1983 Porsche 928S Vs. Camaro Z28 | Retro Review

Whoa! Just stumbled across this one... It wasn't in the archive listing. Enjoy. Porsche 928S Vs. Chevrolet Camaro Z28 @ Summit Point Raceway.

[@Motorweek]

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[@sincereroger605]

Instablaster.

[@Swervin309]

It's weird seeing a Z/28 in this condition and not on blocks in the middle of a trailer park.

[@iant720]

Hahaha that's so accurate! That's coming from a thirdgen fan

[@feslerae]

Swervin309 Every z28 I've seen looks like a mad max car

[@DM-hw4cr]

My brother bought the RS version. Worst car he has ever owned.

[@michaelnesbitt4260]

The Porsche was on blocks in about 3 years . Or it was traded in and Porsche crushed it

[@dungdippedindian3933]

I saw one with rebuilt engine and trans for 3000cad no rust or dents it looks like a scam though

[@ss_whole]

GM line worker: I'm outta fan belts Supervisor: Just use the Monte Carlo ones

[@manoman0]

...and they still run. 😅

[@rodmunch69]

These are reviewer cars - the belt probably broke and was replaced by some yahoo mechanic who used the wrong part. It didn't come from factory like that.

[@MB-rr1fb]

@@rodmunch69 The car was brand new, chances are the long racing put tension/rpm on the belt it wasn't tested for. I'm sure the Motorweek guys had the correct parts and skills to replace a belt on a 1983 car, lol

[@henrywashington3732]

Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Chevy and Cadillac historically shared the same parts

[@TheSuperMotoHooligan]

Gotta love a race track with a gravel entrance....

[@jabrother]

Yeah and I bet their track days didn't cost hundreds to attend either!

[@jonathanlth868]

Old days

[@chadm3985]

My favorite part was how they faulted the Porsche for having a road-racing transmission, while road-racing.

[@ethanconnor7530]

@War N Peace this comment is 4 years old lol .

[@Aroncare]

@War N Peace american cars suck, just acept it man

[@ethanconnor7530]

@War N Peace the euro spec 928 would dust the camaro america had the watered down version

[@ethanconnor7530]

@War N Peace the c8?

[@ethanconnor7530]

@War N Peace yeah looks pretty cool.

[@sonictech1000]

Now that's the 1980s GM quality I remember. New car came with the wrong fan belts!

[@KennyboyGM]

Bahahahaha

[@sonictech1000]

***** No I didn't test drive the car in the video which was supplied to the reviewers with the wrong belts.

[@stephenbianchi7141]

+sonictech1000 I am, based on your statement, shocked to hear you feel qualified to comment on this vehicle.

[@ODSTOninersIxTwO]

the wrong fan belts on a MotorWeek review car GM DONE FUCKED IT UP!

[@jackrabbit7389]

That’s ok I watched an episode of Top gear I believe it was a 2017 Aston Martin vanquish they were testing and it kept throwing the belt s off of it also. 4 times the belts flew off after being installed by Aston Martin service techs

[@stevend3753]

Chevrolet sends them a car with the wrong accessory belts. That about sums up GM quality of the entire 80's decade.

[@ParadoxdesignsOrg]

hahaha. truth.

[@ossimjew]

Grand national was the only good thing to come out of the 80's.

[@stevend3753]

I wish I could +1 ^ post more than once.

[@ossimjew]

Steven D GM has been talking about bringing it back and using the twin turbo V6 from the CTS-v sport, what a beast that would be!

[@ParadoxdesignsOrg]

hahaha. well the 80's were a different time.

[@peter455sd]

These Camaros were a monster hit back in the day,everybody was dreaming about owning one,and they sold like crazy

[@VaunShiz]

only that the Mustang did way better lol

[@ak3home]

+matthew von Ever hear of a Camaro 2 in the 70's based on the Vega? Enough said

[@bendsomemetal]

Lol the FB RX-7s were better

[@NYKgjl10]

+peter455sd And I still want to get It even to this day.....Love the Z28.

[@bendsomemetal]

+Felix M lol it was 139

[@madgreg5674]

I had a 89 iroc 5 litre 5 speed. Bought it new. Now I am 42 and have 87 Porsche 944 s 05 Mercedes c32 and they were awesome cars, but I have to say. No car is as much fun as my 89 iroc. I would abuse that iroc and it never left me stranded once. The sound of that v8 , burn outs drifting around corners, that car was awesome. I tried that stuff with my benz and the dash lit up like a Christmas tree and the tranny needed a $900.00 repair. I think todays car are over engineered and boring. Have an awesome day.

[@workingcountry1776]

Mad Greg that 89 had TPI right?? Those were supposed to be very quick

[@seththomas9105]

So you bought an 89 IROC brand new when you were 16? Damn I wish I had a dad or part time job in high school that would have let me spend that kind of scratch! I was 19 and running a 73 Z/28 I wish I still had.

[@caseycardenas1668]

Strong Tower Lawn Care of it was the "G92" code 5.0 5 speed iroc then yes it was very quick.

