Place your bets: It’s F-Body vs. Alpha, and LS1 vs. LT1.
This drag race video comes to us from the Auto Haven YouTube channel. It features a quarter-mile clash between two distant brothers: a fourth-gen Camaro SS and a current sixth-gen SS. There are no details on either car, but based on their performance, we would guess that both cars are stock or very near stock. Though, the F-Body appears to have a different hood and wheels while also seeming a bit louder than the average, stock LS1 car.
Now, in stock form, the new SS has a massive power advantage over the older SS. The newer car is powered by the new LT1 with 455 horsepower and 455lb-ft of torque. Meanwhile, the older car has an LS1 packing official figures of 325 horsepower and 350lb-ft of torque. The only real advantage for the 2001 Camaro is that it is at least a couple hundred pounds lighter than the 2016 model. However, will that make up for the power difference in a quarter mile run?
No.
The fourth-gen jumps out to an early lead thanks to a quicker reaction time and a better launch. In fact, by the time the older car hits the 60-foot box, it is several car-lengths ahead, but the newer Camaro quickly closes that gap once the driver is done sleeping at the line.
By the 1/8th mile boxes, the 2016 SS pulled even, and by the finish line, the LT1 car had a lead of almost 7-tenths of a second. At the big end, the 2001 Camaro ran a 13.85 at 105 miles per hour while the 2016 SS ran a 13.19 at 107 miles per hour, showing that even with a bad launch – a sixth-gen SS can outrun a fourth-gen by a comfortable margin.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
