RACETRACK CAPABILITY OR OLD-SCHOOL COOL?
Brian Harper: Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger are rivals going back 50 years. These are not the ultimate versions of each, maybe not even the most livable for the street, but they have traditional V-8 power and six-speed manual transmissions, augmented by optional performance upgrades that give them superior handling and grip. Stripping it down to the basics, it’s a fight between tradition and evolution.
Nick Tragianis: Well, the Mustang GT certainly makes a compelling case for evolution. Starting with a 5.0-litre V-8 under the hood making 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, and of course hooked up to a six-speed manual and riding on independent suspension at all four corners, it’s without a doubt the closest the Mustang has ever been to sports car territory — Shelby GT350 (and GT350R) notwithstanding. It pulls hard, sounds incredible and, most importantly, it can boogie around corners.
The key ingredient to this formula is what Ford calls the Performance Package Level Two, or as it’s known to enthusiasts, the PP2. It includes beefier springs and sway bars, more chassis bracing, magnetic dampers, a Torsen limited-slip differential, super-sticky (and wide) Pirelli summer tires, and more. Much more. All you need to know is that the PP2 is magical.
BH: I love almost everything about PP2, except those meaty P305/30ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Ungodly grip in the dry, yes, but with next to no tread, a very limited lifespan. Interestingly, the Challenger Scat Pack fitted with the Widebody had similar 305-width rubber — P305/35ZR20 Pirellis — and was nowhere near as frenetic on real roads, though that is clearly not its forte. The big Dodge is definitely oldschool muscle car, with blistering straight-line acceleration courtesy of its 485-hp 6.4-L V-8. It’s perfect for the quarter mile, equipped with line lock, launch assist and an improved launch-control setup. Oh yeah, and larger six-piston Brembo front brakes and a stiffer suspension. Still, you feel the difference in the two cars’ weights — the Mustang is 220 kilograms lighter — especially on a serious set of twisties (or a track). I have to say, though, the Mustang is no slouch over 1,320 feet, either, not with its own line lock and Drag Strip mode.
NT: The Mustang is definitely the better “car,” if you will — the steering, clutch and shifter action are more precise and nowhere near as heavy as the Challenger.
You can pretty much tailor the Mustang to however you’re feeling on any particular day, with its adjustable drive modes and optional active exhaust system, which, by the way, should be standard.
But it’s almost as though the Mustang feels too complicated, too modern for its own good. This is where the Challenger truly comes into its own, indulging the old-school crowd these days far better than the Mustang or Camaro. It seems to be working — the design might be more than a decade old, but the Challenger still turns heads and it even outsells the Camaro. But it’s very much a one-trick pony; the Challenger takes a corner just fine, but whether you’re peeling off with the go-fast pedal pinned and slamming through the gears, or just eating up the highway at 120 km/h, the Challenger is happiest going in a straight line.
Seriously, the Challenger is a fantastic cruiser. But its generous dimensions and heft work against it when you’re trying to live with this thing on a daily basis. I wouldn’t exactly consider mundane commuting — you know, parallel parking, squeezing through parking garages or sitting in traffic — pleasant behind the wheel of a Challenger.
BH: The Mustang GT is a legit sports car, and while I’d dial it back a bit by forgoing PP2 and a couple of other options for an easier-to-live-with street cruiser, I really like its brash attitude backed up by robust V-8 power. I respect the Challenger; it’s been around for 11 years, yet Chrysler just keeps making it stronger and meaner. But I’d rather go forward than look back.
NT: Both the Mustang and Challenger make a compelling case for the things they’re good at. The fact that you can spec a base Mustang GT with the PP2 for a hair over $50,000 tips this comparison ever so slightly in favour of the ’Stang. It’s a sizable chunk less than the price tag of our tester, which was loaded up with said bells and whistles for just under $63K as tested.
The Challenger, on the other hand, is old-school cool. It’s not quite as capable and athletic as the Mustang, but spec the right options (and colours) and it’s arguably the closest you’ll get to a 1970s pony car that is built in 2019, complete with airbags, crumple zones and heated seats.
It’s almost pointless trying to pick a winner. We’re not going to convince Mustang fans the Challenger is the better car, and there’s no way Mopar guys and gals will give the Mustang the time of day.