[@heytodd53074]

Wow

[@Turppa21]

Oh cmon that 944 has to be more fun to drive than a camaro

[@dcanmore]

pity the emissions equipment strangled the Porsche V8, same engine Euro spec in 1983 was 297hp and went up to 330hp in 1984. Final variant (GTS) pushed out 345hp.

[@nanoquark2946]

+dcanmore Haha, true. Plus equal weight distribution. Ect, ect. You really do get what you pay for but no car comes with free driving lessons. If they had sent a German driver, you would see it for what it is. Send those cars to Nurburgring and see how they compare.

[@nanoquark2946]

***** the weight distribution was likely the biggest problem, with the camaro, in this test. The driver couldn't keep it on the road. But none of this was very professional.

[@Devolont]

+Nano Quark None of it looked professional. haha I would mark this as a fun test. I wouldn't use this as a benchmark but when was the last time you saw one of those porches being driven? At least in my area I still see tons of third gens.

[@nanoquark2946]

Devin Dowless For some reason, this model wasn't very popular but It's my favorite. You definitely don't see many (with a manual transmission).

[@Devolont]

The sad thing is the T5 that was used, even the world class versions were weak and if you weren't careful with the shifts you would blow them. Luckily the T56 is a very easy swap.

[@christopherd6399]

That 928 is still a gorgeous car. Timeless.

[@brentlanyon4654]

and the drivers in this video didn't know how to drive it...

[@AmericanFreedomPatriot]

35 years later, some of the classic Camaros have been restored to go to car shows, while most of the few surviving 928s (and 924s) left have ended up with a Chevy SB V8 engine swap, and Myth busters proved it was more aerodynamic in reverse than it is going forward.

[@V8guy83]

Maybe I've been lucky, but some of the most reliable cars I had were 1980s GM. Had a 1985 Bonneville with a 3.8 v6. Went 380k miles before it was totaled. Still running but the nose got smashed and the frame bent :(

[@raymondturner6784]

The 3800 was great, but I remember many in the same predicament as the people in the video... Walking or pushing their vehicle somewhere. I can't believe the belt kept popping off.

[@KKTR]

I bought a new Camaro Z28 High Output in 1984, fully loaded including 4 wheel disk brakes and T-Top. Five speed of course. $16,000. GM engineers at that time said true power output was more like 205. not 190. It literally handled like it was on rails. In one automotive magazine that I bought the reviewer said that it's clear the Camaro has gone to Corvette school. It had dealer-installed black rear window louvers which along with the deep red body color made it look exotic, like a 1983 Lotus Esprit. I had people approach me at red lights and in parking garages asking "What IS this car?!"

[@williamfreeman6935]

You are correct. Reasoning for the 190hp rating when it was 205hp was the newest model, completely revamped Corvette for 1984 was rated at 205hp. Chevy couldn't have their flagship sports car be upended by its little brother.

[@stoneylonesome5826]

@@williamfreeman6935 especially when the Vette had the 350 and the Z28 the 305.

[@stoneylonesome5826]

I remember Car and Driver voted that example of Z28 the best handling car in America.

[@thomascampr]

I've owned an IROC and a 928s and Loved them both.

[@quincee3376]

I always liked the looks of the 928's , 924's and 944's .

[@BlitzkriegRap]

I only like the 928 facelifted cars. Older 928s, 924s and 944 not so much.

[@quincee3376]

@@BlitzkriegRap right on .

[@CSXT8250]

Good Find! What they said was true. I've had both. 928s are just so damn never-ending to maintain.

[@Porsche996driver]

John’s eyebrows going crazy in the intro. 😉

[@jezb9762]

How do so called professional drivers get confused with a dog leg first gear? Really?

[@deadkemper]

@Planet Purgatory Not just American ..EVERYONE....but it's not that hard to get i think his comment stands true

[@callumdonington2227]

Remember they were probably testing a dozen cars a month, and probably only got so much time with each car. No unlikely they got confused once or twice.

[@DavidB-rx3km]

The same people who get confused when they go between manual and auto - I have both, and I keep slamming my foot into where the clutch pedal should be on the auto car, and just stalling my manual because my mind is in auto mode. When you're used to one thing, it takes a while for your brain to adjust to the other.

[@davidparker9676]

@@DavidB-rx3km These guys drive multiple cars for a living, there is no excuse to get confused by a shifter that is not unique. I have even driven an Isuzu NPR truck with a dogleg transmission, a professional driver isn't very professional if they can't figure it out in a couple seconds.

[@DavidB-rx3km]

@@davidparker9676 They probably figure it out in a couple of seconds, going through a track with corners at 120mph - they're professional drivers, not professional-never-get-confused-by-new-things-person, that's only human. Maybe you should apply for the position if you don't get confused by these things.

[@victorcreed8856]

"Odd shift pattern with first gear down and to the left." That's to keep the most frequent shifts on the track opposite of each other. 1st is useless on a track and is only there to get rolling from a stop.

