Ferrari GTC4 VS Chevrolet Camaro
Ferrari GTC4
Likes
- That engine
- Space efficiency
- Balance of comfort and dynamics
Dislikes
- No AEB
- No curtain airbags
- Pricey
Chevrolet Camaro
Likes
- Looks like a real-life Hot Wheels
- Sounds sensational
- Fun to drive
Dislikes
- Boot opening is small
- Expensive compared to Mustang
- No AEB
Summary
Ferrari GTC4
You want a V12 Ferrari, but you have growing responsibilities. A strictly two seat supercar just isn't quite right when kids start to arrive.
Sure, you can add a Ferrari F12 to your collection, and pick up a Merc-AMG family truckster to cover the functional stuff.
But it's not the same. You want to have your Italian torta, and eat it, too. Enter the Ferrari GTC4Lusso, the prancing horse’s latest take on a rapid, luxurious, four seat coupe, able to leap continents in a single bound without so much as a bead of perspiration forming on its forehead.
It's fast, suitably furious, and able to accommodate family or friends on a fast blast to anywhere you choose to go. And as usual with Maranello’s finest, the name says it all.
'GT' stands for Gran Turismo (or Grand Tourer), 'C' is short for Coupe, '4' relates to the number of people it accommodates, 'Lusso' means luxury, and of course, Ferrari is Italian for fast.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 3.9L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 11.6L/100km |
| Seating | 4 seats |
Chevrolet Camaro
Nobody really needs to drink beer and absolutely nobody needs to go skydiving. You don’t need tattoos nor to eat ice cream, nor put art on their walls, and absolutely nobody needs to play Stairway to Heaven, badly, on guitar. Likewise, nobody needs to buy a Chevrolet Camaro.
And there’s your answer if anybody has a go at you for arriving home in this big American muscle car, because if we only did things we needed to do, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be having as much fun.
The Chevrolet Camaro has been the Ford Mustang’s recurring nightmare since 1966, and this latest, sixth generation of the Chevy icon is available to continue the fight here in Australia, thanks to some re-engineering from HSV.
The SS badge is also legendary and was emblazoned on our test car, although it’s really a 2SS, and we’ll get to what that means below.
As you’re about to see, there are many good reasons to buy the Camaro SS and a few that might make you reconsider, but think about this – within the next two decades it’s entirely possible a car like the Camaro, with its 6.2-litre V8, may be banned because of emission regulations. Outlawed. You also never know how much longer HSV will continue to sell it in Australia. Maybe that’s reason enough to get one? Before it's too late.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 6.2L |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | 4 seats |
Verdict
Ferrari GTC47.5/10
The Ferrari GTC4Lusso is a properly fast, beautifully composed, and supremely luxurious four-seat coupe.
Sadly, evermore stringent emissions regulations have put atmo V12's on the knife edge of extinction, with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and a few others hanging on for grim death.
In fact the twin-turbo V8 Lusso T (powered by the same engine used in the California T and 488) will arrive and be sold alongside this car in Australia later this year.
But we’d like to propose a captive breeding program to keep the big V12s alive because this engine’s soundtrack and the GTC4Lusso’s overall driving experience is magnificent.
Chevrolet Camaro7.4/10
The Camaro 2SS is a real-life Hot Wheels car. This beast looks amazing, sounds incredible and is not overpowered, making it usable as a daily driver.
Now about that score. The Camaro 2SS lost big marks for not having AEB, lost more marks for the short warranty and no capped-price servicing and also some for its price, because compared to the Mustang it’s expensive. It’s also impractical (space and storage could be better) and uncomfortable to drive at times, but this is a muscle car, and a great one at that. It's not for everybody, but truly perfect for some.
Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro? Which would you pick? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Design
Ferrari GTC48/10
Revealed to the world at last year's Geneva motor show, the GTC4Lusso is a substantial evolution of the out-going FF, and follows classic Ferrari GT form, with a glorious, 6.3-litre, naturally aspirated, V12 sitting majestically in its nose.
