Head 2 Head: Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 vs. Ford Mustang Boss Laguna Seca

The decades-old pony car rivalry continues with two of the most highly-tuned examples of the segment's heavy-hitters, the agile 444-horse 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca and the bruising 580-horse 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, in the latest installment of Head 2 Head on ourMotor TrendYouTube channel. Regular visitors to the site will no doubt have already read our story, but there's nothing like video to really get a sense of what these amazing musclecars are all about.

Although the Boss has plenty of fans among the Motor Trend staff for its balance, purity of purpose, and performance at the track, there's no getting around the Camaro's substantial advantage in power and independent rear suspension. Like the rest of the Mustang lineup, the Boss makes do with a solid rear axle, though it does so quite well.

Unlike the regular Boss Mustang, the Laguna Seca jettisons the rear seat in favor of a rear cross-brace and features other touches that signify its singular mission as a track car. The ZL1 (which we just reported has been delayed slightly to work out unspecified issues), meanwhile, has a full rear seat and all the other creature comforts found in the more-pedestrian SS. As a result, the Camaro is nearly 400 pounds heavier than the Mustang, which partially offsets its massive horsepower advantage. With that in mind, there's just one question that needs answering: which one will take the crown after a day of track testing?

To help us answer that question, we employed the skills of seasoned professional driver and two-time Best Driver's Car alum Randy Pobst.

Randy was impressed with the Camaro's formidable power and confidence-inspiring brakes, and while he praised the Mustang's balance and ability to put the power down smoothly, he dinged it for its comparatively weak brakes, and its jumpiness over bumps in the track.

What's the verdict? As Randy puts it, "The Mustang was my favorite American muslcecar...until today." Does that mean the rivalry is over? Not by a long shot. There's a rematch in the wings, one that's coming as soon as we can get our hands on the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 and its 650 supercharged horses.