[@andrzejdomian460]

86 Iroc-Z owner here and gotta say this video made me even more proud to own a third gen camaro. I have the original LT1 from a 70 corvette with a th350 trans setup slight mods and let's just say that to this day even Porsche's fear me. No one wants to mess with a 400hp Iroc coupled with a 4th gen rear end and 3.73 gears. Awesome video.

[@hertzair1186]

Andrzej Domian : ....don’t think any current 911’s fear you, especially around a circuit

[@Epro95]

lol, okay, sure thing guy

[@rodmunch69]

I had a 2005 GTO for a while, and it had 400hp, and frankly my 2014 BMW 428i with 240hp would beat it to 60, no issue. Now from 60-to-120, the GTO would leave it in the dust. It was all about the way they geared the cars, and GM geared that 05 GTO to go from 60-120 really fast, but from 0-60 was well into 5s. Made no sense to me.

[@raymondturner6784]

Does the belt pop off constantly like in the video? GM built a LOT of lemons in the 1980's. Japanese rear wheel drives were probably the best cars of the 80's, especially the Supra and 300ZX. I like American cars, but emissions killed them then.

[@ztwntyn8]

@@rodmunch69 from what I’ve seen they are hard to launch with its IRS. A guy trued me in LS2 GTO but hit it when he was about 2 cars behind me from about 65. I saw it and reacted so he got by me and about 2 car gap but I nearly stopped his pull by around 100 in a 13.5 @104.. 71 For USA 400. I also ran a LS2 Vette automatic from 60-120 in my 73 Trans Am and that was dead even if anything I was starting to move on him but.. traffic and I have no overdrive lol. That’s fast enough to prove the point though no need to go past double the speed limit. ✌🏼

[@nedaCFilms]

You'd think they could have found a Camaro with the 4-wheel disc option instead of rear drums, lol. Would have produced an even better time. The Camaro excelled on this track (Summit Point - my home track, lol) because of the stronger torque range down low. 1.38 seconds is good on this track, especially with a stock Camaro from 1983, lol. Great throwback Motorweek!

[@jpm408]

The Camaro excelled only because the testers knew how to drive it. He mentions in the beginning of the video that they had issues with the 1st gear and its odd layout giving the 928 a clear disadvantage on this day. An experienced German driver in the 928 on a familiar test track would have annihilated the Camaro.

[@nedaCFilms]

***** I should hope so for $45,000 vs $13,000 in 1983 lol. It's basically an exotic European V8 sports-car taking on a domestic blue collar V8 Pony-car. Summit Point is my home track so I know track times there and I was very surprised with the 1.38 time, especially with a non-J65 (4-wheel discs) optioned model..... but most people don't realize how well these 3rd Gen models handle and brake, they have a very capable and true MacPherson front suspension with panhard rod w/ torque arm at the rear..... and the 1LE optioned IROC-Z model uses the Corvette brakes. They dominated showroom stock racing in the later '80s (taking the title from Saleen)

[@jpm408]

nedaCFilms / Mustang-Town

[@nedaCFilms]

***** ....actually the fastest I have ever been in a car was 160mph way back in 1994, and it was a 1982 model gold special edition V8 powered Porches 928 heading to Maryland, the closest I've come to repeating that was in my old LT1 Camaro back around 2003 which was 150mph but it felt like it was able to climb a little more, but I didn't push it as many crazy thoughts were flying through my head lol, like just one tiny mistake, mishap or failure would end it all, lol. That's when I realized that I was getting old lol......

[@shawnk1899]

This test was is 89 and they used an 83 928. Major upgrades came in 86.5.. so it could go both ways

[@Sanpedranoazul]

I´ve always thought both models are awesome and good looking!

[@8BitBrody]

4:34 "And now it's time for the Challenger..." Weird. You'd think John Davis would know that it's a Camaro...

[@AgeofJP]

"Challenger" as in the obviously inferior car that wants to prove itself against a proven "champion"...(don't take it literally)

[@michaelnesbitt4260]

The Camaro is the challenger to the Porsche in this comparison lol

[@justgoofingoff]

Sarcasm eludes some people..

[@NeoGee]

Considering the Challenger back in '83 was a rebadged Mitsubishi we can excuse him for being confused.

[@justgoofingoff]

@@user-yv1bf4rx7r exactly...

[@SteelRhinoXpress]

I love these retro reviews thank you motor week, keep them coming!!!

[@Bigsky1991]

I was stationed in Germany when the 928 came out... I had a 2nd hand 924 at the time. 2 Pilots in my Squadron had 928's because of the great Dollar to Deutsche Mark exchange rate. Cool looking for the time, but they were notorious for overheating and busted head gaskets. Trivia: the 928 is the car Tom Cruise let roll into a lake in the cult classic film "Risky Business "

[@jigrodrigues]

Thank you MW, these retro vids are true gems!

[@daverunner3397]

The 928 is the most gorgeous shape ever designed, just me.