The car's proportions echo that configuration with a long snout and rear-biased, gently tapered cabin maintaining essentially the same silhouette as the FF. But Ferrari has remodelled the nose and tail; tweaking the aero detailing at the same time.
There's a host of new vents, ducts and louvers contributing to a claimed six per cent improvement in drag coefficient.
For example, the diffuser is a work of aerodynamic art, following a keel shape, with vertical fences channeling air flow towards the centre to reduce drag and increase downforce.
A wide, single-piece grille dominates a smoother front end that moves from upright to a distinct forward lean, with a neat chin spoiler enhancing the racier look.
Larger, triple-blade vents in the front wings add more aggression, and the treatment of the rear side glass and tailgate have been refined and simplified.
Always a subjective call, but we think the restyling work, done in-house by Ferrari Design, has made an already distinctive car even more appealing.
Ferrari says the interior was developed around a 'dual cockpit' concept, to “enhance the shared driving experience”, and the cabin is beautiful.
There's a new 10.3-inch colour touchscreen, with the interface for the climate control, sat nav and media all refreshed. It's backed up by a more powerful 1.5Ghz CPU with 2GB of RAM, and it’s much, much better.
'Our' car also boasted the optional ($9500) 8.8-inch ‘Passenger Display’ incorporating performance read-outs, and now, the ability to select music and fiddle with the nav.
The attention to design detail and the quality of its execution is breathtaking. Even the slender sunvisors in our test example were hand-stitched leather. And the pedals are drilled alloy. Not alloy covers, or some other faux creation – real aluminium, right down to the passenger footrest pad.
Chevrolet Camaro9/10
As was the case with Ford’s Mustang, something seemed to go bizarrely weird in the styling of the Camaro in the early 2000s, but by 2005 the arrival of the fifth generation saw a design that re-imagined the original (and I reckon the best) 1967 Camaro. Now this sixth-generation car is a sharper resolution of that, yet not without causing a bit of controversy.
Along with styling changes, such as redesigned LED headlights and taillights, the front fascia was also given a tweak, which involved repositioning the Chevy ‘bow-tie’ badge from the upper grille to the black-painted cross bar that separates the top and bottom sections. The reaction from fans was enough for Chevrolet to quickly redesign the front and move the badge back.
Our test car was the version with the ‘unpopular’ face, but I reckon it gets away with the look, thanks to the body colour being black, which means your eye isn’t drawn to that cross bar.
Here’s some pub ammo for you – Chevy calls the ‘bow tie’ on this Camaro a ‘Flow Tie’ because its hollow construction means air can pass through it to the radiator.
Big on the outside but small inside, the Camaro’s dimensions show it to be 4784mm long, 1897mm wide (not including mirrors) and 1349mm tall.
Ford’s Mustang is elegant, but Chevy’s Camaro is more macho. Big haunches, long bonnet, flared guards, nostrils. This is one mean-looking monster. Those high sides and ‘chopped’ roof design may also make you assume the cabin is more cockpit than lounge room.
That assumption would be right and in the practicality section further down I’ll tell you just how cozy the interior is, but for now we're just talking about looks.
I’m not sure what David Hasselhoff’s apartment looks like, but at a guess I reckon it would have a hell of a lot in common with the interior design of the Camaro 2SS’s cabin.
Soft, black leather seats with SS badging, giant metal air vents, door handles that look like chrome exhaust tips and a display screen that is oddly tilted towards the floor.
There’s also an ambient LED lighting system that lets you choose from 1980s-neon colour palettes, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Ken Done’s outstanding depiction of a Koala family sitting down to a barbecue lunch.
I’m not knocking it, I love it, and even though the guys in the office thought it would be hilarious to set the lighting to hot pink, I kept it that way because it looks awesome.
Practicality
Ferrari GTC48/10
For once we can mention Ferrari and practicality in the same breath because the Lusso offers generous accommodation in the front and rear. Forget '2+2', the back seats are for grown-ups.
