You're a forum racer and I didn't see you get 11.6 in your "bone stock GT500", and you are definitely overstating the GT500's real world 1/4 mile performance on average. Even if you did land high 11s, a lot of people are stuck in 12s. Driving technique matters and a lot of people don't have a solid technique since they only race occasionally, for fun. Nothing wrong with that.
It's also pointless to suggest that just because a brand new car doesn't have many aftermarket performance options YET, that it will not in the near future. Like I said, a "bone stock" Gen 5 will likely beat a "bone stock" GT500 in a drag race and definitely in a road race. Driver skill matters, but let's not involve too many variables since we're just talking about the cars themselves.
Another way to look at it is, whether or not the GT500 can beat a Viper in the 1/4 mile is less important than the fact that the possibility exists for the race to go either way and if the Viper lost, it would still be very close. On a road course the GT500 does not stand a chance against a viper; it would not even be close, it would lose by a mile...so the Viper can beat the GT500 at it's game - drag racing - but the GT500 is totally outclassed when asked to play the Viper's game - real racing.
We're in total agreement, my friend.
GT500: Motor Trend got 11.6, Car and Driver got 11.7, AutoWeek got 11.7 using LC - at the same track I got my 11.6, using the same technique they did.
Gen5: best mag time to date is 11.3. Last time I checked, that's way quicker than an 11.6-11.7. And that's just mags.
Difference is, GT500 IMO is about as good as it get at an 11.6 or so, not because thats what i got and im that good, just because it'd be hard to beat what the LC does manually, a pro maybe, but not much IMO. The gen5 at 11.3 I can assure you there are guys right here that'll do better than that, I expect one of our good shoes to log a 10.XX.
At Laguna, the GT500 was 4 secs behind the TA, that's a different class kinda difference. But that's not really the whole story cause the brakes as stock on the GT500 have great calipers and horrible rotors and start fading within 3 laps. Ask me how I know. LoL. So in a trackday session, it'd be worse than 4 sec difference over 20 laps. So it's waaay fun, still in the top 20 production cars around Laguna, but easily lapped by a Viper given a full session.
I would note that the GT500 was faster around Laguna than the 2012 MB SLS AMG. Not bad for a 'stang, but uh yea, it ain't a Viper.