[@jakekaywell5972]

I disagree, but you do you. For me, it would have to be the Studebaker Hawk series. Gentle, Euro-esque curves but enough chrome trappings to make it worthwhile!

[@rhull3939]

Just you. I think it's more ugly everytime a see it. It looks like a snake with it's eyes on top of it's head. It just looks wrong to me. That Camaro is the good looking car here.

[@2006gtobob]

I have owned (2) 928's, a grey market manual '82, and an American '84 with an automatic. I also owned, at the same time as the '84, an '82 Pontiac Trans Am with the cross fire fuel injection system that worked very well, no issues. AT NO TIME...EVER...could my Trans Am, in its stock form, compete with my Porsches...ever. It was beautiful, and I loved all of those cars, but there is no way that a Trans Am, which is basically a Z28 Camaro, could beat a 928. That Camaro must have been a ringer with a well tuned 350. Manufacturers were NOTORIOUS back in those days for sending out press cars with "special" engines for magazine tests.

[@MikeDunn]

The one in the vid is not crossfire shit.

[@elmuerte17]

The CFI system in the '82 Firebird made 165 HP, 15% less than the H.O. carburetted V8 in this video's Camaro, and if you had an automatic it would've been heavier and robbed more power.

[@OlderthanIlookyoungerthanIfeel]

They never made a manual 350 , Z28's got the 305 . Gen 4's got the 350 with a 6 speed manual , and if they used a 2001 Porsche an SS Camaro would beat that just as easy . A cam'ed LS1 Camaro will beat cars that cost 4 times as much , hell a brand new McLaren weights more than my 1995 Camaro . And power to weight ratio is pretty damn important if you wan't to go around corners .

[@leomonster1973]

Are you Saying the car that came with the wrong fan belt was a ringer? lol...I had an '83 305 HO Carburated Camaro. I beat the hell out of that thing for 125,000 miles. Fun car. But no Porche.

[@GregHuston]

@@OlderthanIlookyoungerthanIfeel You're correct; BUT you could get an Automatic 5.7 IROC Z with "Tuned Port Injection". The t-5 that GM used couldn't handle the torque of a 350.

[@1SaG]

"Sounds absurd?" Yes .... yes it does. Also: 234 hp in a 928S? Man, America got duped on that one. Over here that engine made 300hp.

[@charliedevine6869]

You got a higher compression ratio.

[@nthgth]

Emissions regulations man

[@monsieurdubitatif8567]

320 hp in Canada

[@davidparker9676]

The tree huggers make sure the American consumers get screwed in every possible way.

[@rodmunch69]

...and that 305, with no emissions, would be making probably around 270hp in this era. It was all about the stupid emissions at the time. By the late 80s it wasn't that big of an issue, by from the late 70s and early 80s, it was a real deadzone for cars.

[@summitpointmp]

We love seeing the track back in the day!

[@kungfuninja55]

To be fair to the Porsche, it's dog leg gear pattern is actually designed for racing. On most circuits the driver will shift between first and second much less than between second and third. This means that downshifting for and upshifting out of second gear corners can be done much more easily and often more quickly too. Quite a few other European performance cars have this sort of gearbox too such as the Cosworth 190 and the Ferrari Testarossa. Yes, this configuration is unusual, especially for Americans and yes it may be more difficult to operate for newcomers but I don't think anyone should hold it against any car that features it.

[@Acc0rd79]

Hey Motorweek, when are you going to make these retro throwbacks their own channel?

[@kipb2078]

I knew Camaro could do it! I owned a 83 Z28 with T-tops. Loved that car.

[@vivalosdetonez666]

" this high output version makes 190hp" smh...facepalm

[@iant720]

H.O 80's smog style

[@highervibetribe9137]

Dude it was the early 80's... I lol'd at that too.

[@czarpeppers6250]

You think that's bad? My car's Oldsmobile 307 produces a whopping... 140 HP

[@TheMentalblockrock]

still faster than the 928 round the track though!

[@czarpeppers6250]

John Matthews I'm not sure its a very fair comparison. The Z28 is a sports car whereas the 928 is primarily a grand touring car. They're both cars I like quite a bit though. But if I had to choose between the Camaro and the 928 I'd get the... BMW 635csi. Also, I much prefer the second generation Camaro. Especially the ones that were made towards the end of their run. 1979-1981.

[@McRocket]

I owned an '84 Z/28 with the L69 motor (the one in the test) with the 5 speed (I ordered it new). I never raced a Porsche 928. But it's nice to know I could have given it a run for the money.

[@MagicAyrtonforever]

+McRocket No offence, but the Porsche would of won.. This review seems heavily biased.

[@nthgth]

@@MagicAyrtonforever "a run for the money" is an expression that means it would put up a decent fight, not that it would necessarily win.