With all its drive and dynamic tech on board it's hard to think of a more elegant and capable four-seater for your next trip to the chalet for a cheeky weekend skiing off piste.
In fact, Ferrari says the FF attracted a new, younger batch of owners that make greater use of their cars.
Admittedly, Ferraris don't generally rack up huge kays, but clocking mileage 30 per cent higher than average is significant.
Front seat passengers slip easily into generous and intricately sculpted sports seats, with slim map pockets in the doors and space for bottles, a single large cupholder in the substantial centre console, as well as a lidded storage box (which doubles as a centre armrest) housing 12 volt and USB outlets.
There's also a decent-sized glove box, and a second tray sits further towards the dash to store your black credit cards, Vertu phone(s), and assorted jewellery. Its leather trimmed, double-door closure is reminiscent of the finest Milanese cabinet.
The long, leather-wrapped transmission tunnel continues uninterrupted through to the back, dividing the individual rear bucket seats. A pair of jet fighter style vents sit in the centre, slightly ahead of another two cupholders and a small oddments box containing additional USB ports.
But the big surprise is the amount of head, leg and shoulder room on offer back there. The door aperture is enormous and the front seats quickly tilt and slide forward with the flick of a single handle, so entry and egress is relatively easy.
It's an ultra-comfortable and relaxed place to be, and at 183cm I could sit behind the front seat set to my position with heaps of headroom and three to four centimetres of knee clearance. Finding space for your toes under the front chair is more of a challenge, but an extended journey in the back of the Lusso would be fine.
The only caveat there is the test vehicle’s optional 'Panoramic Glass Roof' ($32,500!), which essentially removes the roof lining, and it would be interesting to sit in a car without it.
Cargo space is real-world useful, with a substantial 450 litres on offer with the rear seats upright, and a full 800 litres available with them folded down.
There’s no spare tyre; a 'can of goo' repair kit being your only option.
Chevrolet Camaro7/10
The Camaro 2SS’s cabin is cozy for me at 191cm tall, but even with a similarly proportioned photographer riding shotgun it wasn’t too cramped. Believe it or not, we were able to carry all his equipment and lights, plus batteries for our night shoot (have you seen the video above – it’s very good). I’ll get to the boot size in a moment.
The Camaro 2SS is a four-seater, but those rear seats are only going to suit small children. I was able to fit my four year old’s car seat into place with a bit of gentle persuasion, and while he could sit behind my wife, there was zero space behind me when I was driving. As for visibility, we’ll get to that in the driving section below, but I can tell you he couldn’t see much from his tiny porthole.
Cargo capacity of the boot is small, as you’d expect, at 257 litres, but the space is deep and long. The problem is not the volume, however, it’s the size of the opening, which means you’ll have to cleverly angle larger items to get them in, like pushing a couch through your front door. You know, houses are big, but their openings aren’t. I know, profound.
Cabin storage is also limited, the door pockets were so thin my wallet couldn’t even slide into it (no, it’s not the wads of cash), but there was just enough room in the centre console storage bin for it. There are two cupholders, which are more like elbow holders, (because this part wasn’t swapped over in the conversion and that’s where your arm lands while driving) and a glove box. Rear-seat passengers have a large tray to fight over in the back.
The 2SS doesn’t have a wireless-charging pad like the ZL1, but it does have one USB port and a 12V outlet.
Price and features
Ferrari GTC46/10
At $578,000, the GTC4Lusso is in serious money territory, and as you’d expect, the standard features list is equally imposing.
Highlights include, bi-xenon headlights with LED indicators and daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, 20-inch alloy rims, electric cargo door, front and rear parking sensors plus rear parking camera, cruise control, dual zone climate control air, integrated peripheral anti-theft system (with anti-lift), keyless entry and start, the 10.3-inch touchscreen interface managing 3D navigation, multimedia and vehicle settings, eight-way adjustable electric seats with heating, pneumatic bolsters and lumbar adjustment, plus three memories, carbon ceramic brakes, electric steering column adjustment with memory and ‘easy entry’ function, a tailored car cover and even battery conditioner.
