertrain stirred anyone’s soul to ecstasy. To examine the other side of the coin, we ordered the Firebird with the hairiest manual-transmission powertrain offered: the 5.0-liter V-8 (inhaling through a four-barrel carburetor, exhaling through a more restrictive catalyst), the venerable Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed, the same 3.23:1 “performance” axle ratio. We ordered our Camaro with the fastest powertrain available-5.0-liter TBI V-8, Turbo Hydramatic transmission, 3.23:1 axle ratio-even though most of us here at C/D prefer a GT car’s shift lever to be more than a hand rest. Then again, it could be the last straw before you rush out and order a four-cylinder station wagon. Who knows? This comparo test might tip your balance toward the two-plus-two of your dreams. This is not to suggest that the test was a bust before we sign off, we’ll be happy to confide our most intimate experiences with the four racy-red V-8 GTs. Our findings tell us the silver-bullet solution to your GT needs is yet to be made in Detroit. Sad to say, we have for you no clear winner. ![]() What’s more, none of the three contenders could drum up a majority when each of the five editors was pressed for a simple “Best GT” nomination. Toward the end, the Trans Am eked out a one-point victory over the Mustang (plus five points over the Camaro) in the subjective ratings, but that same Pontiac marched smartly to a last-place finish in our fun-to-drive ranking. But we also found a surprising number of traits even a mother would abhor. Along the way, we found a lot to love about the Camaro, Mustang, and Trans Am. We did have a ball hammering these four thunderbuggies up California’s Mount Palomar and down the Ortega Highway. Reality, however, has a habit of going its own dastardly way. Quickest Cars You Can Buy for Less Than $30,000Īt least that was the script.
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