[@yorgle11]

This version of the thirdgen Camaro - an 83-84 hardtop with the L69 engine option and man trans is exactly the model I'd most love to have if I were to buy one of these cars. The L69 was the last performance tweaked Camaro V8 to be based on a carburetor - after that carbs were only used on standard budget builds. Unlike the later L98 350 you could get the L69 with a manual, in fact the auto wasn't even offered with this engine until 84. Definitely my favorite version of the thirdgen, and maybe my favorite car period. I'm easy to please I guess, somebody else can have the Ferraris.

[@justinbig10]

He forgot to mention that the Camaro sounded better going around the track!

[@Hot80s]

true but a 928 with no mufflers has an insane v8 sound from it's 32 valves like the orig zr1 motor

[@justinbig10]

Hot80s With no muffler, wouldn't it sound crappy during low speeds?

[@davidparker9676]

Now that both of them are on cinder blocks, neither of them make any noise at all. It's too bad GM's quality was so terrible and Porsche's parts cost more than the car is worth. Both of these factors have caused these cars to disappear from the roads.

[@erod017]

A guy I worked with had a modded 80s 928 and it easily put my 87 firebird V8 to shame when it came to sound. But he never drove it due to reliability issues,where as I daily drive my firebird

[@shootthefluteintheboot2903]

I’ll still take the 928 any day

[@htimsid]

Absolutely!

[@unitedcity_mc4421]

C’mon. Porsches are boring as hell compared to Camaros.

[@afroarabian]

I thought MW was clearly biased; claiming how well the Camaro was, outperforming the 928 while at the same time the video was showing the Camaro struggling on the right turn, tires howling and fishtailing. That said, the numbers don't lie and I never thought the Camaro would keep up, let alone beat the Porsche. The real jaw-dropper was the fact that it cost 1/3 of the porsche. Throw a few bucks in to retune the suspension and the Camaro could add some needed stability in handling and knock of considerable seconds in time.

[@supercars6050]

they could have easily done double the speeds they did around corners. They are scared to push it to the limit because its performance is scary amazing

[@hertzair1186]

Ashraf Mohsen : yeah but you’d get the pretty girl with the 928...

[@manoman0]

That's how media distorts facts.

[@rootsinchristministries]

They admitted the shift pattern of the Porsches affected the lap time…. That’s not a cars limitation, that’s a driver limitation. This was clearly a biased assessment to me.

[@rodmunch69]

All the brownshirts mad about losing a car test in 1984. LOL!

[@v_alexiadis]

Poor guy couldn't drive a dog-leg gearbox :p

[@davidparker9676]

He's a "professional" driver that can't figure out a dogleg.......so sad.

[@Andrew14312018]

Sounds like they were flummoxed by the Porsche gearbox.

[@jamesconroy7030]

Wow, I used to go to Summit Point with my Dad back in the 90s when he raced AHRMA road bikes.

[@1QKGLH]

Is the unique placement of 1st gear really a big deal? I mean, are you downshifting to 1st on a track?

[@SavageListener]

My older brother had one of these Z28s. I remember the doors and the glass T-Top being very heavy. The car was nearly junk by the 1999. I'm surprised when I see one driving on the road today but they bring back memories.

[@jamesdeligio2761]

yes , thats why the engine fell apart idiot

[@alphatrion100]

The 928 was a really good quality car. Cant compare that to an 80's camaro.

[@manoman0]

There are more Camaros on the road than 928's. So much for quality.

[@alphatrion100]

@@manoman0 Are you kidding me 1) Over 70 percent of all porches ever built is still on the road! 2) Camaro is a mass produced car, the porche an exotic sportscar. So you have to hold in account rarity from the get go. 3) im sure ive seen more 928s on the road than camaros here in europe. America is NOT "the world" 4) The majority of 80's camaros ended up on the scrapheap. Im talking 80s camaro specifically.

[@manoman0]

@@alphatrion100 Over 70% of all 9x1 are. Not ALL. Rarity? The 928 was a mass produced car in Germany. Not the same mass as a Camaro but still a mass product. I am VERY sure I see more old Camaros than 928's. America is not the world but without american there is no world. And yes, the way americans treat their cars, no wonder they end up in a yard. German cars wouldn't last half as long.

[@alphatrion100]

@@manoman0 the 928 had a v8 and was more expensive than the 911. It was supposed to replace the 911

[@alphatrion100]

@@manoman0 you are thinking of the 924/944

[@DZGunner]

I've actually owned both of these cars, which was wierd to find a video about them going head to head. I have to say, the difference between the cars is night and day, the 928 is just way more desirable in a lot of ways. Cool video though.

[@A_Cowboy_called_JackRabbit]

This makes me pine for a certain SUPER clean '84 Z that used to make me smile back around 1990. She was white with gold trim and wheels, T-tops with their matching bag, tan interior with thin diagonal black stripes, white fuzzy dice installed by me, analog clock on the console, 305H.O./5spd, valve float, and enough carbon buildup to make her diesel if I didn't pat that Q-jet before shutting down. Up to 3500 revs, she ran quite well, and sounded sweeter than any other factory V8 of the time, in my personal opinion. The previous owner sold her to me with a Bra, and it all looked SO good with a wash and wax!