And that’s before you get to the 'usual' stuff like a herd’s worth of leather lining the interior, cranking nine-speaker audio system, electric windows and mirrors, and all the dynamic and safety tech we’ll get to shortly.
Then, there’s the options list.
There’s a persuasive theory that says once you cross a certain car purchase dollar threshold, let’s say $200k, those options had better be pricey or owners won’t have anything to brag/complain about when introducing their latest acquisition to colleagues in the yacht club car park.
“You know how much that sunroof cost me… just the sunroof? Yep, 32 grand… I know, right!”
By the way, the price of that ‘Low-E’ glass roof will buy you a Subaru XV Premium that Richard tested recently… complete with standard sunroof!
Short story is ‘our’ car featured $109,580-worth of extras, including the roof, forged rims ($10,600), ‘Scuderia Ferrari’ shields on the fenders ($3100), ‘Hi-Fi premium’ audio ($10,450), and a (must have) front and rear suspension lift system ($11,000).
The carbon-rich steering wheel with F1-inspired LED shift lights is a lazy $13k, and the super-cool enamel badge under the lip of the rear spoiler is $1900.
You can point fingers and feign shock at numbers like these, but it all goes to the ultimate personalisation process that is the Ferrari purchase experience; to the point where the factory is now installing a sizeable plaque in each of its cars, listing the options fitted and confirming its original specification for evermore.
Chevrolet Camaro7/10
You know how people talk about cars not always being a rational purchase? This is the type of vehicle they’re talking about. The Camaro 2SS lists at $86,990 and the total tested price of our car was $89,190, because it was fitted with the optional 10-speed auto for $2200.
In comparison, the V8 Ford Mustang GT with the 10-speed auto is about $66K. Why the big price difference? Well, unlike the Mustang, which is built as a right-hand-drive car in the factory for places such as Australia and the UK, the Camaro is only built as a left-hand drive. HSV puts about 100 hours into converting the Camaro from left to right-hand drive. That’s a big job and involves gutting the interior, taking out the engine, swapping the steering rack and putting it all back together again.
If you still think $89K is a lot to spend on a Camaro, then think again because the top-of-the-range hardcore race-car-for-the-road ZL1 Camaro lists for about $160K.
Those are only the two grades of Camaro in Australia – the ZL1 and 2SS. The 2SS is a higher-specified version of the 1SS sold in the US.
Standard features in the 2SS include an eight-inch screen, which uses Chevrolet’s Infotainment 3 system, a nine-speaker Bose stereo, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display, rear-view camera and rear camera mirror, dual-zone climate control, leather seats (heated and ventilated, plus power adjustable in the front), remote start, proximity key and 20-inch alloys.
That’s a decent amount of kit and I’m particularly impressed by the head-up display, which you don’t get in the Mustang, and also with the rear-vision-mirror camera, which turns the entire mirror into an image of what’s behind the car.
Under the bonnet
Ferrari GTC49/10
The Lusso is powered by a 6.3-litre, 65-degree, naturally aspirated V12 producing a monumental 507kW (680hp) at 8000rpm and 697Nm at 5750rpm.
It features variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust side, the rev ceiling is a lofty 8250rpm, and revisions from the FF installation include redesigned piston crowns, new anti-knock software, and multi-spark injection, for a four per cent gain in power and two percent rise in maximum torque.
Also new for the Lusso is the adoption of six-into-one exhaust manifold with equal length pipes and a new electronic bypass valve.
The Lusso features an insanely rapid-shift, seven-speed 'F1 DCT' dual-clutch transmission, working in parallel with Ferrari’s new and improved '4RM-S' system, which combines all-wheel drive, and now, four-wheel steering to enhance power down and dynamic response.