[@igiveuponhumanity9238]

In other words, in classic '80s fashion, Chevy provided a highly-tuned hand-built bigger-cube engine in this 'random test car' and claimed it was 190hp like the rest.

[@raymondturner6784]

But the belts kept coming off 😆

[@BerryA86]

Is it just me or does John Davis resemble Sam Kinison here?

[@nedaCFilms]

Lol!!!!!!

[@davidrobson9011]

Good call Ace.

[@BerryA86]

@@davidrobson9011 I forgot all about this comment. It is odd seeing Sam speak formally and properly

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Good matchup! But they REALLY didn't want to say the Z28 was better than the Porsche!

[@tamapalagi]

The L69 305 was essentially a 305 L98 with a carb. These L69 305 Z28s are just as fast as L79 Chevelles from the mid 60s. I'm comparing stock from the dealer not tuned up versions.

[@joshuaecht]

That's the first I've heard of that! I believe you; interesting if true.

[@trex_hi5]

How in the hell did Motor Week not know what a dog leg gear box was?

[@henryatkinson1479]

Maybe if they had a driver that could use a gearbox with the correct shift pattern they would have an actual result...

[@ToriL97]

I own an 83 Z and this makes me so happy to watch. Only thing different is this ones lack of rust and it's a hardtop.

[@kondor99999]

As someone who drove BMWs and Porsches all through the 80s, I have to say I prefer a simple live axle to a semi-trailing arm rear suspension any day. The toe changes when you suddenly unload the suspension caused really wicked trailing throttle oversteer. To this day, I’m surprised when I suddenly let off the gas and the car *doesn’t* spin!

[@billybobjoe198]

The transmission layout shouldn't be effecting your lap times. The terrible syncros should be effecting your lap times. Driving a dog leg is just like driving any 6 speed just never using first.

[@nutsackmania]

billybobjoe198 What? The dog leg is not like ordinary six speeds. It's 1, 23, 45. A typical six speed is 12, 34, 56. My first drive in a 931 took some time to adjust, so they have a point.

[@GlassTopRX7]

That really depends. Moving the trans to the rear clearly improved the Corvettes handling by giving it 50/50.

[@nthgth]

They literally said it didn't end up mattering

[@mitchellpak1666]

The Porsche's V8 made 234 hp. The 2017 Ford Escape with the 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engine makes 245 hp. Many sixes today surpass 300 hp. That's progress.

[@borrachoblanco]

torque??

[@alkoyyy]

the 4.7 liter v8 in the european version made 310hp. and most of todays enginges are turbocharged, that's cheating! :P But yeah, obviously engines have become a lot more efficient in every way :)

[@JisINSANE3]

Yeah that's a lye. Car manufactures are trying everything to sell cars. Including telling bogus HP ratings. There ratings are from 130octane gas with no emissions devices, No computers, and a quick 10 second burn on a carb before the engine needs rebuilt after... EPA sucks ass.

[@workingcountry1776]

Mitchell Pak totally different. A 160 hp 300 cubic inch straight six could move a 30,000 farm/dump truck...

[@WhoThisGuy515]

Strong tower lawn care, yeah unloaded, with a 4 speed, 4.88 or 5.13 gears, at 45mph. The 300 made low 200 lbs of torque at 1600rpm, anything over 45 and it struggled hard to move it's self.

[@golgothapro]

That start-up sample is pure dope. LOL

[@EricMiller]

"On this track on this day the Z28 was the winner" OMG this is hilarious.

[@SpyderRios]

12 seconds faster than the previous Z28? something tells me the Z28 was a ringer.

[@mcqueenfanman]

45 hp increase helps a lot. More if you ran premium in the L-69.

[@Rampant_Colt]

I feel like getting a mullet haircut all of a sudden

[@spankthemonkey3437]

Authorized Personnel let it grow

[@thewaragainstcars]

Duh.

[@RedLP5000S]

Third gens are my favorite. Imagine if the Porsche went up against an IROC-Z28!

[@benslooking4coolstuff]

Love these retro reviews!!!!!!!!

[@Newstatejournal1]

What I would like to know is: why the smaller 928 with its aluminum engine and body, is the heavier car?

[@alkoyyy]

because it's a luxury gt-cat not actually a pure sportscar. if you want that you should go for the 944

[@mercedescl]

Because Camaro has solid rear axle, drum brakes, fiber glass components, and OHC V8 design. Lack of standard air condition, leather interior, and proper sound deadening materials help too.

[@Tommyblueeyes]

Thats not a sportscar either like the 911. it was a sporty coupe rather.

[@Tommyblueeyes]

The 928 is shorter but just as wide and 1cm taller actually.

[@nthgth]

The Camaro's engine was not OHC, it used pushrods. (But that is part of why it's lighter)

[@cargo4441]

The last roar of the qudra jet carb

[@adamtrombino106]

Yes, in 88 on some GM models. The Monte Carlo with both G and H code engines come to mind, as well as various 307 Y code Olds engines. Even Chrysler used them from 85-89 on M bodied cop cars. When set up right, they were respectable performers.

[@silicon212]

Wrong. 1988 on the Caprice. Any vehicle with the Olds 307 had them through the discontinuation of that engine, at the conclusion of the 1990 model year.

[@mak62183]

i love these ol' school videos!

[@KrustyKlown]

had the Z28 back in the 80's ... might go pick up an old 928S now, lol.

[@shaunjones3036]

They should bring back the 928

[@johndrake2729]

Yep. They need to.

[@LegendsXXX2]

1/3rd the cost, but the same performance, good times

[@FL50ssp]

I like how the host makes excuses for the 928 when it is ~2 sec slower than the Z/28.

[@VAR1UM]

Their test car Z28 kept spittin' out fan belts?! Thats hilarious.

[@scdevon]

1982 was a a terrible year for GM cars. 305 engines were known for rounded off cam lobes at low miles back then. I'm glad the Chevy won, though.

[@subrosaBalumNL]

havent started the video yet but this should be hilarious

[@subrosaBalumNL]

+subrosasalvador2011 yup hilarious

[@scdevon]

Pretty embarrassing how a low compression, carbureted, pushrod smog V8 can dig in like that at low RPMs and whoop the Porsche.

[@chrisylink]

My dad had a 86 928. Beautiful and fast car. It was auto I remember it doing over 80mph in second gear.

[@NoBrakes23]

Nice, thanks for posting.

[@rickintexas1584]

190 hp? How sad. I can’t believe the Z28 beat the Porsche.

[@rodmunch69]

What's said is getting like 220hp for $40k - and then losing to the 190hp for $13k.

[@c32amgftw]

So this car ran 12 freaking seconds faster than the same car did a year earlier???? It's so obvious gm gave you a tuned up car to beat the Porsche.

[@TeeroyHammermill]

>c32amgftw: nah. The 82 Z28 only made 145hp with the standard gearbox. I doubt they used the auto version; and even if they did, it was a 3 speed with 165hp-still a slow ass car.

[@timsimmons9995]

I had great memories in two different red Iroc Z28s in that era. They looked and felt crazy fast. But fast forward to modern times, I own a 392 Challenger boasting 475hp/475tq. I was curious to test Gen3 Camaro with an eye to buying it. I think it had around 175hp. That this was so gutless it couldn't even get out of its own way. It crushed my childhood memories. I own a Crown Vic that has more performance than this Z28. My how far we've come.

[@jayski8082]

Man how I wish it was still 1983.😥

[@buzzshavinutts8898]

the camaro definitely had the kind of appeal for beer guzzling mullet boys with their shirt sleeves cut off.

[@bigdaddyvince1825]

Phil Lehmkuhl Oh, so that explains why I like it so much! :)

[@ODSTOninersIxTwO]

till u realized it has the wrong fan belt.

[@nthgth]

2003 called, it wants its stupid cliches back

[@rya3190]

I'd tell you beer tastes like piss, but I feel like that's besides the point...

[@falseteeth5621]

Was that track laid by an old woman who had only laid garden paths before she tackled this circuit?

[@steverocca9911]

+False Teeth I was thinking that when i saw them driving across gravel to get to the track. Too bad if they were dedicated race cars.

[@TheLordofShell]

Wrong belt on the Camaro means someone was messing around under the hood GM souped it up a bit for the press?

[@bradfromthevalley]

the Z/28 and IRoc in a convertible really impressed me in te 80's as a youte.

[@CalgaryRambler]

I've been reading most of the comments down here and I get a laugh you guys really crack me up your comparisons are from two separate generations the 80s vs the 90s in the video it showed two cars from 1984-85 yet the comparison that you people keep showing are from the 1996 LS1 and Beyond although these are good they have nothing to do with what happened in 1984 all we can say is the mechanical promise of the GM product it improve over time but that was just that they had to learn and learn they did except for the quality long term for their product IE interior the bottom line in this video is this the Porsche was not driven correctly the narrator even said the drivers were scared to push his car that was their mistake and as far as the numbers go the majority of these old Camaros are sitting in trailer parks rusting away with their now balded mullet head owners all geriatric and ready for the old folks home the Porsches because of the quality are being restored back to their former glory and even enhanced in many cases just take a look around you too but some of the videos and you'll see what I mean enough said

[@TeeroyHammermill]

>Calgary Rambler: The last time I saw one of those 80's Porches, it was for sale on a car repair shop lot. The mechanic was asking $1800 for it and it took almost a year to get it sold. I lived across the street from the shop so I watched it sit and sit. No one wants those 80's Porches.

[@rodmunch69]

Those Camaros actually were driven - those Porches just sat in a garage. Now go back to humping your cattle you silly fruit.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

$45K car vs $13K car...

[@uzielgutz7188]

It showed

[@davidparker9676]

@@uzielgutz7188 The guys at GM prepped the car with some "custom" fan belts.