The drive and steering tech is integrated with Ferrari's fourth-gen side slip control, as well as the 'E-Diff' electronic differential and 'SCM-E' suspension damping syste.
Chevrolet Camaro8/10
Sure, the 2SS doesn’t produce the mammoth 477kW of the ZL1, but I’m not complaining about the 339kW and 617Nm it does make from its 6.2-litre V8. Besides, 455 horsepower from the 2SS’s naturally aspirated LT1 small block is plenty of fun and the sound on start-up through the bi-modal exhaust is apocalyptic - and that’s good.
Our car was fitted with the optional 10-speed auto ($2200), with paddle shifters. The automatic transmission was developed as a joint venture between General Motors and Ford and a version of this 10-speed is also found in the Mustang.
This traditional torque-converter automatic isn’t the quickest shifting thing, but it suits the big, powerful and slightly lethargic personality of the Camaro 2SS.
Efficiency
Ferrari GTC46/10
In case you're interested - and if a Lusso is genuinely on your shopping list, you're almost certainly not - claimed fuel consumption is reassuringly voracious.
Ferrari’s claimed figure for the combined (urban/extra urban) cycle is 15.0L/100km, emitting 350g/km of CO2 in the process. And you'll need 91 litres of premium unleaded to fill the tank.
Chevrolet Camaro7/10
Okay, brace yourself. During my fuel test I traveled 358.5km and used 60.44L of premium unleaded, which comes out to be 16.9L/100km. That sounds awfully high, but actually it's not as bad as it looks, considering the Camaro 2SS has a 6.2-litre V8 and I wasn't driving it in a way that would conserve fuel, if you get my drift. Half of those kilometres were on motorways at 110km/h, the other half would have been in bumper-to-bumper city traffic, which would have driven up the fuel usage, too.
The official fuel consumption after a combination of open and urban roads is 13L/100km.
Driving
Ferrari GTC48/10
Although the big V12's maximum torque doesn’t arrive until close to 6000rpm, 80 per cent of it is available from just 1750, and that means the Lusso is flexible enough to dawdle around town or storm towards the horizon with massive acceleration available via a single twist of the right ankle.
We were able to burble up more than gentle inclines (at reasonable speed), in seventh gear, with the engine more or less ticking over at 2000rpm. In fact, in auto mode, the dual clutch is always keen to march towards its highest ratio.
But if the mood is a little more urgent, despite its substantial, 1.9-tonne kerb weight, (with the help of ‘Performance Launch Control’) this family-friendly force of nature can storm from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds, 0-200km/h in 10.5, and on to a staggering maximum velocity of 335km/h.
From a gruff blare on start-up, through a muscular bellow in the mid-range, to a heart-pounding howl at the top end, pushing the Lusso towards its 8250rpm rev ceiling is a special event… every time.
Channelling all that forward thrust into lateral force is the job of the double wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension, with magnetic dampers and other electronic gee-whizzery in support.
Despite the 4WD system, weight balance is an ideal 47 per cent front, 53 per cent rear, with the 'SS4' torque vectoring set-up distributing torque to the front axle when required even faster than the FF.
The 20-inch Pirelli P Zero rubber grips like a Donald Trump handshake (as do the sports front seats), and the monster brakes - ventilated carbon discs front and rear - are mega.
Even in tight, first gear corners the Lusso turns in quickly and progressively thanks to the four-wheel steering and excellent electric assistance set-up, remains neutral mid-corner and slams its power down on exit.
Switch the wheel-mounted Manettino dial from 'Sport' to 'Comfort' and the Lusso settles into an impressively supple mode, deftly soaking up even sharp imperfections.
In short, this is a big beast, but point-to-point, it's a fearsomely rapid, surprisingly agile and hugely entertaining drive.
Chevrolet Camaro8/10
Exactly how an American muscle car should be – loud, a bit uncomfortable, not all that easy, but a hell of a lot of fun. Those first three attributes may sound like negatives, but take it from somebody who owns and loves hot rods - it’s part of the appeal. If an SUV is not easy to drive or comfortable there's a problem, but in a muscle car it can enhance the engagement and connection factors.