[@int53185]

I test drove a Z28 back in '83. Loved it, but the ride was rough.

[@fgeiger41]

Awesome throwback

[@frankburns8871]

I didn't think crack came along until later in the 80s, but I guess I was wrong, because SOMEBODY was definitely smoking crack to come up with this comparo.

[@Brian-ee1gx]

Sounds about right. GM sends them a neutered Z28 w/drum brakes & the gutless carburated motor, and it still beats the Porsche.

[@Katzekraus5]

Where did they find either of these in a stick shift?

[@ztwntyn8]

This test speaks volumes for the 3rd gen platform. The comparison with the mustang is great also because it won the track time and had even less power at 175hp against a mustang that destroyed it in straight line acceleration. It was all chassis and driver.

[@blackericdenice]

High output 5.0 V8 190hp. Guess my 04 4.2 straight 6 275hp would be Super High Output.

[@ossimjew]

That would be a Taurus SHO.

[@blackericdenice]

***** What's a Taurus?

[@ossimjew]

***** u trollin mate?

[@blackericdenice]

***** If u say so mate?

[@philtripe]

that would be a chevy vortec that puts out 275hp @6000 rpm...pretty impressive for a straight 6...and that sho taurus you found in your video probably had an sho exhaust put on a regular taurus because the sho was very very different than regular taurus and almost as fast as the mustang of its era...the sho motor was designed by yamaha and the first one they gave to ford put out about 300hp and ford gave it back and ask them to detune it because they could have a front driver being way faster than the mustang...long story short it took three tries for them to get down to the 220 hp they came with stock

[@Skyhawk1987Turbo]

Amazing how the Z28 makes less hp than my fusion, how times have changed

[@christopherconard2831]

Welcome to the end of the malaise era. These were actually good numbers. The equivalent of your Fusion (Escort maybe?) would have been pushing 80-95HP. Power like you can find in a Hellcat or higher Mustang was only found on drag strips. And those engines blew themselves apart fairly quick. 300+ HP in a car you could commute in was science fiction.

[@rodmunch69]

Yeah, but driving the Z28 was cool, and still is cool, while driving a Fusion makes you a fruit.

[@ToddLloyd]

John Davis' outfit looks surprisingly contemporary in this old video.

[@mcroadracer1]

When I was road racing motorcycles there in the mid to late 80s we called it slippery point. 😀

[@letmehearthatguitarsqueal]

I would love to take my old yammis around it

[@highervibetribe9137]

The 928 was the hotshit GT car of the 80's. Get someone the knew how to drive, it has a racing style gearbox. I would love to see it against a C4, the. 928 was the datapoint for C4's, both badass cars that looked great, I think a C4 would've had it around the track though, those TPI C4's were all about low end torque and cornering, although the 928 felt better to drive and more nimble.

[@gdlkinbi]

Dude...the guy is going through turns with the tires already squealing in that 928...how much faster you think a driver who "knows how to drive" could have gone you think ? It's the limit of what this car could do at that time, specially with the radial tires of that era.....saying the guy is not driving it fast enough is just not true, and the 3rd-Gen Camaro handled a lot better then most ever gave it credit for as well, that's why this car is gone from the Porsche line-up now.

[@highervibetribe9137]

None of what you said has anything to do with why the 928 isn't made anymore, the driver drive the shit outta the z 28, not so much the. 928. You do know the 928 was the fastest car sold in the U.S. During 83 and probably. 84 too. It was the fastest production car sold in 1986 period with the S4 and in 1989 it was the 2nd fastest sold in the U.S behind the Teatarossa, the 944 turbo S was # 3. Corvette based the C4 around the 928, but it took them until 1997 with the C5 to incorporate the rear transaxle for better weight distribution, that car was designed in 1971! It was too expensive was one of the reasons it died off among others, that was Porsche flagship model during its lifetime, it's most high end model. It out performed and out classed the 911 in every possible way too, to include speed(except the 911 turbo)

[@highervibetribe9137]

So yes, someone who was more familiar with the racing style European gearbox would have shit all over that Camaro, and that was with a U.S. Spec 928, the European 928's had at least 300 gps from. 1980 on. I know because I have two and a 95 Vette. The only thing the Vette has on it is more Torque and a higher lateral G, but like I said (and you can research this if you care) the 928 was the "datapoint" for the C4 Vette, and the Vette would've shit in that Camaro too, even an 84.

[@highervibetribe9137]

300 hp, fucking typos. The 928 was probably the best handling car of its time, next to the C4 and 944

[@highervibetribe9137]

I'm not tryin to bag on the Z28, I'm sure it was an incredible bargain, the 928 is just better in every way.

[@NYKgjl10]

I still prefer the OG Z28 over the new Camaros of today.

[@rickjohansson4257]

My friend had this exact model Camaro. He had the longest Chevy warranty ever on account of his talent in turning odometers back.

[@trevorhayes2076]

whats the nurenburg time for the newest vette