That said, there will be many who think the ride is too firm, the steering heavy and that it feels like you’re staring out a letterbox slot through the windscreen. It’s all true, and there are other performance cars out there which make as much horsepower, handle better and are so easy to drive they can almost (and some do) pilot themselves, but they all lack the feeling of connection the Camaro offers.
Wide and low-profile Goodyear Eagles (245/40 ZR20 at the front and 275/35 ZR20 at the rear) provide good grip, but also feel every blemish in the road, while four-piston Brembo brakes all round pull the Camaro 2SS up well.
Acceleration from 0-100km/h isn’t disclosed by HSV or Chevrolet, but the official line is that it’ll nail it in under five seconds. Ford reckons its Mustang GT can do the same in 4.3 seconds.
If you were wondering if you could live with the Camaro daily, the answer is yes but, much like wearing leather pants, you’ll have to suffer a bit to look this rock and roll. I put 650km on the clock of our 2SS during my week with it, using it daily in peak-hour traffic into the city, in supermarket car parks, and for daycare drop offs, with country road and motorway drives on the weekend.
The seats can get uncomfortable over long distances and those low-profile ‘run-flat’ tyres and firm dampers don’t make life any comfier. You’ll also find that wherever you go people will want to race you. But don’t get sucked in; you’re slower than you look - another muscle-car trait.
Sure, it’s not the quickest performance car I’ve steered and on winding roads its handling capability is not up there with many sports cars, but that V8 is responsive and angry in Sport mode and smooth in its delivery of grunt. The exhaust note is sensational and the steering, while heavy, offers great feel and feedback. The sound isn’t electronically enhanced but it uses bi-modal valves, which open and close at different engine and exhaust loads to produce its addictive bark.
Safety
Ferrari GTC47/10
You could easily characterise the Lusso’s entire drivetrain as one big active safety system with the all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, side slip control and E-Diff keeping even the most determined attempts to overdrive the car under control.
Add in ABS, EBD, 'F1-Trac' traction control, and tyre pressure monitoring system, and it's safety fast all the way. But a big black mark has to sit next to the lack of AEB.
If you do manage to overcome all of that and engage in a crash, there front and side airbags for the driver and front seat passenger, but no curtains front or rear. Sadly, not good enough for a car in this performance and price bracket. There are ISOFIX child restraint location anchors in each of the rear seat positions though.
The GTC4Lusso has not been tested by ANCAP.
Chevrolet Camaro7/10
The Chevrolet Camaro 2SS doesn’t have an ANCAP rating, but it’s certain that it wouldn’t achieve the maximum five stars because it doesn’t have AEB. There is forward-collision alert which warns you of an impending impact, there’s also blind-spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and eight airbags.
For child seats (and I did put my own four-year-old in the back) there are two top-tether points and two ISOFIX mounts in the second row.
There's no spare wheel here, so you’ll have to hope you’re within 80km of home or a repair shop, because that’s how far the Goodyear ‘run-flat’ tyres will get you.
The low (ish) score is for the lack of AEB. If the Mustang can be fitted with autonomous emergency braking, then the Camaro should be, too.
Ownership
Ferrari GTC48/10
Ferrari offers a three year/unlimited km warranty, the latter part of that equation being somewhat hilarious because most Ferraris don't travel very far… ever.
Service is recommended every 12 months or 20,000km, and the seven year 'Genuine Maintenance' program covers scheduled servicing and labour along with genuine parts, oil and brake fluid for the original owner (and subsequent owners) for the first seven years of the car's life. Brilliant.
Chevrolet Camaro6/10
The Camaro 2SS is covered by HSV’s three-year/100,000km warranty. Servicing is recommended at nine-month/12,000km intervals, with a complimentary inspection at the end of the first month. There is no capped-price-servicing program.